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As a function of its purpose, an aircraft tire must withstand a wide range of operational conditions. When on the ground, it must support the weight of the aircraft. During taxi, it must provide a stable cushioned ride while resisting heat generation, abrasion and wear. At take-off the tire structure must be able to endure not only the aircraft load but also the forces generated at high angular velocities. Landing requires the tire to absorb impact shocks while also transmitting high dynamic braking loads to the ground. All of this must be accomplished while providing a long, dependable, reliable, service life.
These extreme demands require a tire which is highly engineered and manufactured to precise conditions. For this reason, tires are designed as a composite of various rubbers, fabric and steel products. Each of the components serves a very specific function in the performance of the tire.
The aircraft tire manufacturing industry is dominated by a four firm oligopoly that controls 85% of market share.
The four major manufacturers in aircraft tire manufacturing are the following according to a report by Pelmar Engineering in 2013.
-Goodyear (United States)
-Michelin (France)
-Dunlop Aircraft Tyres (United Kingdom)
-Bridgestone (Japan)
These firms control approximately 85% of the manufacturing market and account for most of the retreads. Dunlop is the smallest player among the major firms with revenue reported at £40m in a 2015 media report.
There are several other smaller industry players, particularly in China. Among these producers are Guilin-based Guilin Lanyu Aircraft Tire Development Co., a subsidiary of ChemChina that was founded in 1980; a Yinchuan, Ningxia located aircraft tire plant owned by Singapore-based Giti Tire; and Qingdao, Shandong-based Sentury Tire, which manufactures tires for the Boeing 737.
Weihai, Shandong-based Triangle Group announced in 2012 a collaboration with the Harbin Institute of Technology for designing and manufacturing aircraft tires.