Black Donuts Inc. has officially opened its new research and development facility, InTire Labs, focused on sustainable tyre and rubber materials. The centre opened on Monday, 16 June in Tampere, Finland, and aims to support innovation across the global tyre value chain.
According to the Finnish engineering firm, the lab will serve tyre manufacturers, rubber product producers, and raw material suppliers by providing an independent, high-performance testing and development environment.
Kai Hauvala, CEO of Black Donuts, said the facility responds to the tyre industry's need for specialised infrastructure to meet sustainability targets. "InTire Labs bridges that gap," he stated, highlighting its role in enabling industry-wide progress.
Ilkka Lehtoranta, head of tyre and material development, emphasised the lab's role in supporting the transition to renewable and recyclable rubber compounds. "This is a major milestone in our mission to help the industry transition from fossil-based materials," he said.
InTire Labs will offer a wide range of services including:
■ Compound development using renewable and recycled materials
■ Mixing, milling, pressing, and curing on a pilot scale
■ Rubber compounding and recipe formulation
■ Physical and chemical analysis
■ Reverse engineering and root cause analysis
■ Regulatory and performance validation
The new unit will also work in synergy with Black Donuts’ consulting and engineering services to provide end-to-end development capabilities.
As regulatory and market pressure intensify, the ability to test and validate sustainable materials will be crucial. Independent facilities like InTire Labs could play a key role in accelerating the commercial viability of next-generation compounds across OEM, aftermarket, and retreading applications.
Tagged with: sustainable tyre materials, rubber compound R&D, tyre testing lab, Black Donuts, InTire Labs, Tampere Finland, renewable rubber, recycled tyre compounds, tyre innovation, material validation, tyre industry sustainability
Disclaimer: This content may include forward-looking statements. Views expressed are not verified or endorsed by Tyre News Media.
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