A special combinatorial problem: pitch arrangement for pneumatic tires

In this paper, we introduce a combinatorial problem faced in the tire industry and then define it and optimize it by tabu search from the perspective of operational research. Such a problem is termed the pitch arrangement problem and involves both selecting and sequencing problems along with noninteger design variables. Pitch arrangement is an essential procedure for tires before their manufacture. Using this procedure, engineers have to choose an optimal groove distribution on tire treads for the purpose of manufacturing low-noise tires. Most research works on pitch arrangement are supported by tire companies, and their results are patented instead of being published. In this study, we define the abovementioned problem clearly and optimize it by tabu search. Two actual manufactured tires are chosen for the case studies. In addition, two patents and two types of pitch sequences optimized by genetic algorithms are also applied to these two tires for comparison. The pitch arrangement is optimized successfully and the performance of tabu search is found to be outstanding.