Making tyre maintenance a breeze?
Making tyre maintenance a breeze?
The announcement that Bridgestone is developing an “airless” or non-pneumatic tyre for the passenger vehicle market has sparked the interest of many drivers. Although the prototype is still being developed, the future looks bright for this revolutionary roller, and it seems as if heavy commercial vehicles will also benefit.
Bridgestone’s airless tyre technology features a unique spoke structure designed to support the weight of a vehicle, effectively eliminating the need to periodically refill the tyres with air. In 2013, Bridgestone revealed its second-generation air-free concept non-pneumatic tyres featuring improved load-bearing capabilities, environmental design, and driving performance.
However, there are still developments and enhancements to be made before airless tyres are available for consumers. Finding a way to avoid debris getting trapped within the spokes, as well as developing the best way to distribute weight evenly and consistently transmit loads, are a couple of these hurdles. For reasons like these, many spectators think airless tyres are still a decade or so away.
Despite this, the demand to keep up with the continuous advancements in the auto industry suggests that airless tyres would be a welcome step forward for all. They also offer a range of benefits over their air-filled counterparts.
No flat tyres… ever
With airless tyres, you never have to worry about your tyres leaking; as the name suggests, non-pneumatic tyres contain no air to lose. For most drivers, this feature will be nothing short of revolutionary. Likewise, when you run over a sharp object on the road, you won’t have to worry about a flat tyre – because by definition these tyres can’t go flat.
Eco-conscious
The airless concept tyre is one of the initiatives aimed towards Bridgestone’s long-term vision for the use of sustainable materials. The materials used in the tyre are recyclable, contributing to the efficient use of resources. No part of a non-pneumatic tyre ever needs to go in the garbage, which goes hand-in-hand with Bridgestone’s effort to create a “cradle-to-cradle” system in which all tyres are first recycled, and then factory-refashioned into new tyres. Airless tyres will be among the first for which this process is a reality.
Vehicle-heavy industries can save money
Airless tyres may also offer other specific advantages for trucks in industrial applications. In the farming, mining, and construction industries, tyre failure reduces productivity and efficiency. Tyres that never leak or puncture would be a welcome advancement in these sectors.
Reduced CO2 emissions
About 90% of energy loss from tyre rolling resistance comes from repeated changes in the shape of the tyres as they roll. By simplifying the structure of the tyre, Bridgestone was able to minimise the energy loss in these “air-free concept tyres”.
The future
Bridgestone is advancing the development of its environmentally-friendly air-free concept tyres, aiming for commercial use in a wide range of vehicles as soon as possible.
Bridgestone Americas showcased its advanced air-free commercial truck tyre concept for the heavy-duty trucking market at the 2020 Technology and Maintenance Council Annual Meeting and Transportation Technology Exhibition in Atlanta. This event is North America’s premier technical conference for trucking fleet professionals, vehicle manufacturers, and component suppliers.
“Commercial fleets are increasingly looking for ways to maximise uptime and reduce emergency roadside events,” said Jon Kimpel, vice president of extended mobility at Bridgestone Americas, at the Exhibition. “As mobility advances, we see these sophisticated fleets turning to technology solutions and innovative products as a way to improve operations and drive profitability for their fleets. When tyres don’t need to be filled with air, this essentially erases the downtime associated with a flat tyre, improving safety and making mobility more efficient.”
The advanced air-free commercial truck tyre concept is also engineered for enhanced sustainability and is designed to be retreadable. Retreads help reduce natural resource consumption by replacing only the tyre tread, rather than the entire tread and casing combination.
“The benefits of an air-free commercial truck tyre solution are many – this offering has the power to reduce downtime, maintenance, and emergency roadside service calls,” said Kimpel. “Combine that with a high retread rate, and our advanced air-free tyre concept has the potential to substantially lower the overall total cost of tyre ownership for fleets.”
The initial design of the Bridgestone advanced air-free commercial truck tyre concept is intended for the trailer position. Reported data from tyre manufacturers show that trailer tyres account for approximately 20% of all truck tyre purchases. Furthermore, research indicates that 40% of all tyre failures occur in the trailer position. But despite the initial focus being on the trailer position, the air-free commercial truck tyre concept is intended to be scalable for other commercial trucking wheel positions and applications.
Published by
focusmagsa
