Michelin is one of the leading and most well-known tire manufacturers worldwide. This company was founded in 1889 in France when brothers André and Edouard Michelin decided to venture into a major project after the aid of a cyclist who had had a problem with one of your tires. Since then, that small has grown to become a reference in the sector.
Much has had to see the city of Vitoria in the history of Michelin, and that is that in the 60’s the tire manufacturer French decided to build its second factory on Spanish soil after that in 1934, will start production in Lasarte. The factory of Vitoria meets, in this 2016, its first 50 years of life. We’ve visited the factory, being able to verify in person the manufacturing process of tyre, from the conventional car to the gigantic, 5,000 kilos for machinery of very large dimensions of public works.
50 years not met every day, nor is it possible to access every corner of a major factory like the Michelin Vitoria; unless we are employees of the brand, of course. And I say important because, apart from the huge facilities with no less than 43 hectares in area, and more than 3,200 employees, produces an average of 40,000 tyres for tourism to the day, which in 2015 were accounted for as 90.600 tons of tires and 11.356.000 units. In terms of the covered for public works by Michelin in 2015 Vitoria produced 77.281 tons, 76.822 units.
Michelin shows us every model of their current range for cars
As we said, this factory is located in the city of Vitoria was the second that the brand of tires opened in our country. The first tire “cooked” at the factory, it was destined to public works, a model with a designation to 23.5 – 25 XRT weighed 300 pounds. By the time the template was composed of 249 employees, a far cry from the more than 3,200 and 4,400, which came to have in the year 1975.
Many anecdotes and historical data of the mark have to do with this factory of Vitoria. In 1976 they built the radial tire world’s largest, with the denomination 60/65 R 57 XRD1 1E A. Vitoria also had a relationship with the world of competition, and in 1982 started the production of tyres for the rally, with the model SB 205/53-13 XTL. But the most curious of all ranks in the year 1992, when they produced the tire more heavy of the world and today is still in the Guinness Book of Records with no less than 5.782 pounds, called 80 R 57 XMINE D2.
If something we called especially the attention of the whole visit were the cooking the tires and, of course, the big units aimed at the service of Public Works. In general, the entire process is quite interesting, since it is difficult to imagine how the manufacture of a tire, how to mix the different materials and how it rises its temperature to conformarlos. Then, once the entire manufacturing process, are reviewed by operators in the factory. Dale al play and see for yourself how is the production of the tire of your car through the next video.
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