Conti develops self-seal farm tires

Hanover, Germany – Continental AG has developed a self-seal technology for agricultural tires that can help dramatically reduce downtime in the farming industry.

Recognised by the German Agritechnica innovation award, Agro ContiSeal features “a patented polymer” that is applied to the inside of the tire which immediately seals any puncture caused by foreign objects. 

The technology enables vehicles to continue working even after a puncture from an object up to 12mm in diameter, explained Benjamin Huebner, product line manager agricultural tires for Continental Commercial Speciality Tires.

Vehicles fitted with the lined tires do not need to slow down following a puncture or change the tire immediately. 

The sticky polymer covers the puncture and prevents loss of pressure, allowing operators to continue moving “until they have time to change the tire,” Huebner added.

The technology, which has been transferred from Conti's passenger car unit, is still in development and is not yet available on the market for agricultural tires. 

“We are currently working on bringing this technology into production soon,” said the Continental official.

The product will particularly be helpful in the currently trending 'zero or minimum tillage farming' which seeks to reduce the impact of heavy machinery on the land. 

No-till farming, however, will involve residual stubble that can be left for more than a year, harden, and represent "a much higher risk to tires."

The new self-seal tire, Huebner noted, will enable ‘a more reliable’ operation while allowing farmers to practice no-till farming.