Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd. says that in December 2020, the company develope a proprietary system that utilizes artificial intelligence to predict the physical properties of rubber compounds.
The system is already being used to design rubber compounds for Yokohama tires. Yokohama expects the system’s ability to conduct a large number of virtual experiments will enable it to accelerate compound development, reduce development costs and develop better-performing products, the company says, adding the system will make it easier for less-experienced engineers to create new compounds.
The system was developed under Yokohama Rubber’s new AI utilization concept, HAICoLab, which was launched in October 2020. The system uses AI to predict a rubber compound’s physical properties based on the rubber compound design parameters input by an engineer. In addition, the system includes a function that displays the certainty of predicted physical properties and one that searches for a compound composition that will achieve physical properties closest to the targeted ones. Going forward, Yokohama says it will use the new system for developing rubber compounds for use in tires to a range of the company’s other products, including hoses and conveyor belts.
Under its new HAICoLab concept, Yokohama says it will contribute to the realization of “Society 5.0,” a future society that will enhance people’s experiences and take advantage of innovative technologies such as AI and IoT, as advocated by the Japanese government’s cabinet office.
