A Look Back at the First Two Decades of Tire Finite Element Analysis—Laying the Foundation

ABSTRACT Finite element analysis has become a standard tool in the engineer’s toolbox for tire and vehicle development work, with the goal of simulations replacing early prototypes and tests becoming a reality. However, 50 years ago this was just a glimmer on the horizon, with most of the fundamental model features and solution methodologies used in today’s tire simulations, which are now taken for granted as routine, not existing in the finite element codes. Hence, tire researchers in the early 1970s began developing and incorporating technologies into the codes so that basic tire mechanics could be represented, allowing increasing levels of tire performance simulations to be performed. The current model and simulation capabilities have been built upon this foundation of research and applications to give engineers a wide range of tire performance solutions that can be entrusted to virtually develop tires and vehicles for production. This article reviews the early years of the development and application of tire finite element analyses, giving current users of the method an understanding of the foundational work that was done and the main people involved in its development.