The composition of compounds is one of the biggest secrets of the tire industry (Image: Continental)

Evaluating this development, Boris Mergell, head of material evaluation and processing car and truck tires from Continental, sees a clear trend towards ‘downsizing’ in the use of chemical products, with no end in sight. In his view the ‘green tire’ has already arrived in the trade. After all, natural rubber accounts for two-thirds of a car tire, with a good proportion of this renewable raw material obtained from rubber trees in Central America. Production is in the hands of smallholders, with international corporations owning just a few plantations, so revenues from the plantations remain largely with the producers themselves.

“Our modern car tires are highly specialised industrial products well able to handle the balancing act between renewable raw materials and essential chemical additives” Mergell comments. “Virtually every day we try out new materials and compounds in our labs in the hope of achieving further progress.” His aim in this context is to do without fossil raw materials as far as possible and use recycling materials instead. Natural and re-processed oils have both been used at Continental now for over ten years. “We are working very closely with our suppliers and with independent research institutes to find a substitute specifically for those tire ingredients that are based on mineral oil” he explains. To this end he is focusing on polymers made from biomass, process oils, different types of carbon black, mineral nano fillers and, in particular, recycling materials.. “We are currently developing a tire prototype which does without over 90% of the fossil raw materials.” For the structural supports in the tire Continental uses recycled steel. Recycling products or products based on renewable raw materials, such as rayon, are used to replace textile cord materials. One positive side effect is that tires using alternative structural supports are ten per cent lighter than conventional products and so reduce a car’s overall weight, resulting in lower fuel consumption.

By now almost all oils containing PAHs (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons) have completely disappeared from tyres. “Previously they were indispensable to ensure tires had a long service life; they were also needed to maintain the tyre’s characteristics in the wet at a very safe level” Mergell explains. “By now, though, we’ve been able to reduce these PAKs in all tires, so that we come in well below the strict limits valid from early 2010.” Not an easy task – one single tyre consists of around 15 different rubber compounds and each compound contains such oils. This meant that Mergell and his colleagues had to change each of the compounds, whilst maintaining the tyre’s driving characteristics at the same level. Explaining the aim of his ‘magic kitchen’, he reveals: “The secret is the way the different compounds in the tyre interact.” Each minor modification can lead to substantial variations in the overall picture. The wrong composition in the compound can already result in considerably poorer braking performance. “It is, after all, the tyre – and not the brakes – that stops the car” he states clearly. “If the composition of the tire results in a blow-out at the crucial moment, then the best brakes are no good.”

Continental’s ‘magic kitchen’ continues to look for solutions that will make tires safer and more environment-friendly. “Our objective here is to gain greater sustainability, both in terms of raw materials and also in production” Mergell explains. To do this, he wants to keep the use of fossil base materials as low as possible, dispense with potentially harmful compounds where possible, and make that industrial product – the tire – safer, more durable and more economical. For him, though, one thing is certain – in terms of tire colours, things still look black.

Related posts

• Tuner 9ff Porsche GT 9 sprints to 409 km/h (0)
• The new Porsche Panamera – getting up to speed with ContiSportContact 3 (0)
• The Continental Summer Tire Range 2008 (0)
• New Battlax BT-023: a “full spec” sport touring tyre (0)
• Michelin’s Research and Development Programs: Unrivaled Resources (0)

Bridgestone Turanza EL 400 RFT (Image: Bridgestone)

Buyers who opt for the Sienna AWD model will appreciate this latest innovation from Bridgestone. Like earlier Run-Flat tires, this new tire still provides peace of mind thanks to a reinforced sidewall that allows the tire to be driven up to 50 miles at speeds up to 50 mph after a complete loss of air. As an enhancement to earlier Run-Flat designs, however, this latest innovation from Bridgestone provides a more comfortable ride which is comparable to that provided by traditional touring tires.

When Bridgestone began its mass production of Run-Flat tires in 1987, the ride was considered by some drivers to be hard compared to normal tires due to their thick and hard sidewall structure. In 2005, Run-Flat tires advanced to the second generation featuring enhanced ride quality through the improvement of sidewall-reinforced rubber. With the adoption of “heat controlling technologies,” third generation Run-Flat tires achieved thinner and softer sidewalls. This has enabled ride comfort comparable to that of traditional tires. Third generation Run-Flat tires are also lighter than earlier Run-Flat designs. These “heat controlling technologies” also enable the development of Run-Flat tires in a wider range of sizes.

This Image explains how Run Flat Tires differ from standard tires (Image: Bridgestone)

“Premium technology for the whole family makes the Bridgestone brand and Toyota the perfect combination,” said Mike Martini, President, Original Equipment, U.S. & Canada Consumer Tire Sales Division, Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations (BATO). “We are proud Toyota has chosen to equip its All Wheel Drive version of the next generation Sienna with a Bridgestone Run-Flat tire featuring our new 3G RFT technology.”

The Toyota Sienna AWD is the first vehicle in the world to be fitted with this new third generation Run-Flat technologies which offer better ride comfort when compared to earlier versions of Bridgestone Run-Flat tires.

Features of TURANZA EL400 RFT

The Turanza EL400 RFT incorporates two new technologies which control the heat generated when running at low or zero pressure: “COOLING FIN” to cool tire sidewalls and “new sidewall reinforcement rubber” to reduce heat generation.

The Turanza EL400 RFT for the U.S. market is an all-season tire which offers better ride comfort while still providing the safety and environmental benefits of Run-Flat technology.

Related posts

• Bridgestone to Supply ECOPIA Brand Tires as Standard Equipment for Toyota iQ (0)
• Bridgestone Brand Ecopia EP100 Debuts at Chicago Auto Show (0)
• Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations Facility Earns Wildlife Habitat Council Re-Certification (0)
• Uniroyal Laredo AWT II Tire Offers Better Handling And Tread Life (0)
• Rolling Resistance and the Environmental Impact of Tires (0)

“We are pleased to be honored by the editors of Popular Science for the innovation represented in the Goodyear Assurance Fuel Max tire,” said Steve McClellan, Goodyear’s North American president, consumer tires. “Our product development process follows a market-back path – learning what consumers want and then building tires that deliver innovative benefits.

“Goodyear works hard to make sure the technology is relevant to the consumer’s wants. Honors such as this, and the complementing strong consumer demand for our tires, confirm that direction.”

Mark Jannot, editor-in-chief of Popular Science, said, “The Best of What’s New Award is the magazine’s top honor, and the 100 winners – chosen from among thousands of entrants – represent the highest level of achievement in their fields. For 22 years, Popular Science has honored the innovations that surprise and amaze us – those that make a positive impact on our world today and challenge our views of what’s possible in the future.”

The Goodyear Assurance Fuel Max tire features a proprietary fuel-saving tread compound that helps reduce energy loss as the tire rolls, so less gas is required to keep the tire rolling. The 4 percent improvement in highway fuel economy delivered by the new Fuel Max tires means, in essence, drivers can save 2,600 miles worth of gas over the life of a set of 4 tires.*

Earlier this year, fuel economy experts Helen and John Taylor set a “48 Contiguous U.S. States Fuel Economy Guinness World Record,” driving a car equipped with Goodyear Assurance Fuel Max tires. This three-week, 9,000+ mile drive through all 48 contiguous states in the U.S., showcased the potential fuel savings from the breakthrough fuel-efficient tread compound found in the new tires.

Goodyear Assurance Fuel Max tires also have been selected as original equipment fitments for recognized fuel-efficient vehicles, such as the 2011 Chevrolet Volt, 2010 Ford Fusion S, and 2010 Toyota Prius.

As a replacement tire, the Goodyear Assurance Fuel Max is available to consumers now, and offers all-season traction with a full range of 32 sizes, fitting more than 80 percent of the passenger tire segment. See www.goodyeartires.com for more details on Goodyear Assurance Fuel Max.

Each year, the editors of Popular Science review thousands of products in search of the top 100 tech innovations of the year; breakthrough products and technologies that represent a significant leap in their categories. Best of What’s New awards are presented to 100 new products and technologies in 11 categories: Automotive, Aviation & Space, Computing, Engineering, Gadgets, Green Technology, Home Entertainment, Security, Home Technology, Health and Recreation. All of the winners will be featured in the December special issue of Popular Science, which is on newsstands now. The story is also available online at www.popsci.com/bown2009.

Related posts

• Goodyear Receives Innovation Award in Europe (0)
• Goodyear ‘TireLogic’ Magazine Goes Digital (0)
• Tires Added to List of Carbon Fiber-Enhanced Products (0)
• Obama limousine has Goodyear tires (0)
• Michelin’s Research and Development Programs: Unrivaled Resources (0)

As environmental awareness grows worldwide, automakers are accelerating the introduction of lighter, smaller vehicles. In response to that trend, Bridgestone is confident that its third-generation run-flat tires will significantly advance the use of run-flat tires by original equipment manufacturers, thereby accelerating the elimination of spare tires (emergency-use tires) in passenger vehicles. The company believes that further popularizing the safe and environment-friendly run-flat tires can make a major contribution to society.

According to Bridgestone, while there are various ways to eliminate spare tires the company believes that run-flat tires are the best way of eliminating spare tires because of significant advantages offered by them, including:

(1)           Improved driving stability when the tire punctures
(2)           Greater peace of mind as it avoids the need to change tires in dangerous places, such as on highways
(3)           Continued mobility not only when punctures damage the tire tread in contact with the road surface, but even when punctures damage the tire sidewalls

Eliminating spare tires from all vehicles would help save resources by reducing the approximately 59 million spare tires annually. Furthermore, CO2 emissions over the spare tire lifecycle – from raw material procurement to disposal – could be lowered by approximately 2 millions tons of CO2 per year. Additional CO2 emissions can be reduced by the elimination of wheels for the spare tires.

By providing third-generation run-flat tires that realize such benefits, Bridgestone, as a company involved in the automotive industry, can contribute significantly to the creation of a car society that is safer and more environment-friendly.

Riding comfort comparable to that of conventional tires differentiates third-generation run-flat tires from those incorporating earlier technologies. A summary of these new products and explanations of the new technologies that enable them follows.

1. Summary of the evolution of third-generation run-flat tires

Bridgestone’s mainstay run-flat tires are those with reinforced rubber in their sidewalls. When Bridgestone started mass production of run-flat tires in 1987, the tires tended to give a hard ride comparable to conventional tires because the sidewalls were thick and somewhat inflexible. In 2005, Bridgestone introduced its second generation run-flat tire that featured improved riding comfort through an improved sidewall-reinforced rubber.

Bridgestone’s third-generation run-flat tires have adopted new technologies that further improve riding comfort. By application of these new technologies, the third-generation run-flat tires can reduce vertical stiffness deflection index more than the second-generation run-flat tires and achieve riding comfort comparable to conventional tires. Moreover, they enable the development of run-flat tires in a wide range of sizes, including sizes that were previously difficult to develop.

Comparison of the riding comfort of run-flat tires by generation

The indices for each generation take the tire vertical stiffness deflection index of conventional tires as 100. Riding comfort improves as the value of the indices decreases. (Tire size: 245/40R18 93W.) Third-generation run-flat tires in this comparison incorporate new sidewall-reinforced rubber and new ply.

2. Summary of new technologies that enable the third generation

“Heat control” is the key to the technologies that enable third-generation run-flat tires. The simplest way to improve the riding comfort of sidewall-reinforced type run-flat tires is to make the tire sidewalls thinner and softer. However, when driving with a puncture, deformation of the tire sidewalls increases and generates more heat at that portion. How to deal with this heat generation while maintaining and increasing the durability of run-flat tires (after they lose inflation pressure), became a major challenge in efforts to improve riding comfort. In response, Bridgestone has developed three technologies to solve that puzzle: new sidewall-reinforced rubber that can reduce heat generation, a new ply that can reduce deformation growth, and COOLING FIN technology that can cool the tire sidewalls. Because each of these technologies improves riding-comfort performance separately, Bridgestone will select the technologies as appropriate when developing commercial products. (Based on tire sizes, the weight of the vehicles and when technologies become available for practical application.)

(1) New Sidewall-reinforced Rubber that Curbs Heat Generation

By adoption of NanoPro-Tech, we have created a new sidewall-reinforced rubber with improved carbon dispersion. The new rubber reduces the friction that occurs between carbon molecules when tire is loaded and reduces heat generation. Compared with second-generation sidewall-reinforced rubber, the new rubber can reduce by half heat generation due to deformation of tire sidewalls when driving on tires that have lost air pressure.

(a) Reduction of heat generation by new sidewall-reinforced rubber

(b) Summary of NanoPro-Tech Technology

(2) New Ply (the tire body) that Uses Heat to Curb Deformation

The “new ply” is a new technology created by Bridgestone’s materials development technology that adapts a leading-edge fiber for use as tire material. When driving under run-flat conditions, the heat generated by tire sidewall deformation shrinks the new ply, thereby curbing deformation of the tire sidewall and preventing rapid increase in temperature.

(a) Tire structure

(b) How new ply curbs tire deformation

(3) COOLING FIN technology to Cool Tire Sidewalls

COOLING FIN is a technology that creates protrusions, which face toward the center of the wheel, on the surface of tire sidewalls in order to create disturbances in the airflow and thereby cool tires. The technology helps to cool the heat generated in tire sidewalls when driving on tires that have lost air pressure.

(a) Tire outer surface

The History of Run-flat Tires

Bridgestone’s run-flat tire initiatives trace their origins to the early 1980s, when the Company began manufacturing tires that enabled vehicles for the physically disabled to be driven even after a loss of air pressure. In 1987, the selection of Bridgestone run-flat tires as a standard equipment for the Porsche 959 heralded the Company’s start-up of manufacturing for mass-produced vehicles. Since 1999, automakers have responded to society’s changing automotive needs by bringing more models to market with run-flat tire specifications. As a result—only twenty months after breaking through the 5-million-unit barrier in August 2006—Bridgestone’s cumulative shipments to automakers doubled, passing 10 million units in April 2008. Further, first-generation run-flat tires cover the period from 1987, when manufacturing for mass-produced vehicles began, until 2004. Second-generation run-flat tires cover the period from 2005, when improved sidewall-reinforced rubber enhanced riding comfort, until the present.

Related posts

• Bridgestone To Supply Run-Flat Tires As Standard Equipment For NISSAN GT-R (0)
• Bridgestone 3rd Generation Run-Flat Technology featured as Original Equipment on Toyota’s New Sienna Minivan (0)
• Tires Added to List of Carbon Fiber-Enhanced Products (0)
• The WHO to perform during the Bridgestone Superbowl Halftime-Show (0)
• New Touring tires from Schwalbe: Marathon Extreme and Marathon Plus Tour (0)

The Cyber Tyre, the intelligent tyre developed by Pirelli, will be integrated with Magneti Marelli electronic control systems and with Brembo’s evolved braking systems in order to realize ad hoc technology solutions, at the service of performance and safety requirements of all types of customers.

The internationally recognized skills and excellence of the three Italian groups will allow for important synergies and for development of applications in particular in the field of safety systems for automobiles, also in order to reduce environmental impact, in line with the evolution of international regulations and new European Union CO2 emissions limits to enter into force in 2012.

Related posts

• Pirelli Group issues detailled Business-Plan until 2011 (0)
• Pirelli: Expansion in China continues with new high performance car tyre factory (1)
• Pirelli denies interest in Continentals Rubber Group (0)
• Pirelli Calendar 2008: Pearls of the Orient (0)

What is rolling resistance?

With each rotation of the wheel, the shape of the tire changes slightly under the weight of the vehicle as the tire makes contact with the road. As its structure changes, the tire’s components heat up and some of the energy transmitted by the engine is lost. This is the phenomenon known as rolling resistance. Since energy is needed to keep a vehicle moving forward, lowering a tire’s rolling resistance makes it possible to reduce fuel consumption and, consequently, lower emissions of CO2 and other greenhouse gases.

Rolling resistance is one of the five forces a vehicle must overcome in order to keep moving. The others are: 1) air resistance (which depends on vehicle speed), 2) significant inertia forces when accelerating (such as in city driving), 3) gravity when driving uphill, and 4) internal friction (involving the transmission, for example).

When it comes to rolling resistance, all tires are not equal, with differences of up to 50 percent on tires designed to equip the same vehicle.

Lowering CO2 emissions: A priority for Michelin’s research and development teams

An aggressive commitment to reducing tire energy consumption has guided Michelin throughout its history. The increasing importance of this challenge is illustrated by the fact that the world’s current estimated 830 million vehicles, which are responsible for 18 percent of global CO2 emissions , are expected to double by 2030 . With its green energy saving tires, Michelin is demonstrating its concern for preserving energy resources. This is particularly critical since at current consumption levels. At least one major authority believes that the world’s easily accessible oil reserves could be depleted in an estimated 31 years.

Related posts

• Michelin Enhances Mobility with the Introduction of the Energy Saver All-Season Passenger Car Tire (0)
• Michelin’s Research and Development Programs: Unrivaled Resources (0)
• Michelin Energy Saver presented at the 2008 Geneva International Motorshow (0)
• Michelin Helps Schwing-Stetter Concrete Mixers Firm Up Profitability with X One Tires (0)
• Differentiation Through Innovation, the Michelin Hallmark (0)

Michelin’s faster pace of innovation
Any meaningful innovation requires a certain amount of time before it can be deployed. Despite that constraint, Michelin is committed to maintaining its technological leadership. Michelin is fully focused not only on designing high-performance tires but also on developing them at a faster pace. The challenge to which the company’s research teams are responding is to reduce time-to-market for new tires and services by half between now and 2010.

A broad range of expertise, from design to process engineering
Manufacturing superior tires calls for a continuous chain of expertise and innovation extending from the laboratory to the test track and into the production plant. A full range of skills are involved, in such areas as materials, design, manufacturing processes, modeling and simulation.

Design
During the design phase, teams focus on the tire’s internal architecture and tread pattern. Designing and aligning these two features are the first steps in producing an outstanding tire. The designer must then prepare an assembly comprised of the many components used in tire production. These include steel textile cords, various natural or synthetic rubber-based compounds and tire bead wires.

Choice of materials
More than 200 different materials are used to make a tire, among them natural and synthetic rubber, reinforcing agents, and chemical additives (like carbon black and silicon), as well as the metal wires and textile cords that give the tire its shape and rigidity. When developing tire components, researchers choose from among these materials, and sometimes create new ones. Advanced studies of raw materials and components are conducted by Michelin experts, working alongside university, laboratory and supplier partners.

Simulation
Modeling and simulation tools are used to optimize internal architecture and tread performance, with the goal of achieving the desired performance levels.

Testing
Rigorous on-track testing is then carried out at sites in France (Ladoux), the United States (Laurens, S.C.), Finland (Ivalo) and Spain (Almeria). The tire’s performance in terms of grip, noise and comfort, endurance, rolling resistance and wear resistance is tested on the track, on the road and in the laboratory. Tests are conducted on different surfaces in a full range of weather conditions- on dry and wet ground and roads and on snow and ice. Feedback is provided not only by the data collected by instrumentation but also by evaluations from professional testers. Further, Michelin also does extensive fleet testing to confirm top performance under a variety of punishing, real-world conditions.

Styling to enhance performance
Styling teams work on tread, sidewalls and their markings, and texture. At Michelin, styling serves not only an esthetic function; it is also intended to enhance performance. The chosen styling effects have an impact on production since they may involve new molds, manufacturing processes or components.

Process engineering
Once the prototype has been validated, the tire moves into the process engineering stage. The objective is to commercially produce the tire according to the initially defined model, while maintaining manufacturing quality and effectively managing production costs. Clearly, for Michelin, innovation extends well beyond the laboratory all the way through the production phase.

Related posts

• Rolling Resistance and the Environmental Impact of Tires (0)
• Michelin Enhances Mobility with the Introduction of the Energy Saver All-Season Passenger Car Tire (0)
• ‘Green’ tire compounds from the magic kitchen (0)
• Michelin North America Announces Price Increases (0)
• Michelin Helps Schwing-Stetter Concrete Mixers Firm Up Profitability with X One Tires (0)

To bring to market tires that are incomparably ahead of their time, Michelin has made research and development one of the cornerstones of its operations. For the world’s largest tiremaker, technological innovation provides the means to create differentiation in the global marketplace. It constitutes one of the three pillars of the company’s strategy, alongside growth- mainly in fast-developing emerging countries- and improved competitiveness through ongoing efforts to enhance productivity and reduce costs.

To create differentiation, Michelin must pursue new paths. It’s no longer enough to improve tires one step at a time. Michelin has always pushed back the limits, developing breakthrough innovations that represent a technological “leap forward” compared to other tires on the market. The goal is to develop truly revolutionary tires that improve all areas of performance to previously unattainable levels. Examples abound, such as the self-generating tread, a game-changing innovation that is part of the Michelin Durable Technologies package.

As part of their commitment to enhancing personal mobility, Michelin’s Research and Development teams always strive to anticipate problems before they occur. One example involves energy resources, a topic that is very much in the news today. With high fuel prices and supply diminishing, oil has become the center of attention. More than 16 years ago, Michelin first made resource savings a priority in tire design. Consequently today, in 2008, Michelin has unrivaled technological expertise in producing tires that help to reduce fuel consumption. Launched in 2007 in Europe, the new Michelin Energy™ Saver is the fourth-generation car tire introduced since 1992 that improves vehicle fuel efficiency. In 2009, Michelin will launch the Energy Saver All-Season tire for the North American market to further advance its efforts.

Safety, savings and environmental protection are clearly three important areas of performance. And yet, producing tires capable of delivering in all three areas represents a considerable technological achievement. To obtain the balanced performance that characterizes Michelin’s tires requires skills, expertise, carefully selected materials of the highest quality and special manufacturing techniques.

That’s what Michelin is doing today- producing car and truck tires that significantly lower fuel consumption while enhancing safety performance. This is also the case with Michelin agriculture tires, which reconcile productivity and environmental protection. Bringing to market tires that integrate the most advanced technologies is a part of a long-term commitment for Michelin. It is the company’s hallmark, its guiding principle and, in short, its DNA.

Related posts

• Rolling Resistance and the Environmental Impact of Tires (0)
• Michelin’s Research and Development Programs: Unrivaled Resources (0)
• ‘Green’ tire compounds from the magic kitchen (0)
• Pirelli Group issues detailled Business-Plan until 2011 (0)
• Obama limousine has Goodyear tires (0)

The Michelin XZA3 Antisplash Tire Reduces Splash Trajectory (Image: Michelin)

Long-haul and regional truckers who have come to rely on the fuel-efficient, long-lasting Michelin XZA3 truck tire can now increase safety on the highway using Michelin technology. With the patented Antisplash™ deflector on both of the tire’s sidewalls, the new Michelin XZA3 Antisplash tire helps make highways safer by lowering the trajectory of water spraying from the tires. Lower splash trajectory means less water on windshields, significantly improving overall visibility in heavy rain for oncoming and overtaking motorists, as well as truck drivers.

“Customers have come to love the XZA3 tire for its performance on the highway,” said Marc Laferriere, vice president of marketing, Michelin Americas Truck Tires. “Now, with Antisplash technology, we have significantly increased visibility for both truckers and those motorists driving by trucks in wet conditions, especially during a rainstorm.”

While offering enhanced visibility, the Michelin XZA3 Antisplash tire builds upon the proven performance benefits of the XZA3 all-position tire. Advanced Technology compounding with 19/32nds tread depth helps reduce the tire’s rolling resistance and increase fuel-efficiency. With an 80 percent wider shoulder rib than the XZA2 Antisplash tire, the new tire offers enhanced resistance to uneven shoulder wear. The XZA3 Antisplash tire’s directional miniature sipes in the groove walls help defend against the onset of irregular wear and contribute to long original tread life. The casing’s durability and endurance allow for multiple retreads when the tire is properly cared for. Like the MICHELIN XZA3, the XZA3 Antisplash tire carries MICHELIN’s 7 Year/70,000 Mile/3 Retread Manufacturer’s Limited Casing Warranty.

The distinctive Antisplash feature, first introduced in November 2006 on the XZA2 Antisplash tire, reduces splash trajectory height by more than 50 percent compared to standard truck tires. Unlike the XZA2 Antisplash tire which had the feature only on one side, the new tire features the Antisplash deflector on both sidewalls of the tire. The new tire is directional to half life, allowing for tire rotation later in life. The all-position radial tire is optimized for splash reduction in steer axle service. The XZA3 Antisplash tire is available in the popular 275/80R22.5 LRH size.

Related posts

• Michelin Enhances Mobility with the Introduction of the Energy Saver All-Season Passenger Car Tire (0)
• Rolling Resistance and the Environmental Impact of Tires (0)
• New Continental HSL2 Eco Plus and HDL2 Eco Plus truck tires offer additional carrying capacity with low profiles (0)
• Michelin’s Research and Development Programs: Unrivaled Resources (0)
• Michelin Spartanburg Truck Tire Facility Earns Safety Award (0)

The SP Sport Maxx TT, which is the successor of the award-winning Dunlop SP Sport Maxx, provides enhanced and improved quality of road feedback, improved wet and dry handling and mileage performance, as well as enhanced cornering and high-speed stability to offer driving enthusiasts the ultimate in driving precision.

Precision powered by Kevlar®

DuPont™ Kevlar®, a synthetic fiber five times stronger than steel that maintains its strength and resilience in a wide range of temperatures, is used in a variety of demanding applications – from motor sport and sailing to aviation and space technology. Its unique combination of properties makes the Kevlar® fiber the first choice for an ever-growing number of applications, where reduced weight, increased strength and resistance to corrosion significantly improve efficiency.

The SP Sport Maxx TT features Kevlar® Engineered Elastomer (EE) in the complete apex of the tire – an innovation in tire technology. Adding Kevlar® EE to the apex compound creates a stiffer sidewall, which becomes more resistant to torsion, tension and heat and guarantees increased stability during cornering, as well as enhanced road feedback and more precision driving.

Touch technology – feel the road

To be in control is the essence of driving enjoyment. Getting all the relevant information right on time means drivers can act accordingly. The correct and timely road feedback offered by Dunlop’s ultra-high performance tire SP Sport Maxx TT with Touch Technology, ensures an excellent two-way communication, meaning driving enthusiasts can concentrate on what really matters: driving enjoyment.

Dunlop’s Touch Technology combines a number of sophisticated tire technologies such as Multi Radius Tread Technology (MRT), a specific bead seat system, a flatter tread profile and an asymmetrical tread design with a variable land to sea ratio:

Dunlop Multi Radius Tread Technology (MRT)

The stiffer pattern design is based on Dunlop Multi Radius Tread Technology (MRT). The tread pattern is conventionally developed on the basis of three different radii. Dunlop MRT Design employs ten different radii and is therefore more precise. The pressure across the tire is managed more effectively. The effect is a significantly better control over the evolution of the footprint in driving conditions. The shape of the tire changes more smoothly when it moves from a straight to a curve, leading to more precise and progressive reactions.

Flatter Tread Profile

The new generation of Dunlop tires feature a flatter tread profile with a four to eight percent bigger contact patch, depending on size and type. A flatter profile with bigger contact patch delivers better impulse, more stability and enhanced road feedback, allowing tires to respond quicker and more precisely.

Asymmetric Tread Design and Variable Land to Sea Ratio

The asymmetric tread design with a variable land to sea ratio provides improved aquaplaning resistance. The continuous centre rib increases stability and precision. The asymmetric groove arrangement enhances grip on wet and dry surfaces. The massive outer shoulder block delivers outstanding cornering control. Drivers will experience a more relaxed motoring thanks to the tire’s improved performance in both straight line and heavy curvature driving.

Specific Bead Seat System

A specific bead seat system strengthening a tight link between tire and rim improves driving control and provides a more precise driving experience. The tight link ensures enhanced control and another extra in sensitive road feedback.

As the Touch Technology tires touch the surface of the road they deliver a superior level of feedback. Drivers experience road feedback throughout the body during the drive. The inner ear, which controls the body’s balance, interprets the car alignment. If the car is not traveling along the optimum track, the driver will feel the lack of balance and correct it. When the driver’s hands touch the steering wheel, the driver is able to perceive the torque – less torque means worse grip. Through the seat, the driver receives feedback because it is connected to the suspension and alignment of the front and rear axles in conjunction with the tires. The feedback is also received on the feet through the pedals, allowing the driver to perceive the grip level through the chassis of the car when braking. The entire Dunlop driving experience becomes more tactile, providing the driver with vital information, making all the difference to the drive.

Tread design for enhanced road feedback and driving precision

The SP Sport Maxx TT features a massive wide and solid outer shoulder block, with a high groove volume in the center area and stiffer tread blocks in the inner shoulder area, ensuring numerous tangible advantages for the driver: from better wet and dry grip and enhanced cornering stability to better aquaplaning resistance and enhanced high speed stability.

The SP Sport Maxx TT also performs outstandingly against its main competitors, leaving them behind in many performance benchmark tests, most notably in dry and wet handling as well as lateral aquaplaning comparisons.

“Dunlop’s ultra high performance tires have long been the benchmark in performance driving. At Dunlop we are driven by creating innovation in tire technology and we are therefore proud to introduce the new SP Sport Maxx TT with DuPont™ Kevlar® technology, as it confirms yet another innovation in tire technology for us,” said Frédéric Schilling, Brand Director of Dunlop Europe, Middle East and Africa. He added: “the SP Sport Maxx TT offers driving enthusiasts so many concrete reasons to enjoy driving even more: more control, better handling, more cornering stability and more road feedback – extreme precision driving is no longer solely the privilege of racing drivers…with the Sport Maxx TT every day driving in every day circumstances can be just as precise and enjoyable.”

"DuPont is very excited by this new adoption of Kevlar® Engineered Elastomer in the Dunlop SP Sport Maxx TT tire. It’s a real innovation in tire technology,” said Richard Brooks, Global Automotive Marketing Manager for DuPont Advanced Fiber Systems business.

Related posts

• Goodyear Adds Fiber to the High-Performance Tire Menu (0)
• Dunlop celebrates 120 years of driving enjoyment (0)
• Yokohama Tire Corporation-Sponsored Off-Road Racers Make Their Mark at SCORE’s Laughlin Desert Challenge (0)
• Video Tire Test – All-Season vs. Winter Tires (0)
• Uniroyal Tiger Paw Awp II Tire Provides Durability and Affordability (0)