Michelin celebrated the 10th anniversary of its Ultraflex technology by conducting tire demonstrations at its research center in Ladoux, France. A select group of farmers, tire dealers and other industry influencers from around the world were invited to attend the event showcasing the company’s tire innovations.
James Crouch, farm segment marketing manager for Michelin North America, said that Michelin Ultraflex technologies enable tires to carry the same load at up to 40% lower air pressure than standard technology radial tires, or up to 40% more load at the same pressure.
“Lower air pressure helps spread the weight of heavy farm equipment, resulting in a larger footprint, which reduces soil compaction,” said Crouch. “Lower compaction helps protect crop yields and offers better traction, which in turn improves fuel economy and productivity in the field.”
Michelin demonstrated the Ultraflex tire capabilities in four tests: safety, soil compaction, footprint and flotation. The safety demonstration showed that farmers can safely operate larger machines at higher speeds with Ultraflex tire technologies in their day-to-day operations.
In the soil compaction demonstration, a tractor carrying a load of nearly 10,000 pounds was driven over a pit filled with thin layers of soil of alternating colors to visualize the impact of tire pressure on the soil.
The footprint test allowed attendees to compare the Michelin AxioBib IF 900/60 R42 tire footprint the Michelin AxioBib IF 900/65 R46 tire (an RCI-50 tire, scheduled for introduction in Europe in 2015 that will be the world’s largest agricultural tire).
Lastly, Michelin demonstrated the Michelin CargoXBib High Flotation tire for trailers in the flotation test. The CargoXBib High Flotation tire will be introduced in North America in the summer of 2015.
Michelin currently offers Ultraflex tire models for tractors, combines-harvesters, sprayers, crop-conditioning equipment and trailers.
