In recent years we’ve seen a number of tyre makers introduce noise reduction technologies that utilise foam insulation, with Continental, Hankook, Bridgestone, Sumitomo Rubber, Goodyear amongst those bringing their own version of the concept to market. Toyo Tire & Rubber Co. Ltd. has taken a different approach and sought instead to cut noise by modifying airflow within the tyre cavity. It calls its solution Toyo Silent Technology.
Hankook reports that it has updated its sound absorber technology with a new foam and adhesion process that further reduce tyre weight. The next foam is said to reduce internal noise levels by as much as 5 to 7 dB(A).
The Korean Ministry of Environment has announced that domestic and overseas tyre manufacturers will be obliged to indicate the noise level of their products from 2019. The policy announced in Korea on Monday follows the E.U. standards as well, the ministry said, and will be applied to tiyes on passenger vehicles starting in 2019, and […]
Infinity executives have welcomed recent ADAC test results ranking its Ecosis 185/65 R15 H tyre top for noise comfort and giving it a “good” rating for fuel consumption and wear. On this occasion ADAC selected tyres intended to be fitted to smaller town and city cars.
Several tyre manufacturers have already utilised foam as noise reduction solution, and now Falken Tyre has presented its own version – which it says can lower drive-by noise by up to ten decibels compared to standard tyres and cabin noise by four decibels. The solution was material developed together with parent company Sumitomo Rubber Industries (SRI) and consists of a double-humped layer of ether-polyurethane foam material. Falken calls it Silent Core.
Grip and fuel efficiency are often the focal points of improved tyre technologies, yet the third EU label metric of noise is an important consideration for many motorists. Goodyear Dunlop has announced new technologies in both its premium brands designed to increase comfort through reduced noise levels inside the vehicle when driving – a feature not actually measured in labelling, but one that could prove attractive to consumers wanting to hear more of their engine tone or in-car entertainment.
Kumho Tire USA has extended its original equipment supply to Chrysler with the homologation of its Solus TA31 all-season tyre for the 2015 Chrysler 200 range. Beginning in March 2014, Kumho is supplying the TA31 in size 235/45R18 94V for select front wheel drive and all wheel drive models within the line-up. The Solus TA31 features a symmetric tread design, and Kumho says the tyre “meets consumer desire for excellent ride comfort while maintaining a very low noise threshold.”
Researchers from Yokohama Rubber report making progress in a project that may lead to lower external tyre noise and improved tyre aerodynamics. The Yokohama contingent is working together with a team of researchers at the Institute of Space and Astronautical Science (ISAS), which is a part of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA). The team, led by Professor Kozo Fujii, has successfully conducted the world’s first simulation of near real-scale flow structures (turbulence) around a tyre rolling on a road surface and the acoustic waves, or noise, generated from these structures. Yokohama Rubber expresses confidence that the ability to simulate a flow structure that enables precise measurement of acoustic waves opens up potential for new technological breakthroughs, and the company says it will therefore continue to support further research in these areas.
Contract tyre manufacturer, Enjoy Tyre is promoting its Rotalla range and a trio of winter tyre patterns in particular. The S100 M+S, S110 and S210 have all been produced as so-called “skid proof winter tyres”. All three patterns reportedly offer a thin multi-curve tread incorporating significantly deeper grooves in order to maximise performance in both standard and difficult winter road conditions.
Litchfield – the GT-R tuner – has released details of its latest exhaust system for the R35 variant. This latest system has been precision-fabricated in a substantial 102mm (4”) diameter is aimed at “those discerning owners that refuse to compromise on either soundtrack or performance for their car.”
Indian off-road tyre manufacturer TVS Srichakra has unveiled its latest TVS Eurogrip tyre at the Agritechnica show. The Tigertrac is a newly-developed range of agricultural radials suited intended for both farm and on-road use.
Nokian Heavy Tyres says it has met user demand with its new Nokian CT BAS tyre for heavy trailers. Noting the challenges posed by construction site use, a surface typically featuring sharp rocks, nails and pieces of steel lying about, it says the CT BAS brings the tyre maker’s top-end puncture resistance technology, first developed for forestry applications, to construction sites. Furthermore, the BAS technology developed by Nokian Heavy Tyres enables the use of higher pressure levels.
Nexen Tire has secured two further original equipment supply agreements in Europe. Starting in December, the Korean tyre’s rolling resistance optimised N’Blue HD is size 205/55R16 91V will be delivered to Skoda for fitment on the new Octavia, and before the end of the year Nexen will begin shipping the N’Blue HD to Volkswagen for the Polo.
A new addition has been made to the winter tyre private label distributed by point S. The WinterStar 3 follows on from the WinterStar 2, a point S says it offers optimised traction and braking performance on snow, very good aquaplaning qualities, improved handling on dry roads, high stability in curves and low rolling noise and higher rolling comfort.
At the Autumn Conference organised by Luxembourg-based broker Kepler Cheuvreux and held in Paris on 18 September, Michelin chief executive officer Jean-Dominique Senard confirmed the tyre maker’s 2015 operating profit target of €2.9 billion, some 20 per cent higher then 2013 estimates. He also said that capital expenditure is expected to peak between €1.8 billion and €2.2 billion in 2014 and 2015 before declining to between €1.6 billion and €1.9 billion in 2016 and €1.5 billion and €1.8 billion in 2017.
