Increasing durable performance

The very specific technical characteristics required to meet customers’ needs or contribute toward the performance of their activity call upon specialized technology. For example, aircraft tire research is geared toward reduced mass and top-level safety, whereas with agricultural tires the accent is placed on soil preservation and reduced fuel consumption.

In the two-wheel ranges, motorcycle tires are particularly concerned with grip and safety, bicycles tires with comfort and energy efficiency. And finally, low fuel consumption and durability are key qualities for earthmover tires.

Certain uses lend themselves to invoicing based on services rendered rather than on tire purchase. For aircraft tires, this means the number of landings, and for large mining earthmover equipment, the number of tons transported per kilometer.

Aircraft

Michelin to equip Emirates Airline’s Airbus A380

Michelin has entered into a 10-year agreement with Emirates Airline to equip its Airbus A380 fl eet in latest-generation radial technology tires. Thanks to their excellent resistance to shock and stress, these tires enable 30% to 40% more landings per tire than traditional bias tires. They also permit a reduction in the total mass of the plane, which leads to a significant decrease in fuel consumption. Michelin will be the sole tire supplier for these aircrafts, whose delivery is scheduled over the period from July 2008 to June 2013. Emirates Airline has ordered 58 aircraft, meaning it will operate the world’s largest A380 fleet.

Michelin equips the Sukhoi Superjet 100

In May 2008, Michelin and the Russian aircraft manufacturer Sukhoi signed a contract concerning original equipment on the new regional civil Superjet 100. Michelin is currently the only radial tire supplier for this aircraft, presented as the future hope of the Russian civil aeronautics industry. Sukhoi hopes to sell 800 of these planes by 2024, 300 in Russia and 500 to western airline companies.

Agricultural

MICHELIN Ultraflex for better soil preservation

With Ultraflex, Michelin rises to the challenges of both soil preservation and productivity. Ultrafl ex technology, the result of over four years’ research at Michelin, enables not only the protection of agronomic soil capital thanks to a 25 to 50% reduction in tread depth, but also better farm productivity: up to 9% fuel reduction and 2 to 4% time savings thanks to 10 to 30% traction improvement. Production per hectare is increased by about 1.5%. Two tires using Ultrafl ex technology are currently available, MICHELIN XeoBib and MICHELIN AxioBib.

Productivity, respect for agricultural lands and lower fuel consumption

The new MICHELIN OmniBib tire improves farm productivity while better preserving soil. Thanks to a larger contact patch the fi rst 70 series wide Michelin branded tire brings better traction and lower soil compaction. It delivers fuel savings and enhanced work pace, as well as the best durability in its category. It is mostly intended for 70 to 180 HP tractors used for “mixed and livestock farming”. The MICHELIN series 70 OmniBib tire is homologated by the main tractor manufacturers.

Two-wheels

Motorcycle tires: from competition to road

For many years Michelin has passed on cutting edge technology developed in motorcycle competition to standard tires, with priority toward the high tech radial road segment. This strategy is bearing fruit, as in 2008, like over the past three years, MICHELIN Pilot Power and MICHELIN Pilot Road 2 tires came first in tests organized by recognized European motorcycle magazines: Motorrad (Germany) and Moto Revue (France) for MICHELIN Pilot Road 2, and Moto Magazine (France) for MICHELIN Pilot Power.

In 2010, Michelin is unveiling – in a world premiere – the lightest sports motorcycle tire in its category, the all-new MICHELIN Power Pure. How is that possible? Because it weighs less, the MICHELIN Power Pure provides unmatched handling for greater responsiveness and superior riding pleasure. The tire also delivers key benefits in terms of safety and long tread life. Safety has been improved thanks to second-generation MICHELIN Two-Compound Technology (2CT), developed specifically for the MICHELIN Power Pure. The soft layer of rubber on the tire’s shoulders has been extended to provide excellent traction when the bike begins to lean. Long tread life is the hallmark of all Michelin tires. Power Pure owes its longevity to the thickness of its tread, which is the same as that of a previous-generation tire.

Sold worldwide beginning in January 2010, the MICHELIN Power Pure weighs one kilogram less than competing tires in the same category* and is the lightest two-compound tire ever approved for road use. The front and rear tires come in two and four different sizes, respectively, to fit a broad range of sports bikes.

Grip and low rolling resistance – for bikes too!

The new 2010 bike tire lines were unveiled at the 2009 Eurobike trade show. The Michelin Wild mountain bike range integrates innovative technologies, while for road use, the MICHELIN Lithion2 tire offers the ideal compromise between grip and a smooth ride. Lastly, the MICHELIN Pro Optimum set extends the MICHELIN High Performance range with enhanced grip for greater safety on the front and more resistance and longer tread-life on the rear.

In 2008, during the Eurobike show in Friedrichshafen, Germany, Michelin had already presented its new ranges of bicycle tires, MICHELIN Pro3 for enthusiasts in pursuit of performance, and MICHELIN City Trekking for city dwellers who use a bicycle as a means of transport. Available in ten color variations, the MICHELIN Pro 3 offers 27% extra grip when cornering compared with its predecessor, yet ensures low rolling resistance for a mass of only 200 grams. There also, safety, lightweight and high energy efficiency are Michelin’s performance goals for an environmentally friendly means of transport.

Earthmover

In the port of Tanjung Pelepas, Malaysia, Fuel savings of 8%!

Fuel can account for up to 30% of freight handling costs in a port. In April 2008, a Michelin team organized for a customer, the port of Tanjung Pelepas in Malaysia, two tests in order to demonstrate that over and above the performances of durability and robustness, Michelin product ranges could bring about substantial fuel savings.

First test: a vehicle fitted with MICHELIN X Terminal T tires and a vehicle equipped with competition tires (bias tires on the tractor unit, solid tires on the trailer) carry out several transportation cycles, both empty and loaded. Total fuel consumption is measured.

Second test: the two vehicles run side by side and select neutral gear at the same time. Distance covered until the vehicles come to a standstill is measured.

Result of the two tests: 8% fuel savings thanks to MICHELIN X Terminal T tires. For the port of Tanjung Pelepas this means a reduction in fuel consumption of 300,000 litres per year! This gain benefits the environment too: lower fuel consumption means fewer CO₂ emissions.

Michelin meets with customers at MINExpo

MINExpo, the mining industry’s largest international trade fair, was held in Las Vegas (United States) in September 2008. The theme of Michelin’s stand was our commitment to our customers: “Michelin is by your side”. This policy translates into our products and services, which enable our customers to optimize their productivity. It also reflects in the priority we give to our commitment to minimize our impact on the environment, to safety, and to investment in new capacities to meet the needs of our markets.

Categories: Sustainable mobility - Vehicles

Keywords: green tire - Tires - Transportation