Hankook Tire unveiled its SmartLine AL52 and SmartLine DL52 truck bus and radial (TBR) tires as part of the 2024 Technology & Maintenance Council (TMC) showcase hosted by the American Trucking Association (ATA) in New Orleans from March 4-7. In addition to its latest TBR products, Hankook Tire showcased its tire-mounted sensor technology (TMS) and Fleet Management Solution (FMS) designed for commercial vehicle operators.
“It’s always an exciting moment when you can welcome two new TBR products at one of the trucking industry’s premier technical conferences,” Haesik Lee, TB marketing director of Hankook Tire America said. “Our SmartLine AL52 and SmartLine DL52 provide long-haul solutions that are more economical and sustainably minded and improve on critical performance categories to help our nation’s truckers go further.”
Designed for long-haul fitments, Hankook said both the SmartLine AL52 and SmartLine DL52 include its latest TBR innovations, including hidden groove technology, which adjusts tread patterns as the tire wears. Hankook said this tech has resulted in a 4-6% reduction in the tire’s rolling resistance coefficient (RRC) compared to previous models.
Additionally at TMC, Hankook said its TMS and FMS offerings showcased how such sensors enable remote monitoring of tire pressure, temperature, and wear, facilitating predictive maintenance and cost-effective fleet management.
Attendees also saw Hankook Tire’s spiral-coil technology, a belt reinforcement method applied to Hankook Tire’s USS (Ultra Super Single) specification. Through this physical sample, visitors were able to observe the layered belt structure wound in the direction of travel. Hankook said this technology improves the tire’s contact area with the road surface.
