Tyre manufacturer Hankook will be supplying Original Equipment for various MAN heavy-duty trucks in future. The MAN Truck & Bus AG headquarters based in Munich/Germany are one of the largest truck manufacturers in Europe and a pioneer in the field of efficient transport solutions thanks to numerous innovative technologies. From the first quarter 2015 onwards, Hankook will be supplying its truck tyre ranges e-cube MAX, SmartFlex and SmartWork for various MAN models to the manufacturer’s production facilities in Germany, Austria and Poland. The tyre ranges have been specially adapted for European conditions boasting both ecological and economic advantages.
From 2015, premium tyre manufacturer Hankook will be an OEM supplier to MAN. The MAN Truck & Bus AG belongs to the Volkswagen Group, one of Hankook’s largest OE customers worldwide. The OE business with Hankook truck tyres for MAN will initially concentrate on the European market and cover 25 tyre sizes in the 22.5 and 24-inch range.
The vehicles to be equipped include the award-winning MAN vehicle ranges TGX, TGM and TGS for national and international heavy-duty transport. e-cube MAX tyres which have been optimised in terms of rolling resistance are to be used for international long-haul traffic, the new SmartFlex all-season tyre range is foreseen for flexible use between long-haul and distribution traffic, as well as construction treads from the SmartWork range. Specially adapted for use on vehicles of the EURO 6 emission class, the treads – both as special steering and drive axle versions – score highly for environmental friendliness and mileage, both of which are relevant to the TCO (Total Cost of Ownership) for Original Equipment.
“We are looking forward to our future cooperation with MAN and are proud that our e-cube MAX, SmartFlex and SmartWork ranges fulfil the demanding requirements of the MAN engineers, particularly with regard to performance, efficiency and sustainability,” said Ho-Youl Pae, Head of Hankook Tire Europe. “This is further proof of the acknowledgement of the high product quality and innovative strength of our modern truck tyres, and will give us additional drive in our efforts to extend our European activities in this segment.”
The radial tyre concept e-cube MAX for commercial vehicles stands for maximum economy, energy efficiency and environmental friendliness. The tyre range is equipped with many technical innovations and design features. Tread designs made to match the specific axle position help to reduce fuel consumption without having a negative effect on mileage or performance. The extremely homogeneous wear pattern allows mileage to be increased even further. Consistent further development of the tread compound in terms of optimised rolling resistance properties has achieved a further significant increase in efficiency in this area compared with conventional tyres. All tyre types in the e-cube MAX range generate even less heat during use, thus reducing rolling resistance even further.
Hankooks e-cube MAX tyres have rubber compounds which have been consistently developed for the respective area of application and specially designed for use in international long-haul traffic in Europe and thus high mileages. The high-molecular rubbers with particularly long molecule chains were used for the tread compounds; these also have less tendency to degenerate and therefore fewer free chain ends. The result is significantly cooler running coupled with a considerably higher mileage performance. The base compound for the e-cube treads has also been consistently oriented towards efficiency. The increase in the share of low-cushioning compounds make a significant contribution to the clear reduction in the visco-elastic dissipation loss in the tread. Less energy is lost which in turn improves the vehicle’s fuel efficiency.
Hankook SmartFlex is the intelligent truck and bus tyre solution for medium and long distances that has been specially oriented towards current requirements for increased durability and driving safety under changing weather conditions. All SmartFlex tyres are equipped with extra-deep 3-dimensional self-cleaning sipes which permit a particularly homogeneous wear pattern and additional improvement in mileage performance and overall tyre efficiency. Other technologies used, such as self-regenerating sipes, help to prevent one-sided, irregular wear.
The SmartWork is Hankook’s versatile truck tyre for mixed use, which offers a very good performance on all axle positions both on- and off-road. Its innovative tread design with fins between the individual blocks stabilise the tread and provide an optimised contact area which prevents irregular wear even where there are frequent changes in driving surface.
Another feature of the SmartWork tyre is its broad running tread. This ensures enhanced traction on different surfaces, offering a high mileage performance and low rolling noise at the same time. The tyre structure also guarantees low rolling resistance and good durability.
The innovative mixing system IMS (Innovative Mixing System) used for all modern Hankook treads guarantees the even distribution of soot particles and rubber molecules within the rubber compounds. The combination of this fact with the extension of the mixing times at reduced temperatures resulted in a significant increase of the bonding rate between soot and rubber molecules. Consequently, Hankook truck tyres generate less heat and achieve lower fuel consumption.
The design technology SCCT (Stiffness Control Contour Theory) patented by Hankook guarantees more stability and less movement in the tyre, particularly on account of a homogeneous distribution of internal pressure. The effect of this is increased carcass durability, which promises very good reconditioning properties and efficiency.