How to Optimize Waste Tire Recycling Costs with a Tire Drawing Machine?

Author : marie | Last Updated : November 18, 2025

Description: Why is a tire drawing machine a core pre-processing equipment for waste tires? This article breaks down how this device efficiently completes tire “bead removal and wire extraction”—from its functional positioning and structural design to technical parameters and application scenarios—helping reduce costs and boost efficiency for subsequent recycling processes.

Perception Anchoring: A Tire Drawing Machine Isn’t an “Auxiliary Tool”—It’s a “Pre-requisite” for Waste Tire Recycling

In the waste tire resource recovery workflow, the Tire Drawing Machine undertakes the critical mission of “bead removal and wire extraction”: it is a specialized device designed to strip tire beads and extract internal steel cord before tire shredding or cutting.

Traditional waste tire processing often feeds intact, bead-and-wire-containing tires directly into shredders, leading to two major issues: first, steel wire mixes with rubber during shredding, increasing downstream separation complexity; second, steel wire accelerates shredder blade wear, driving up maintenance costs. With a tire drawing machine, “bead separation + steel wire extraction” are completed in advance—boosting subsequent process efficiency by over 40% and reducing equipment wear by 50%.

In short, a tire drawing machine is the “first precise disassembly tool” that turns intact waste tires into “processable raw materials.” It is indispensable for large-size tires (e.g., truck or construction machinery tires).

Core Function Breakdown: The “Two Tasks” and Technical Logic of a Tire Drawing Machine

A tire drawing machine’s core functions are “tire bead removal” and “steel cord extraction,” with its technical design centered on the efficiency and precision of these tasks:

Task 1: Tire Bead Removal (Debeading)

The tire bead is a rigid ring (containing high-strength steel wire) that connects the tire to the rim; direct shredding often causes equipment jams. The tire drawing machine separates the bead from the tire body via mechanical clamping + radial pulling:

Clamping Mechanism: Hydraulically driven curved jaws adapt to tire beads of 14–63 inches in diameter, with a clamping force of 10–30 MPa to prevent slipping during pulling.
Pulling Action: After clamping the bead, the jaws pull radially outward (paired with a rotating mechanism) to gradually separate the bead from the tire body, avoiding tearing or deforming the tire.

Task 2: Steel Cord Extraction

Steel cord is the core structure that reinforces tire strength. The drawing machine extracts it from the rubber layer via roller traction:

Traction Roller Set: Wear-resistant toothed rollers (made of ASTM A681 H13 steel) grip the steel cord and pull it at a steady speed, achieving an extraction efficiency of over 98%.
Tension Control: Built-in tension sensors adjust traction speed in real time to prevent cord breakage, ensuring extracted steel wire remains in continuous strips (for easy downstream recycling).

Structure and Configuration: “Hardcore Parameters” of a High-Quality Tire Drawing Machine

Performance differences between tire drawing machines stem from structural design and key component configurations. Below are core parameters and design details of high-quality equipment:

Power and Drive System

Motor Configuration: IEC 60034-compliant three-phase asynchronous motors, with power ranging 7.5–37 kW: 7.5–15 kW for small machines (passenger car tires), 22–37 kW for large machines (construction machinery tires) — ensuring sufficient power for different scenarios.
Hydraulic System: High-pressure hydraulic pumps (operating pressure 16–25 MPa) precisely drive clamping and pulling actions, with a response time ≤ 0.5 seconds to avoid efficiency losses from operational delays.
Transmission Structure: ISO 6336-compliant hard-tooth-surface reducers (transmission efficiency ≥ 95%) stably transfer motor power to working mechanisms while buffering instantaneous impact forces, extending overall equipment lifespan.

Core Working Mechanisms

Clamping Jaws: Curved, ergonomic design with 90 Shore A wear-resistant rubber pads (enhances friction to prevent slipping while avoiding bead damage); jaw opening adjusts 200–1600 mm to fit all tire sizes (14–63 inches).
Traction Roller Set: Rollers (150–300 mm diameter, 5–10 mm tooth pitch) are quenched to HRC 58–62 for extreme wear resistance; each cycle pulls 10–20 cords at 0.5–1.5 m/min, balancing efficiency and cord integrity.
Frame Structure: Welded from Q355B high-strength steel (stress-relieved via aging treatment), with frame deformation ≤ 0.2 mm/m — maintaining structural stability even under long-term heavy loads, avoiding operational precision loss from frame warping.

Adaptation Specifications and Capacity

Tire drawing machines are categorized by tire size compatibility, with distinct capacity and parameter adaptability:

Small-Sized Machines: For passenger car tires (14–22 inches), 7.5–15 kW motor; 10–15 seconds per tire; 1,920–2,880 tires/day (8-hour shift) — ideal for small-to-medium passenger tire recycling workshops.
Medium-Sized Machines: For commercial truck tires (22–29 inches), 15–22 kW motor; 15–20 seconds per tire; 1,440–1,920 tires/day — matches pre-processing needs for small-to-medium rubber granule or TDF fuel production lines.
Large-Sized Machines: For giant construction machinery tires (30–63 inches), 22–37 kW high-power motor; 20–30 seconds per tire; 960–1,440 tires/day — meets giant tire disassembly needs for large-scale waste tire resource recovery enterprises.

Application Scenarios: Adaptation Logic for Tire Drawing Machines in Different Recycling Lines

Tire drawing machine applications must align with downstream recycling line needs, with distinct process and equipment selection for each scenario:

Scenario 1: Rubber Granule Recycling Lines — Pursuing “Steel Wire Purity”

Needs: Extracted steel cord must be rubber-free (for independent recycling); separated beads must be uniformly sized (to reduce downstream shredding difficulty) while ensuring rubber granule purity.
Process Adaptation: “Drawing + secondary cleaning” integrated mode: after extraction, built-in brush rollers immediately clean steel wire to remove rubber debris, ensuring ≥ 99% steel purity (avoids impurity-related value loss for steel recycling).
Equipment Selection: Prioritize small-to-medium machines (for passenger/truck tires); pair with automatic feeding systems to enable continuous tire loading, drawing, and unloading — reducing labor and boosting efficiency.

Scenario 2: TDF Fuel Production Lines — Pursuing “High-Efficiency Bead Removal”

Needs: Core goal is rapid bead removal (to prevent rigid beads from impairing TDF combustion efficiency); steel cord extraction is low-priority (partial steel may remain in rubber) — speed is prioritized.
Process Adaptation: Simplified “single-step bead removal” workflow: only bead removal (no steel cord extraction) — drastically reduces per-tire processing time and accelerates material flow.
Equipment Selection: Choose medium-to-large machines; prioritize bead removal speed and stability; select high-capacity models to ensure drawing machine throughput matches downstream shredder/screener capacity (avoids line bottlenecks).

Scenario 3: Giant Tire Disassembly Lines — Pursuing “High Power and Adaptability”

Needs: Process construction machinery tires (≥ 1 m diameter), which have high-hardness beads and thick steel wire — requiring extreme clamping/pulling force to avoid equipment overload.
Process Adaptation: Refined “segmented pulling” workflow: secure the tire body with specialized clamps, then pull the bead in segments to distribute instantaneous force and ensure stable operation.
Equipment Selection: Must use large-sized machines (≥ 30 kW motor); equip reinforced jaws and high-pressure hydraulic systems (clamping force ≥ 30 MPa) to handle high-strength work for giant tires.

Selection and Maintenance: “Pitfall Avoidance Guide” for Tire Drawing Machines

Key considerations for selecting and operating tire drawing machines (to avoid equipment-related line inefficiencies):

Selection Pitfalls: 3 Core Dimensions

Prioritize Adaptability, Not “One-Size-Fits-All” Claims
◦ Pitfall: Some manufacturers claim “one machine fits all tires,” but small machines lack the jaw opening/power for large beads; large machines waste energy and efficiency on small tires.
◦ Recommendation: Select a machine matched to your primary tire size; prioritize models with adjustable jaw openings for flexibility.
Prioritize Core Component Materials, Not “Appearance”
◦ Pitfall: Low-cost machines use ordinary carbon steel for jaws/rollers (service life 300–500 hours) — frequent replacements increase long-term costs.
◦ Recommendation: Verify core materials: jaws should be “high-strength steel + wear-resistant rubber”; rollers should be H13 wear-resistant steel — ensuring ≥ 5,000 hours of core component service life.
Prioritize Automation, Not “Manual Operation”
◦ Pitfall: Manual machines have low efficiency (≥ 30 seconds per tire) and high labor costs — unsuitable for large-scale production.
◦ Recommendation: Choose PLC-controlled machines with automatic feeding, clamping, and pulling (one-button operation) — boosts efficiency and reduces labor reliance.

Maintenance Tips: 2 Key Details

Regular Core Component Maintenance
◦ Traction Rollers: Inspect tooth wear every 1,000 hours; grind or replace if wear exceeds 2 mm (to maintain cord traction performance).
◦ Hydraulic System: Replace hydraulic oil and clean filters every 500 hours (prevents contamination-related clamping force loss or operational jams).
Match Downstream Equipment Capacity
◦ Align the drawing machine’s daily capacity with downstream shredder capacity (avoids upstream material backlogs or downstream idle time).
◦ Example: If your shredder processes 10 tons/day (≈ 500 truck tires), select a medium machine with ≥ 500 tires/day capacity.

Case Study: How Tire Drawing Machines Optimize Recycling Line Costs

A waste tire rubber granule enterprise previously fed truck tires directly into shredders, facing three major cost pain points:

High Maintenance Costs: Shredder blades (damaged by steel wire) required monthly replacement (≈ ¥15,000/month).
Low Product Value: 80% steel separation rate (steel in rubber reduced granule purity and selling price).
Low Capacity Efficiency: 20 seconds per tire (8 tons/day) — limited economies of scale.

After installing a medium tire drawing machine (22 kW motor, 22–29 inch tire compatibility), 3-month operational data showed:

Maintenance Costs Cut: Shredder blade replacement cycles extended to 3 months (≈ ¥5,000/month) — saving ¥10,000/month.
Product Value Increased: 98% steel separation rate (granule purity met premium standards) — 15% higher selling price.
Capacity Boosted: 15 seconds per tire (12 tons/day) — 50% capacity increase; overall recycling costs reduced by 30%.

Technical Trends: “Intelligent Upgrade Directions” for Tire Drawing Machines

As waste tire recycling becomes more automated and refined, tire drawing machine innovation focuses on three areas:

Intelligent Identification & Adaptation: Machine vision systems automatically detect tire size/bead position (no manual parameter adjustments).
Flexible Pulling Control: AI algorithms adjust pulling force/speed in real time (adapts to worn/deformed tires — avoids bead breakage or equipment overload).
Data-Connected Management: Integrates with line MES systems (real-time monitoring of operation, capacity, and faults; enables remote monitoring and predictive maintenance).

A tire drawing machine may seem like a “small pre-processing device,” but it is a “key lever” for controlling line costs and boosting profits. For small workshops or large enterprises alike, precise selection and scientific maintenance of tire drawing machines enable “early disassembly and precise separation” — clearing obstacles for subsequent processes and achieving “cost reduction, efficiency gains, and value maximization” in waste tire recycling.