Zeppelin Systems gains Siemens as a new partner in the Zeppelin Sustainable Tire Alliance

Friedrichshafen, Germany – Under the umbrella of the Zeppelin Sustainable Tire Alliance, which was launched in March 2023, plant engineer Zeppelin Systems is pursuing the goal of making the tire industry more sustainable. There is a need for new, environmentally minded thinking here, not only in terms of tire production but also tire recycling, particularly with a view to the circular economy. In order to put this vision into practice at various points in the tire value chain, the Zeppelin Sustainable Tire Alliance technology initiative brings a number of international companies together under one umbrella. Now Siemens AG is also on board in the alliance, as a technological innovation driver for automation and digitalization.

Each partner in the Zeppelin Sustainable Tire Alliance contributes its individual, innovative, technical and technological expertise along the tire production value and process chain. As an integrated solutions provider for the tire industry, Zeppelin Systems combines these technological, technical and innovative competencies with qualitative and proven plant engineering solutions. In addition to AI-supported sorting systems from French company Regom, Zeppelin Systems also offers, for example, the breakdown of old tires by means of high-pressure water jet technology provided by the company RubberJet & Vertech. Polish partner Recykl has developed a solution which produces a valuable functional additive derived from the fiber content of old tires. German company Entex devulcanizes rubber using a planetary roller extruder, while Polish company ReOil uses continuous pyrolysis to break down old tires into basic materials such as steel, oil and recovered Carbon Black (rCB). Nano Technologies refines raw recovered carbon black.

As a new member of the technology network, Siemens AG has taken its place alongside Zeppelin Systems in the area of tire recycling and sustainable tire production. Siemens is a technology company which also recognizes the challenges in continuing to drive forward sustainable tire production processes such as decarbonization paired with energy and resource efficiency. “Tackling this requires a partnership-based network of different companies to facilitate a holistic view of all aspects of typical tire production processes, including the entire supply chain,” says Peter Haan, Head of Vertical Management Tire at Siemens AG. He adds that Zeppelin Systems is also a strong and experienced partner that places great importance on sustainability and the circular economy in the tire industry. “That’s why Siemens has decided to join the Zeppelin Sustainable Tire Alliance,” adds Peter Haan.

As part of the Zeppelin Sustainable Tire Alliance, Siemens is specifically making digital twins available to use, with a view to developing and improving sustainable tire production. These make it possible to simulate seamless information flows between the real and digital worlds for example, as well as to model holistic sustainability effects along the value chain, and the optimization of process cycles. Driving decarbonization through transparent and manageable product carbon footprints (PCF) using SiGreen, a SaaS application for sharing dynamic PCF along the Siemens value chain, is also within the remit of the alliance’s collaborative partnership. Zeppelin Systems and Siemens have already worked closely together in the past: The Zeppelin Systems subsidiary in India is a fulfillment partner to Siemens; Siemens hardware is used in tire systems built there, and the technology for the hardware is supplied by Zeppelin Systems. For Zeppelin Systems, further fulfillment partnerships in future are not only conceivable but desirable.

“We are delighted that Siemens has joined the Zeppelin Sustainable Tire Alliance and welcome even closer collaboration with Siemens in the tire sector. For us, this is the next logical step in shaping tire production and tire recycling in a consistently holistic and technologically innovative way,” says Guido Veit, Vice President for Sales of Polyolefins, Rubber, and Silos at Zeppelin Systems GmbH. Dr. Markus Vöge, CEO of Zeppelin Systems GmbH, adds: “With the inclusion of Siemens in the Zeppelin Sustainable Tire Alliance, a large technology company is now side-by-side with Zeppelin Systems in also striving to establish pioneering processes and solutions for the production and recycling of tires. This makes us proud, and confident that we are on the right track with the alliance and our vision.”