Nexen Tire Corp. has been named a 2014 International Design Excellence Awards (IDEA) winner for its Green Hive concept tyre.
The tyre, which Nexen said prioritizes usability, economy and sustainability for customers, features an innovative design that allows its tread to be replenished on a continual basis. Whereas traditional tyres can no longer be used when worn out, the Green Hive design is an all-in-one steel wheel and rubber sidewall combination that features separate, replaceable tread.
Nexen said the wheel itself acts as a steel mold, with an inner and outer wheel. When refill tread compound is inserted in the mold inside the wheel, heat can be applied to make the compound soft. After that, the tread can be pushed through the wheel’s hexagon shaped holes, creating tread blocks, by applying air pressure from inside the wheel.
The design makes it possible to use a new tread block three to five times in total, according to Nexen, extending the life span of the product about 300 percent compared to traditional tyres.
Nexen said it is the first tyre company to sweep four of the world’s top design awards, having already picked up an IF Design Award in 2011, a Red Dot Design Award in 2012 and a G-Mark award in 2013. According to Nexen, more than 2,000 entries were submitted in 16 categories for this year’s IDEA competition.
“The grand slam of the most prestigious global design awards w have achieved with this year’s IDEA is proof of our design capability and extraordinary global competitiveness,” said Lee Hyun-bong, Nexen Tire’s CEO. “We continue to build on our quality and technological capability to expand our supply to global automakers. Going forward, we will continue to launch innovative products that deliver outstanding performance and design to raise our brand value.”