Specialising in premium tyres, the site represents an investment of $77m for the company with 3,500 employees in Luxembourg, 90 of whom are in Dudelange.
New of the decision to open a plant in Dudelange was first announced in 2017. Production was launched in mid-2021. On 5 May 2022 it was officially inaugurated in the presence of economy minister Franz Fayot (LSAP), the mayor of Dudelange, Dan Biancalana (LSAP), and Grand Duke Henri.
The ribbon cutting ceremony with mayor Dan Biancalana (far right) , Franz Fayot and Grand Duke Henri. (Photo: Goodyear)
3D printing for tyres
"This new facility is a very flexible Industry 4.0 tool," Xavier Fraipont, product, development EMEA vice president, told Delano’s sister publication Paperjam. "The evolution of mobility brings a lot of complexity and variety in the demand for tyres: each new vehicle requires new dimensions, and our standard factories are used to processing very large production series. Today, we need facilities that cater to the ultra-high performance segment and very flexible units.”
The factory uses a new manufacturing process that transposes the principles of 3D printing to the tyre industry. The result: manufacturing is four times faster than a standard production cycle, Goodyear says.
A long-standing presence
Goodyear has been present in Luxembourg since 1951 and has production centres in the country, such as in Colmar-Berg, as well as innovation structures. "$50m of investment is being made in Luxembourg over the coming months," explains Fraipont.
This includes a new driving simulator planned for its research and development centre in Colmar-Berg. On the production side, an increase in capacity is being prepared for both trucks and large off-the-road tyres.
This story was first published in French on . It has been translated and edited for Delano.