Bridgestone Develops a New Technology of Tire Lettering
Bridgestone has recently unveiled their latest achievement in the sphere of tire design. The company states that it has worked out a revolutionary technology of letter imprinting that completely differs from any printing or painting technology existing on the market nowadays.
Up to now tire-makers has been placing a white rubber belt on the tires’ sidewalls to make white scripts and white logos there. Still, a lot of white rubber is needed to prevent letters from untimely fading as well as to ensure their long life span. In addition, it can even increase the tire weight to some extent.
The innovative technology from Bridgestone includes making a protective anti-fading layer as a base to the layer that prevents letters from damage. Moreover, the company has invented special ink for the lettering.
In this way Bridgestone proves that it can creatively approach their tire design while minimizing harm inflicted on the environment thanks to low rolling resistance achieved though the reduction on tire weight.
The company’s going to study the ways of tire lettering in frames of their new technology. For example, it will be possible to imprint a customer image or a photo onto the tire, which can be later removed or replaced if needed.
Bridgestone planes to implement the technology into its new tires and promote it on the mass market.
Construction Equipment Journal Chooses Best Specialized Truck Tires
Construction Equipment journal has made up the top 100 of best truck tire used in various branches of industry. The jury paid most attention to those tire-makers that conduct scientific research to equip their tires with innovative technologies. As a result, the best ones became the following four tires from three tire-makers:
Bridgestone DuraLoad sized 45/65-45 are designed for powerful loader trucks used in coal mining and open cast development. The tire features even load distribution over the footprint areas well as shows reduces heat buildup, which prolongs its mileage. The tire was unveiled in the second quarter of 2011.
Michelin XHA2 is made for use in open pits, on concrete plants, on construction grounds and so on. Its life span was prolonged by 9 per cent as compared to its predecessor, the Michelin XHA model. The tire features a thicker tread while its shoulders are equipped with guarding ribs, the tire itself being made from crack-resistant rubber. Moreover, the tire’s traction and its ability to cancel noise waves was improved.
The next comes the Michelin XDR2 tires featuring 20 per cent thicker tread in comparison to the previous model. Its undertread layer was also increased to minimize the risk of chipping and tearing. The new tread picture, in its turn, adds to the tire’s self-cleaning ability and damage-resistance.
At last, the radial Titan IT525 tire is designed for excavators and perform equally well on concrete and asphalt as well as on soft soil. The tire is equipped with reinforced shoulders, which guards it against damage.
J.D.Power: Japanese Consumers are Ready to Pay More for Fuel-Efficient Tires
J.D. Power has lately published the results of their research into consumer perception of the state of the Japanese Original Equipment tire market. The survey is carried out for the tenth time already and now it is mini car, compact passenger car and minivan drivers who were its target audience.
The tires were evaluated according to the following criteria: handling/ traction, comfort/ noise, durability/ safety and appearance.
One of the findings of the research concerns fuel-efficient tires. Nowadays more and more drivers tend to like fuel-efficient tires, which means that tire-makers’ efforts to enhance eco-friendliness of their products weren’t in vain.
Passenger car owners liked tires with low rolling resistance most as well as mini car and compact car owners are likely to decide for them. Moreover, about 30 per cent of drivers are ready to pay more for fuel-efficient tire.
Bridgestone holds the top place in mini car, compact car and minivan segments. Their tires appeared to be the best in four criteria while for a minivan category they are slightly weak in safety/ durability terms. Michelin tires are stable leaders for passenger cars.
The results were made on the base of a survey among 5,419 Japanese who own a new car from 7 to 18 month. The research was conducted in September 2011.
Tire-Makers Claim Tire Abrasion Doesn’t Inflict Harm on Human Health
World-known tire-makers has carried out a series of tests to prove that micro-elements emerging from tire abrasion is safe for human health as well as for environment in general. Neither inhaling these elements from air nor their quantity in soil and water is dangerous for their level lies below toxicity line.
The so-called Tire Industry Project (TIP) gathered Bridgestone, Continental, Cooper, Goodyear, Hankook, Kumho, Michelin, Pirelli, Sumitomo, and Toyo automotive manufacturers to work under the idea of healthy environment. Its aim is to reveal and eliminate potential harmful influence of the materials used in tire production. The project runs under the auspices of the WBCSD while the TIP participants are in charge of 70 per cent of the world tire industry.
After the elements disposed into soil and water were tested the researchers dealt with air toxicity to find out that there’s no harm in inhaling tire abrasive elements. The results have also shown that tire wear doesn’t inflict harm on the environment for the concentration of micro-elements in soil and water is too low to become dangerous for human health.
The tests were carried out in the Seine river basin in France, in the Jodo basin in Japan as well as in Chipsake gulf in the USA.
The TIP participants are also looking forward to the use of nanotechnologies in tire production. It can partly solve ecological problems alongside with bringing benefit to end consumers. For instance, innovative nanomaterials can enhance modern passenger and truck vehicles’ fuel efficiency and hence reduce the amount of CO2 emissions into the atmosphere.
Moreover, the TIP community actively promotes new schemes of worn tire utilization and their recycling and further use.
