Mitas developing 'accordion-shape' tire

ERJ staff report (TB)

Hanover, Germany − Czech tire maker Mitas AS is developing, under license, a lower pressure farm tire that offers a 53-percent larger footprint and more than double the lateral stability than standard farm tires, reported Tire Business.

The tire maker is developing the tire − dubbed PneuTrac − in partnership with Galileo Wheel, an Israeli technology company that has been working on the design for the past several years. Mitas is showing the concept at Agritechnica 2013, the biennial farm equipment show in Hanover 12-16 November.

Galileo has described its "CupWheel" design as having an "accordion-shape" folding sidewall that allows the outer circumference to change its shape freely and move about the wheel centre in all directions. Furthermore, while air pressure drops, the sidewall folds, not collapsing as in a standard tire, therefore generating far less heat.

Mitas claims its tests on an 18-inch (45.62cm) rim have demonstrated the concept's benefits of a larger footprint, higher lateral stability and greater tractive force at a lower inflation pressure. PneuTrac mounts on standard rims, according to the company.

"Mitas PneuTrac boasts significantly higher productivity and lower operational costs thanks to better traction and improved transfer of power to the ground," said Andrew Mabin, Mitas' sales and marketing director.

The PneuTrac offers less soil compaction because of its lower operating pressure, said Galileo Wheel CEO Alon Hayka.

The larger footprint and higher tractive force "ensures gentle ground handling with much lower and improved distribution of pressure to the ground with less soil compaction,” Mitas said.

The PneuTrac is not yet commercially available, Mabin said, but Mitas is confident it can bring it to market. He did not offer a timetable for this, though.

Mitas is showing the tire on both 18- and 38-inch (45.62cm and 96.52cm) rims at Agritechnica.

The company also will present a range extension of its Super Flexion Tires (SFT) at Agritechnica. Mitas SFT tires are made for high-horsepower tractors with more than 180 hp and are sold in the North American market, the company said. New sizes of the SFT are: 900/60R42; 710/60R34; 650/60R34; 710/65R46; 750/65R26 and 580/85R42.

"Mitas SFT draws on the performance of Continental SVT farm tires," Mabin said. "Mitas has recently invoked the option to extend the contract, manufacturing Continental agricultural tires for an additional five years through 2019."

Mitas said its Super Flexion Tires compete with the Improved Flexion concept, with its main advantage being the flexibility of variable inflation pressure and optimal performance according to application. Flexible ultra-strong sidewalls allow low inflation pressures for high load carrying capacities, gentle ground handling and higher yields, the tire maker said.

New sizes of the SFT will be available to worldwide markets during 2014.