EngD position: Design tool for tyre-snow performance predictions

Who we are

Apollo Tyres is a tire manufacturer of Indian origin. Apollo is an ambitious and growing company with factories in India and Europe, as well as sales offices around the world. About 160 employees work at Global R&D in Enschede to develop new (car) tires for Apollo and Vredestein.
Winter tires are characterized by excellent performance at cold temperatures and in snowy conditions. The development of new winter tires, however, can be challenging. For example, mold production is time consuming (due to all the small details – the so-called sipes – that are required for snow grip) and the quality and behavior of snow is highly variable, which is a challenge for design when comparing outdoor test results with laboratory conditions. Therefore, numerical simulation tools are being developed to better estimate the effect of design changes on the tire performances – especially relevant at the early stages of the development of new tires.

Objective or the assignment
The project is in collaboration with Apollo Tyres Global R&D and it aim is to develop a comprehensive numerical model for tire-snow interaction: coupled numerical models for rubber-snow interaction will be implemented using the Abaqus software. Although numerical simulation environments have been developed to predict the snow performance of newly developed tire prototypes, challenges remain in comparing and validating advanced numerical models.
The main objective is to select the most suitable solution, from the perspective of stakeholder demands, and implement and integrate it into Apollo’s professional environment. The accuracy for predicting snow performance of winter tires will be validated experimentally, followed by further model improvements, and implementation or design of a robust workflow and predictive design tool.

Your tasks
Investigate the speed, accuracy, and convergence of advances numerical models for tyre snow interaction (e.g. using the Arbitrary Lagrangian-Eulerian (ALE), Coupled Eulerian-Lagrangian (CEL), and Smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH) methods for snowy conditions)
Integration of numerical models within the simulation environment of Apollo
Ensure the robustness of the tire prototyping process

Your profile
MSc graduate in Mechanical Engineering, Physics, Civil Engineering, or related fields
Knowledge of Finite Element Method (FEM)
Mandatory coding experiences (Python, Fortran)
Experience with numerical simulation (e.g. Abaqus, UMAT

What do we offer
We offer a position in an inspiring, multidisciplinary and international environment with an attractive campus and lots of facilities for sports and leisure
The university provides a dynamic ecosystem with enthusiastic colleagues.
Excellent facilities for professional and personal development
A contract for 38 hours per week

Information and application
Applications for this vacancy must be submitted through the University of Twente website.

Please use the link below to access the official vacancy page and submit your application: https://utwentecareers.nl/en/vacancies/2403/engd-position-design-tool-for-tire-snow-performance-predictions/

For more information about this vacancy you can contact Dr. Hongyang Cheng, +31 53 489 9986 (e-mail: h.cheng@utwente.nl or Prof.dr. Stefan Luding (s.luding@utwente.nl)

Are you interested in being part of our team?
Please send your application by 30th April 2026, via the "apply now" button and include:
a cover letter (maximum one A4 page)
a detailed CV
contact details of at least 2 references.

Interviews are planned for the last two weeks of May.
Screening is part of the procedure.