What has been unfolding before our eyes day by day over the past few months has now been presented to an international audience. At IAA Transportation in Hannover, Hankook officially put its new European truck and bus tire production in the spotlight. The first tire produced by the new TBR facility was unveiled.
In mid-September, the transport industry turned its attention to Hannover, the German city that is also home to Hankook’s European Technical Center. It provided an excellent opportunity for Hankook to present to an international audience of industry professionals the first pre-production truck tire manufactured at the new production facility in Rácalmás. The new production line will have an annual capacity of more than 800,000 units, with production starting with 22.5-inch truck and bus tires.
The significance of the development was also highlighted by Jongho Park, President and Chief Operating Officer of Hankook Tire Europe:
“The expansion of our European plant to include truck and bus tire production marks another milestone for Hankook in Europe. Its strategic location in Hungary and proximity to key European markets provide a significant advantage.”
Rácalmás Strengthens Its Role Further
The launch of truck and bus tire production in Hungary represents a major strategic step forward, as Hankook’s truck and bus tires for the European market have previously been produced exclusively in Korea and China. Supplying the European market from Rácalmás enables shorter transportation routes and faster delivery, strengthens supply security, and contributes to reducing logistics costs and CO₂ emissions associated with transportation.
Our Managing Director Lim Ho Taek, summarized the significance of the project as follows:
“The expansion project was one of the largest industrial development projects ever implemented at our Hungarian site. With the addition of truck and bus tire production, our plant is evolving into a significantly more complex manufacturing facility with a higher level of automation.”
New Technology, New Opportunities
The new production facility features a high degree of automation to support manufacturing processes. Automated logistics and inspection systems, AGVs, and real-time tracking solutions all contribute to efficient operations. Sustainability was also a key consideration in the design of the facility, with energy-efficient equipment and advanced process control solutions helping to reduce energy and water consumption.
With its presentation at IAA Transportation, the Rácalmás development has now stepped beyond the factory gates. Together with the first pre-series tire, the new center of Hankook’s European commercial vehicle tire production was presented to the international professional community.