Hankook adds second Eplus3D machine to support tyre sipe mould production
Eplus3D, headquartered in Hangzhou, China, has reported that its metal Additive Manufacturing technology is being used by Hankook Precision Works, headquartered in Daejeon, South Korea, to produce tyre sipe moulds. Hankook recently added a second Eplus3D EP-M300 Additive Manufacturing machine at its China subsidiary to further increase production of the sipe moulds.
Metal AM offers increased design freedom and the ability to produce integrated structures in a single build, making it well-suited to tyre sipe moulds, which often feature sub-millimetre details and complex geometries that are difficult to achieve using conventional processes.
As demand for tyre sipe moulds increased, Hankook turned to metal Additive Manufacturing, with the first machine installed at the company’s China facility in September 2025. Initial builds were reported to have demonstrated external quality and mechanical properties comparable to those of traditional technologies.
With application and process support from Eplus3D, the machine was subsequently introduced into serial production, with operators adapting to the machine within a short timeframe. The technology is now used to produce tyre sipe components, with approximately 100,000 parts manufactured to date, demonstrating consistent quality and repeatable output.
A second EP-M300 Additive Manufacturing machine was installed in February 2026, supporting expansion across multiple facilities and enabling greater production capacity while maintaining process consistency.
Eplus3D also supported application development through the testing of customer-specific components and optimisation of process parameters prior to installation. The use of validated parameters enabled Hankook to reduce the need for further iteration, enabling a more efficient transition from evaluation to stable production.
www.hankook-precisionworks.com
