Want to get the most from your tires?

Special rubber compounds are often used in the sidewall area as well, to further guard against cuts and abrasions from the debris or curbing typically associated with the urban application.

Other applications of tire technology can be found in the tread area, which provides several opportunities to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of a tire. By way of example, in the mixing of the tread rubber, Michelin deploys its Advanced Technology compounding, which uses layers of rubber to deal with the many demands made on the tread area of the tire.

The bottom layer of rubber is more heat-resistant to protect the casing from overheating and providing a greater opportunity that the casing could be retreaded. The top layers of tread rubber are designed with compounds that are capable of withstanding the higher degree of scrubbing that comes with frequent starts, stops and turns.

These characteristics are uncompromised by the need for tread rubber to be fuel-efficient, in addition to providing greater fuel savings. Furthermore, the tread design can provide significant improvements in wear rate and avoiding irregular wear, as well as fuel efficient designs, which tend to be more rib-like, as opposed to block-type tread designs.

Doug Jones is the customer engineering support manager for Michelin Americas Truck Tires. He has been employed with Michelin for more than 34 years in various technical, engineering and management positions. Dedicated to the improvement of sustainable mobility, Michelin designs, manufactures and sells tires for every type of vehicle, including airplanes, automobiles, bicycles, earthmovers, farm equipment, heavy duty trucks and motorcycles. www.michelintruck.com.