The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company has launched a non-pneumatic (airless) tyre for commercial mower applications.
The turf tyre is the company’s solution for users who want a worry-free tyre performance.
The airless tyre is available as an upgrade option on Bad Boy Mowers’ Outlaw XP, a zero-turn radius model, with expected availability in early 2018.
The technology is part of the company’s strategy to develop maintenance-free technologies for passenger and commercial vehicles, particularly in fleet applications.
“The commercial release of this turf tyre is an important step in our efforts to develop airless tyre technology for a range of applications,” said Christopher Helsel, Goodyear’s chief technology officer. “As we look to a future where ride sharing and autonomous vehicles become mainstream, the demand for lower maintenance, longer lasting tyres will continue to increase.”
Goodyear has been developing non-pneumatic technologies since the 1970s when it participated in the design of tyres for NASA’s Apollo lunar roving vehicle, and in recent years in the development of a tyre for future missions to Mars.
For this new application, the Goodyear Turf Command with Dura Web Technology is an optional fitment for the premium Bad Boy Mowers model. Goodyear’s exclusive DuraWeb Technology has been in development for the past few years at the company’s Innovation Center in Akron, and is being manufactured in the US, exclusively for Bad Boy Mowers.
Goodyear engineers and scientists incorporated feedback from field studies that included the Cleveland Metro Parks and with mower dealers, such as Beltz Lawn and Garden Equipment in Akron, Ohio and the team at Bad Boy Mowers to create a product for the benefit of the end-user.
The tyre features a thermoplastic connecting structure that provides a unique combination of stiffness and flexibility to carry heavy loads while maintaining a smooth ride and minimising turf tear. It was designed to deform, absorb impact, and create a smooth ride every time.