In Chinese tire national standards, American tire and rim manuals, European tire and rim standards, Japanese tire standards, and international tire standards, they are all classified by purpose and can be divided into the following types:

(1) Passenger tires (PC)

Passenger tires are the best-selling variety of tires, with developed countries accounting for 75% to 80% of the total number of automotive tires. Its performance and quality are diverse, and the product upgrade speed is fast, which has become a symbol of modern tire technology level. In recent years, with the improvement of road environment and the increasing speed of vehicle driving, radial tires with excellent speed, wear resistance, and energy efficiency have shown a trend of completely replacing diagonal structure tires, and have achieved tubeless and flat tires. According to the types of passenger cars, passenger tires can generally be divided into four categories: sedan tires, SUV tires, MPV tires, and mini van tires. The required performance includes: sportiness (braking and driving stability), ride comfort (comfort, quietness), economy (wear resistance, fuel economy), and safety (air pressure retention, explosion-proof tire performance). There are summer, winter, and all-weather tires in terms of functionality, as well as general, high-performance, ultra-high performance, and environmentally friendly tires. The inflation pressure of passenger tires belongs to the low and ultra-low pressure range, generally 140kPa, and the maximum cannot exceed 280kPa. The proportion of high-performance, ultra-high performance, and green and environmentally friendly tires is constantly expanding, increasingly tending towards high flatness ratio and large wheel rim diameter. From high-speed safety, environmental protection and energy conservation to safety and intelligence, their technological content is rapidly improving.

① Summer general tires

Summer tires are generally installed on small and micro economy cars with a fuel consumption of less than 1.6L. Emphasize the balance between sportiness, ride comfort, and economy, with speeds within the range of S, T, and H (180, 190, 210 km/h) levels, and a flat ratio of 80-60. Common ones include 185/70R1386T, 195/60R1486H, 185/65R1486H, 205/70R1595T, etc. The tread pattern is mostly used in the form of thin horizontal short line blocks with wide stripes as the main body, suitable for good road surfaces with highways as the main body. The tire structure is also relatively simple, and the tire body is composed of 1-2 layers of nylon and polyester fiber curtains arranged in a 0 ° angle in a clockwise direction. In the past, nylon was mainly used, but now polyester cord fabric has slightly gained the upper hand. Most tire rims are equipped with fiber reinforcement layers to increase lateral rigidity. The belt layer is a strip structure with double-layer steel cord arranged in a 70~80 ° cross shape, and some are reinforced with nylon cord or other reinforcement in the upper part of the steel cord layer, forming a dual reinforcement configuration of the tread.

② Summer high-performance and ultra-high performance tires

The main target vehicles are luxury sedans, SUV sports cars, and MPV multifunctional vehicles with a weight of 1.6L or more. Tires are divided into two types: sporty performance and sporty performance that balance ride comfort. The former should pay attention to the stability of straight driving at high speeds and the ease of turning when turning. The latter also needs to consider the comfort and quietness of riding at high speeds. The speed level is also much higher than that of ordinary summer tires. In the past, it was divided into V and Z levels, but now it has been raised to V (240km/h) W (270km/h) and Y (300 km/h) levels. There have also been ZR and Y levels with speeds exceeding 240km/h and 300km/h. The flatness ratio is as high as 55-40 series, and the rim diameter is relatively increased to 16-18 inches. The flatness ratio of the new ultra-high performance tire has been increased to 5-20, and the rim diameter has been expanded to 20-24 inches. For example, 2595/25ZR2297Y and 225/30ZR2490W. The tread is also very different from regular tires. Sports passenger tires often have larger block patterns, while sports and passenger tires also have different sizes of fine seams. For cars with high steering performance, asymmetric tread patterns with different shapes on the inner and outer sides are often used; When driving at high speeds, use a pattern type with good drainage and a specified direction of rotation. The structure is also more complex than general passenger tires. In addition to using polyester or strong silk cord fabric for the tire body, nylon cord fabric is also used on both sides of the tire bead, and a layer of steel wire cord is added to the inner side for key reinforcement. A belt layer is added with a fiber reinforcement layer on top of the steel wire cord layer. In the past, it was mostly high-strength nylon cord fabric, but now more aramid, PEN, and even POK fibers are used.

③ Winter tires

Winter tires, also known as winter anti slip tires, are mainly used on winter ice and snow surfaces and are divided into two categories: studded and non studded. Early winter tires were usually equipped with anti slip metal chains attached to regular tires. Due to the reduced driving speed and severe noise, they were later replaced with studded tires. Although studded tires have taken a big step forward compared to chain tires, they also produce noise and damage the road surface. Therefore, in recent years, the widespread use of non studded tires, which mix the size, thickness, and fine patterns of the tread for anti slip, has become mainstream. The flatness ratio of these types of tires is mostly in the 80~60 series, and the speed level is generally Q class (160km/h). The new modern winter tires have reached 40 series and H class (210km/h). High end all weather tires, some of which have developed to the extent that they can also be used in winter snow and ice conditions. The tread pattern pattern has become a symbol of winter tires and a key factor in their anti slip performance. Usually, on the basis of large patterns, in order to improve the driving, braking, and turning performance when stepping on snow, a high groove area ratio and deep folded groove lines are configured, while more fine pattern grooves are used to enhance the grip effect on snow roads. At the same time, tires with patterns that do not deform even when subjected to greater loads during braking have emerged. At the same time, a three-dimensional pattern pattern has been developed that ensures a larger contact area and improves braking performance. The tread of winter tires requires close contact with the road surface in low temperature environments, maintaining good softness and resilience. Therefore, bubbles are often configured in the tread rubber and efforts are made to control their density and shape to improve the grip of the road surface and the removal of ice film on the ice. Some even mix an appropriate amount of hard particles or various short fibers into the tread rubber to further improve traction and grip on ice.

(2) Load and light truck tires (TB, LT)

Load bearing tires refer to the tires used for carrying goods and passengers on heavy-duty vehicles, buses, and tourist buses. Light truck tires are tires used for light trucks, commercial vehicles, travel trucks, and low position trailers, mostly for both cargo and passenger transportation. The cross-sectional width and inner diameter of the tire are larger than those of passenger tires and are expressed in inches. The general section width ranges from 6.00 inches to 14.00 inches, with an inner diameter of 18-24 inches for heavy-duty tires, 13-17 inches for light trucks, and as low as 15 inches for trailers. The inflation pressure of tires is also higher than that of passenger tires, usually reaching 600-900kPa. The production volume of heavy-duty and light truck tires generally accounts for 15% to 20% in developed countries (5% to 7% for light trucks), while China accounts for 25% to 30%. 80% to 90% of other countries have achieved tubeless and radial transportation, while 20% to 30% have started to flatten, and have basically achieved three modernizations for public transportation, tourist buses, and bread trucks. Due to the speed of driving on highways reaching 90-130km/h (load capacity) and 90-160km/h (light truck), safety has become the most important condition. At the same time, they also put forward many new requirements for economy. Tires not only have wear resistance and durability, long-term safe use, but also need to reduce fuel consumption, reduce exhaust emissions, eliminate vibration noise, and improve environmental pollution. Therefore, heavy-duty and light truck tires are developing towards uniform wear resistance, high durability, and low rolling resistance. The pattern has shifted from being mainly horizontal and horizontal, to a combination of horizontal and mainly smooth forms, and the proportion of noise free and silent patterns is constantly expanding. The fetal body also requires further firmness, and there is expectation for an increase in the proportion and frequency of refurbishment after use, and even for further engraving and use. Load bearing and light truck tires are usually inspected and replaced if necessary after 5 years of use; At the end of 10 years, all items must be updated regardless of whether they are used or not. However, in specific use, due to different purposes and usage conditions, the requirements for tire performance and quality are also different, resulting in significant differences. The usage time is not fixed, and some may not even exceed 1-2 years. North America, Western Europe, Japan, and China each have their own characteristics, and when producing and using them, these factors and conditions must be considered according to local conditions to ensure safety.

(3) Engineering tires (OR)

The original meaning of engineering tires was off the road tire, known as OR or OTR. Nowadays, it mainly refers to various types of tires used in construction vehicles and machinery, including dump trucks, scrapers, excavators, loaders, bulldozers, graders, road rollers, beach machines, as well as specialized tires for construction vehicles such as cranes, concrete mixers, and their transport vehicles. In addition, it even includes tires used in forestry logging, deserts, swamps, and other areas, which are extremely complex in use and have various working conditions. From the nature of work, they can be basically divided into two types: transportation and operation. The driving speed is below 10km/h for work-related tires and 15-65kg/h for transport tires. In fact, they are all used in areas ranging from gravel, rock discs, sand to soft soil, swamps, and deserts, with very complex and harsh conditions. In addition to the basic performance requirements, special attention is paid to additional characteristics such as puncture resistance, heat resistance, heat dissipation, traction, and buoyancy for tires.

(4) Agricultural machinery tires (AG)

Agricultural machinery tires include tractors (wheeled, boat, hand-held, micro), cultivators, management machines, harvesters, transplanters, weeders, cultivators, sprayers, seeders, as well as agricultural transport vehicles and animal husbandry machines, totaling over a dozen categories and over 100 varieties and specifications. Its characteristics are mainly based on the nature of agricultural machinery operations, such as paddy fields, drylands, fruit trees, grass, and other cultivation methods, as well as the types of crops, and it is very complex to choose and use them separately. Usually, it is divided into three categories: general-purpose machine tires, specialized machine tires, and agricultural transport vehicles.