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This article by Kazunori Tago, Member of the Board and Chief Operating Officer of Bridgestone Asia Pacific, explores the latest airless tyres and the launch of these futuristic tyres.
Winning in the age of disruption
The traditional notion of rubber-and-air tyre is constantly being challenged by new innovations and might eventually be seen as a thing of the past. With the production of airless tyres already in play, industry leaders are thinking of ways of changing the game. Currently, manufacturers are working on getting airless tyres to retain the driving performance of traditional tyres.
Ordinary tyres require air to support the vehicle, while airless tyres or non-pneumatic tyres typically use flexible spokes. With the advent of airless tyres, consumers can say goodbye to the risk of a tyre puncture and going flat, thanks to the unique structure of the polyurethane spokes. These spokes make the ride smooth for the driver by keeping the pressure steady.
While this innovation holds the promise of heightened energy efficiency and enhanced safety, how close are we to seeing these tyres on the road?
The state of play
At the Tokyo Motor Show 2013, Bridgestone showcased its second-generation “Air Free Concept (Non-Pneumatic) ” tyre. This revolutionary new design features improved load-bearing capabilities, environmental design and improved driving performance – bringing Bridgestone one step closer to a viable, commercially available air-free tyre.
The “Air Free Concept Tyre”, features a unique structure of spokes stretching along the inner sides of the tyre to support the weight of the vehicle, hence there is no need to periodically refill the tyres with air. The spoke structure is made from thermoplastic resin that is recyclable. Along with the replaceable tread made of a thin band of solid rubber, these tyres are designed to be as environmentally friendly as possible, to reduce the carbon footprint of the industry.
In addition to increased environmental benefits, airless tyres also address safety concerns such as eliminating punctures, which can cause other tyre-related accidents. Bridgestone’s “Air Free Concept Tyre” also provides low rolling resistance which reduces consumption, by achieving a significant reduction in energy usage through proprietary materials and technologies.
Bridgestone’s airless tyre debuted in 2011, but the second generation tyre is much improved over the first prototype, as it handles shocks and heat build-up better.
Bumps ahead?
Tyre makers are mindful that a lot more work needs to go into fine-tuning these futuristic tyres, to make them cost-efficient, while having performance that is as good as conventional tyres. Bridgestone had previously tested the airless tyres in 2012 on a small scooter utilised to transport the elderly and disabled.
The demonstration showed remarkable results but did raise concerns such as the tyre’s stiffness, which hampered its ability to deal with lateral stiffness when the driver steers. This highlights the need for more finetuning in order to commercialise airless tyres. Other challenges include the requirement to fortify the sustainability of the airless tyre during long road trips, and traditional challenges such as distribution and support networks, servicing proficiency, and compatibility with vehicles that currently utilise pneumatic tyres.
The issue of safety cannot be overlooked as well. Due to varying road conditions, infrastructure maturity level and traffic patterns of different countries, manufacturers need to consider how their tyres perform based on these variables.
Future outlook
Automotive parts makers are confident that the advantages far outweigh the current limitations and are working on overcoming these challenges by undertaking extensive research and testing to shorten the time taken to get these tyres to the consumers for practical applications.
Despite the challenges highlighted in this article, leading manufacturers are confident that the enhanced user experience and remarkable environmental benefits are expected to have most leading automotive makers aligned with responsible consumer behaviour and a more sustainable future. Ecological conservation, preservation of natural resources and reducing CO2 emissions are quickly getting to the top of corporate and political agendas, making green products and processes a primary concern not just for automotive makers, but manufacturers and consumers in general.
With fast-paced advancements in technology, no challenge is big enough to keep automotive makers from turning the vision for tomorrow into a reality of today.