Bridgestone Revolutionizes Tire-Making Process
Company tests High -Tech Fully-Automated Tire Production System

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (November 26, 2002) - Bridgestone Corporation of Japan (BSJ), the parent company of Bridgestone/Firestone America’s Holding Inc. (BFAH), is now testing a fully-automated tire production system. This system is the first to automate the entire manufacturing sequence from the processing of materials to the final inspection of finished tires. Bridgestone will refine the system under mass production conditions at a pilot installation in Japan and then deploy the technology at new and existing Bridgestone/Firestone plants at new and existing plants worldwide.

The new production system is called BIRD, which stands for Bridgestone Innovative Rational Development. It centers on three key elements. First, the system employs Bridgestone's Automated Tire Manufacturing Synchronized System (ATMSS) technology for automating and integrating the processes from material processing to vulcanization. Second, the system uses the Automated Inspection Modular System (AIMS) technology for inspecting tires automatically. The third element is Bridgestone's flow oriented approach (FOA), which employs autonomous information processing to manage the system.

BIRD will provide more latitude in design and improve tire performance and quality. The system can produce multiple sizes of tires simultaneously, which means tire can be produced in smaller lots providing significant improvements in inventory control. The compact configuration of BIRD will raise productivity and make the system easy to deploy globally.

Bridgestone has been working on automating the flow of tire manufacturing since the 1980's, and has put several important advances to work in mass production settings. A good example is the company's Automated Continuous Tire Assembly System (ACTAS) for automating tire building. The system is being used at the Bridgestone/Firestone facility in Aiken, South Carolina which opened in 1999.

Nashville-based Bridgestone/Firestone Americas Holding, Inc. is a subsidiary of Bridgestone Corporation, the world’s largest tire and rubber company. BFAH, through its subsidiaries, develops, manufactures and markets a wide range of tires to address the needs of a broad range of customers, including consumers, automotive and commercial vehicle original equipment manufacturers and those in the agricultural, forestry and mining industries. The companies also produce Firestone air springs, roofing materials, synthetic rubber, and industrial fibers and textiles and operate the world’s largest chain of automotive tire and services centers.