The new tread of the Trelleborg ProgressiveTraction tire is characterized by a special double lug that operates on the soil at different times.
Trelleborg AB, the global parent company of Trelleborg Wheel Systems Americas Inc., will launch the ProgressiveTraction concept tire at Agritechnica 2013 Nov. 10-16 in Hannover, Germany.
After two years of intensive numeric simulations as well as indoor and outdoor testing, Trelleborg’s ProgressiveTraction technology has been applied to a 650/65R38 agricultural tire for the first time. The new tread has a completely different face, its double lug being the key highlight of the new tire solution.
“The new generation of tractors and transmissions continuously offer farmers more power and torque,” says Piero Mancinelli, R&D Director, Trelleborg Agricultural and Forestry tires.
“To cope with these requirements, agricultural tires have been growing both in terms of width and overall diameter, becoming larger and larger. The ambition of ProgressiveTraction technology is to increase tire efficiency and performance by simultaneously working on the tire’s dimension while re-engineering the traditional tread.”
The new tread of the ProgressiveTraction tire is characterized by a special double lug that operates on the soil at different times, progressively releasing higher traction when and where it is needed. The double lug also provides the tire with better floatation capability, ensuring an even pressure distribution over the extra wide footprint.
During the latest field tests, ProgressiveTraction tires demonstrated a traction capacity over 10% higher when compared to standard technology tires, says Trelleborg. Moreover, the extra pulling force resulted in a 3-5% reduction of working time, providing farming operations with substantial cost savings.
In addition, depending on the tractor and its tire configuration, higher floatation results in better pressure distribution on the ground, boosting the yield of crops while preserving soil from compaction and erosion.
On the road, the new lug structure is specifically designed to reduce tread vibrations, limiting the tire’s rolling resistance. Fuel consumption, driver comfort, and handling as well as the tire’s wear resistance, will benefit significantly from the change in tread.
