Cate Lawrence is an Australian tech journo living in Berlin. She focuses on all things mobility: ebikes, autonomous vehicles, VTOL, smart ci (show all) Cate Lawrence is an Australian tech journo living in Berlin. She focuses on all things mobility: ebikes, autonomous vehicles, VTOL, smart cities, and the future of alternative energy sources like electric batteries, solar, and hydrogen.
While most of our attention focuses on the body and engine of the car, the functionality and efficacy of tires are equally important.
Technology, materials science, and engineering are creating longer-lasting, more resilient, more sustainable tires.
Let’s take a look at some of the latest trends:
AirlessA prototype of the airless tire. Credit: The Tire CompanyThe SMART Tire Company is working to create “super elastic” airless tires in partnership with NASA.
SMART stands for Shape Memory Alloy Radial Technology. And the tires are something special. They’re made of NiTinol+ (nickel-titanium), a shape memory alloy that’s elastic like rubber, yet strong like titanium.
NASA originally patented the idea in response to the challenge of developing tires for Mars, where there are no roads, temperatures can reach -100C, and tire performance is mission-critical.
While the NiTinol shape memory alloys are extremely resilient, the company is also focusing on material recycling and mechanical repair, by reshaping and heat-treating localized damage or replacing individual elements.
NASA Glenn Laboratory has been developing the technology for 7+ years, and the organization is at an advanced prototype phase.
Their first product will be a bicycle tire launching in Q4 of 2022.
Tire pressure monitoring systems (TPMS) are mandated by law since 2008 in the US and 2012 in Europe. Sensors placed on the tire’s rim send data to the vehicle’s dashboard, monitoring the amount of tire inflation.
But sensors are being used in a range of predictive maintenance scenarios to prevent accidents caused by worn tires.
Tyrata is a tire sensor and data management company that uses sensors to monitor, track, and predict tire tread life.
Tirata’s Drive-Over System. Credit: TyrataAn example is the DOS, Drive-Over System, a speed bump-like unit that measures tire tread wear when a vehicle drives over it . The sensor data goes to a cloud-based data analytics platform to deliver real-time analytics about the tires’ health.
The system fully automates tread-depth measurements and analytics needed for efficient tire management and safe vehicle operation.
Dandelions and soybean oilCredit: Continental Continental introduces tires that are made from recyclable and renewable materials.
Credit: ContinentalLast year Continental announced that it’s working on a tire made from renewable, recycled, and traceable materials.
Enter the Conti GreenConcept. Each tire consists of 35% renewable bio-materials. These include natural rubber from dandelions, silicate from rice husks ash, and vegetable oils and resins. This reduces the need for crude oil, traditionally found in tires.
It’s also composed of 17% recycled materials, namely reclaimed steel, recovered carbon black, and polyester yarn.
They’re not the only company switching to greener materials.
Goodyear has replaced petroleum-based components with soybean oil in some tread compounds.
Bridgestone has its sights set on guayule, an evergreen shrub with a similar material makeup to the conventionally used para rubber trees.
Electric vehicles have specific challenges when it comes to tire health. The cars weigh more and bear the brunt of instant torque and acceleration.
Combined, these lead to an increase in wear and tear. Worn tires increase a tire’s rolling resistance and reduce efficiency.
Last year, Michelin and Goodyear released their first tires designed exclusively for electric vehicles. Tire maker Pirelli recently added its own EV-specific tire to the mix.
Hankook is the latest to create specialty tires for EVs. Credit: HankookLast week tire company Hankook Tire announced plans to launch iON, its first family of tires specially designed for EVs. The new iON tire development characteristics include further reduced rolling resistance, notably lower rolling-noise characteristics and high resilience. This means more range per battery charge and an overall more enjoyable driving experience.
Tire makers are investing heavily in R&D, and we can expect to see continually improving commitments to materials innovation, data-driven insights, and circular design.
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Shape Memory Alloy Radial Technology
Reimagining the wheel, by reinventing the tire. SMART Innovation/watch video/
For over 50 years, NASA has been building tires for outer space
Hear it from the inventors themselves. Learn how NASA developed the future of tires on earth, through their experience sending rovers on Moon missions and then Mars, where the conditions are extreme and there are no spare tires for 50 million miles.
This technology enables the development of commercial non-pneumatic tires, based on its ability to support high loads and significant deformation with 100% shape recovery at the molecular level.
/watch video/
Superelasticity in action
Watch as this University of Akron scientist performs a hands-on demonstration of NASA’s spring tire technology, deforming a tire all the way down to the wheel rim with zero permanent deformation.
The SMART Tire Company is a licensee of the spring tire technology, and further developing it for terrestrial applications, which will include special rubber integrations for treads and various vehicle sizes.
NASA Startup Studio 2020The SMART Tire Company (STC) was conceived in 2020 as part of the FedTech NASA Startup Program. The founding team worked with inventors at NASA Glenn Research Center to explore commercial applications of this breakthrough tire technology and have raised an undisclosed amount of private funding to bring shape memory alloy tires to market.
FedTech is a private venture program funded by federal agencies and corporate partners, that connects entrepreneurs to technologies developed across the Department of Defense, NASA, Department of Energy, Department of the Interior, Department of Transportation, top-tier universities, corporate R&D arms and other research laboratories.
STC was voted (1st Place) The People’s Choice award winner for best pitch, among all the other NASA technologies participating in the program.
Strategic Partners 2021The SMART Tire Company has a commercial license and federal Space Act Agreement with NASA Glenn Research Center, and strategic partnerships with Felt Bicycles (top performance cycling brand) and Spin (a leading micro-mobility company, owned by Ford Motor Company). These partnerships and agreements will help STC with further research, data analytics, materials science and product development, in creating the optimal tire and mobility products using innovative design and shape memory alloy engineering.
At some point in 2022, we will be announcing our other partnerships, that are currently confidential and under NDA. These partnerships include top aerospace (NASA’s Artemis lunar project), automotive, EV, AV, and eVTOL companies.
Spirit
Mars Rover 2026 -The SuperElastic SMA Spring Tire was originally developed by NASA for upcoming Moon and Mars rover missions. Past rovers used thin aluminum tires which eventually developed cracks and holes due to the tough Mars terrain.
The Mars Perseverance 2020 rover safely landed on Mars, February 18, 2021. Although the Perseverance aluminum tires are a bit stronger than previous rovers, future tires possibly made from shape memory alloys, like the MSR-Fetch rover in 2026 (credit: European Space Agency), will enable larger, longer lasting rovers on Mars, that may no longer need six wheels, but only four. Eventually, these robotic rover missions will path the way for future, human-driven, Space Exploration Vehicles on Mars.
Shape Memory Alloy Radial Technology (SMART) will help power a new era of transportation from the tread up, from scooter tires to bike tires, automotive, trucking, and all the way to aerospace.
“We are building the next, great American tire company, for a new generation of smarter vehicles and cleaner transportation.”— The SMART Tire Company“We are excited about the potential of METL™ and we are sharing our knowledge about scooter tire performance and specifications with The SMART Tire Company to help advance our mission to create cleaner, safer and better transportation for all.”
— James Berg, Research and Development Manager at Spin (Ford Mobility)
Follow our journey. "Triangle Tire" was reorganized in 2001 on the basis of the Weihai Tire Plant, which was established in 1976.
The annual production capacity is 30 million tires and more than 5,000 sizes. The trading network exists in more than 180 countries and regions of the world, branches and representative offices are open in Russia, North America, Europe, India and other countries. Triangl's main products are commercial tires (for buses and trucks), passenger tires (for cars and light trucks) and large-size tires (radial, diagonal and extra-large). Aircraft tires and agricultural tires are also developing.
Technological Development Center and State-level Industrial Technology Center were established in the company. There is a post-doctoral research station and its own technical research base in America. In addition, Triangle has the country's only national tire industry engineering laboratory, which is the establishment of a strategic alliance for the technical innovation of China's tire industry.
In 2008, Triangle was awarded the highest state award for progress in science and technology under the project "Development and implementation of technologies and equipment for the production of radial large-size tires".
Since the founding of the People's Republic of China, this is the most significant award in the tire industry. Today, Triangle is one of the world's four largest suppliers of oversized radial tires. The company has also established global partnerships with companies such as Caterpillar, Terex, Doosan, Hyundai, Volvo, Nissan, and others.
In China, Triangle is known as a high-tech enterprise, the first and leading manufacturer of radial technology in the tire industry. By the number of acquired patents in China and abroad, the company occupies a leading position in the Chinese tire industry, being one of the main participants in the development of the country's professional standards. In 2017, Triangle received the "Best Patent in China" award for its new tire technology.
"Triangle" always strives to improve technology and modernize production. Over the past 10 years, Triangl has gradually moved from the old production line, built the new Huamao and Huayan smart factories according to the industry 4.
0 standard. As a result, a complex of production automation systems has been fully implemented. The equipment used in these factories is purchased from the best international manufacturers. Robotics and big data technology are used, high-tech products are produced.
Triangle tires have been officially certified in more than 60 countries and economic unions of the world, which includes CCC, ECE, DOT, E-SOUND, EAC, INMETRO, LATU, GSO, SNI, etc. . In addition, we have passed strict technical testing from our strategic partners such as Volvo, Goodyear, Caterpillar and other well-known enterprises. In China and abroad, Triangl supplies tires to complete sets for more than 50 automobile factories, such as: China Heavy Duty Truck Corp., First Automotive Works Group, Dongfeng Motor Co., Shanghai Genera Motors, SAIC-General Motors-Wuling, Chery Automobile, SDLG (Volvo Group China), Shandong Sem Machinery Co., XCMG Construction, etc.
Triangl adheres to the values of "honesty, innovation, hard work, love for people".
The main goal of the Company is to provide the highest quality products and services, to give its customers the opportunity to choose the best tires in terms of price and quality.
APPROVED
Main characteristics
New generation automatic tire changer for mounting/demounting all types of car and light commercial vehicle tires with rim diameter from 10" to 30" (maximum wheel diameter 1200mm/47", maximum wheel width 406mm/16"). Equipped innovative automatic tire changer with retractable mounting pin, thanks to which the demounting of the tire is carried out without the use of a mounting tool (no damage to the rim due to no direct contact with the tool. Non-contact tire changer without the use of a mounting tool) .
Technical description
WDK: Version available on request
| Serviced wheel rim diameter | 10" - 30" |
| Max wheel diameter | 1200 mm (47") |
| Maximum wheel width | 406 mm (16") For reversible discs, depending on disc size and features |
| Cylinder force (at 10 bar) | 12265 N |
| Operating pressure | 130 bar (1885 psi) |
| Supply voltage | 400V 3ph / variable speed |
| Hydraulic motor power | 1.1 kW |
| Drive motor power | 0.75 kW |
| Clamping speed | 3 - 14 rpm |
| Preset inflation pressure tires | 3.5 bar (50 psi) |
| Net weight | 705 kg |
Max.  |
