Hankook Tire has added to its expanding truck, bus and radial (TBR) product line with the SmartFlex DL15+ tire. The SmartWay-approved tire features several new tread design features to enhance overall traction performance and increase fuel efficiency for regional and long-haul fitments, Hankook said.
The enhanced SmartFlex DL15+ comes equipped with an optimized bead profile along with a carcass structure to minimize tire deformation and improve overall energy dispersion when under heavy loads, the company said. Combined with a newly formulated belt structure, the tire reduces heat generation for greater durability and extended casing life for retreading.
The tire is developed using Hankook’s Smartec TBR technology, which is based on five main performance features: safety, mileage, chip and cut resistance, retreadability and traction. This process enables new tire tread technologies to be discovered and introduced through the DL15+ product, Hankook said.
The tire’s three-dimensional and self-regenerating sipes improve traction performance and reinforce interlocking components between blocks until the end of wear. Additional design elements include a combined rib and semi-block pattern to provide stability and handling, along with fuel efficiency, further enhanced through a wide closed shoulder pattern at the tire’s edges, allowing for smoother wear throughout its lifecycle, the company said.
