Case Study: KRAIBURG Austria achieves cost-effective 3D-printed tire molds with SLM Solutions

Tire mold segments for the retreading of truck tires

KRAIBURG Austria, a leading Austrian specialist in rubber processing and tire retreading materials, needed a way to produce highly complex tire mold segments for truck tire retreading. Traditional milling or casting methods limited the design of molds with undercuts, fins, and variable thicknesses, so the company looked to SLM Solutions and its SLM®500 metal additive manufacturing system for a more flexible approach.

SLM Solutions implemented selective laser melting to produce KRAIBURG-SLM® tire molds in AlSi10Mg, enabling intricate 3D structures to be manufactured in a single step. The solution increased design freedom, reduced the number of mold areas that needed pressing, and delivered cost and material savings; KRAIBURG also noted that the approach could be extended to other products and production areas within the group.

KRAIBURG Austria

Thorsten Schmidt

General Manager