March 13, 2013: Given the fact that radialisation in commercial vehicles in India is still growing slowly and that the country still has more than 77 percent of cross-ply tyre application in CVs, Apollo has introduced a new Steer Axle tyre ‘XMR’ in cross-ply construction. The company says it is designed for superior mileage and structural durability to deliver best cost of ownership in terms of total mileage; total mileage is derived from Initial Tread Mileage (ITM) and Retreaded Tyre Mileage (RTM).
According to Apollo, every step in the creation of the XMR is new with the highest levels of precision, in prototyping, manufacturing and validation. Tread rib pattern and groove were designed and optimised using ‘thermography’ techniques for the tyre to remain cooler while running and thus extend casing life for multiple retreads. Design considerations were also given for uniform ‘foot pressure distribution’ and to nullify ‘hot spot’ on the ‘tread rib’ and ‘rib groove’ to benefit uniform wear and part-worn appearance which are important parameters to decide on timely removal for retreading.
Commenting on the new XMR tyre, Satish Sharma, chief, India Operations, Apollo Tyres, said: “Apollo holds a leading market position in both drive and steer axle tyres, with many brands leading in different segments. With the introduction of tyres like XT100K and XT 7 Gold+ in TBB lug design category, it has set a new bench mark in the premium mileage and load & mileage segment. To continue our leadership and create a benchmark in the cross ply category, especially when radialisation is happening in the heavy commercial vehicle (HCV) segment, it is important for us to have such differentiating products for the steer axle as well.”
The steer position is the most critical on any HCV and the tyre used on its steer axle position demands highest design precision and manufacturing controls. The service demand from steer tyre is growing exponentially due to developments in vehicle technology and infrastructure improvements compounded by radialisation in drive tyres.
UBT Concept of Manufacturing
A new manufacturing approach, Uniform Bias Tyre (UBT) Technology, has been used for XMR tyres to ensure best performance from this new design. This is achieved by precisely assembling all the components having target dimension and mass on a ‘PLC’ controlled tyre building machine, and subsequently vulcanised for uniform cure index throughout the tyre structure. This process also ensures minimum ‘splice overlap’ both at fabric ply preparation and minimise the number of splices per tyre, thereby helping to produce ‘uniform casing’.
Apollo’s R&D team has used the latest technology and materials, employing advanced design, simulation and testing tools for the XMR tyre, which employs a four-pronged approach towards technology creation:
1)
Innovative Compounding – High frictional energy tread compounds for higher mileage and long term bonding technology for enhanced carcass life
2)
Design – Functionally optimised tread volume to provide high mileage with better grip, strain free grooves to avoid groove cracks and uni-stress structure to enhance carcass durability. These design deliverables were extracted through advanced design tools and FEA simulation
3)
Testing – Design validation has been done using advanced thermal study tools, destructive testing, field evaluation and retreading
4)
Manufacturing – UBT process ensuring accuracy of components and precision in placement