Our R&D and quality ensure that we remain a leader in the industry
Our R&D and quality engineers perform both field and laboratory tests when designing a new product and also during serial production.
Consistent quality from one year to the next
Ensuring high and consistent quality, schedules and delivery reliability is a matter of honour for us. The quality of raw materials and finished products is constantly monitored using several different methods. Our measurements are accurate to a thousandth of a millimetre and ensure the exact concentrations of different elements. All our operations are certified and comply with accredited quality standards:
ISO 9001
Quality management system
ISO 14001
Environmental management system
Development process
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Idea & Innovation
Project targets, such as price level, technical requirements and schedules, are decided together with the tyre manufacturer.
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Virtual design development
A tyre stud that complies with the requirements is designed and product images are created.
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Product development & technical verification
First prototypes, extensive field and laboratory testing, in-house design and manufacturing of tooling.
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Design verification & pre-series production
Pre-series production using final tooling. Further field tests and overrun tests as required for type approval.
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Unlimited serial production
Serial production begins. Typically, a development project lasts 2–3 years, but a prototype can be made from a design in just 3–4 months.
Laboratory testing
Our tyre studs are tested at every stage of the development process, from initial R&D to delivery batches of finished studs, using the same methods. In this way, we ensure that the studs delivered to customers meet the requirements of both the customer and the authorities. Using a 3D coordinate measuring machine, we can achieve accuracy down to a thousandth of a millimetre, and we monitor the raw materials delivered to our plant down to the level of elemental concentrations in our own laboratory. We also use machine vision in quality control. Quantities measured include, for example, stud hardness, bending strength, external dimensions, micro- and macrostructure, and the force with which the stud is attached to the tyre.
Typical laboratory tests
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3D coordinate measuring machine
Measures external dimensions of studs
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Microscope
Analyses micro- and macrostructures of studs
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XRF analyser
Determines elemental composition of materials
Type approval
We can perform the required tests on the studded tyre within the EU area obtain type approval for the tyre on behalf of the tyre manufacturer. The Tikka Spikes type approval laboratory is accredited by FINAS according to the ISO 17025 standard and approved by Traficom, the Finnish Transport and Communications Agency. In type approval tests, studded tyres are driven over a stone slab over 200 times and the weight loss of the stone slab is measured. We have conducted type approval tests in our own laboratory since 2013.
Field testing
Our plant and R&D facilities are located in Tikkakoski, Central Finland, where studded tyres are used for about half the year. This makes it easy to conduct field tests. Some tyre producers run millions of kilometers of field testing before a new tyre and stud model combination enters serial production. We collaborate with taxi drivers because they accumulate a lot of driving kilometres. Their cars are inspected every 5000 kilometres. Typically, tests of a new studded tyre are conducted on several dozen cars. In addition, tyre manufacturers often conduct their own tests and measurements, for example at closed test centres in Lapland.
