Beijing – Mesnac and Rockwell Automation have signed a “strategic agreement” to conduct joint research on smart manufacturing within the tire & rubber industry, the Chinese machinery supplier said on 28 Feb.

The two parties, said Mesnac, will conduct in-depth cooperation in automation and industry safety “with the aim to provide top quality products and services to the tire manufacturers and promote the smart manufacture process in the global rubber industry.”

Speaking on the partnership, Mesnac vice president Yu Mingjin said the Chinese company would continue to improve its application technologies, applying its smart manufacturing systems in at the Hefei Wanli plant.

For that, he added, Mesnac will have to have joint research with tire manufacturers and suppliers to improve the “smart level of its products and solutions”.

Hefei Wanli announced in October 2016 that it was completing phase-one of its new tire plant in Hefei, Anhui, which it described as “the world’s first tire factory employing smart automation throughout processes from mixing to curing.”

Also commenting on the partnership, Bob Buttermore, managing director of Rockwell Automation Greater China, said the two companies had enjoyed decades of cooperation both in China and worldwide.

“We expect to see a close cooperation in exploring the innovative technologies in smart equipment and information technology. We will continue to support Mesnac to become a world-leading integrated solution provider for the rubber and tire industry,” Buttermore added.

In this new cooperation, Rockwell Automation is expected to improve the performance of machines, and support Mesnac in improving efficiency and reducing cost through engineering.