The Goodyear Tyre & Rubber Company says its researchers at have been working for the past year on the new ‘Air Maintenance Technology’ application that made its debut at the 2012 IAA Commercial Vehicle Show.
Goodyear’s AMT mechanism allows tyres to maintain constant, optimum pressure without the use of external pumps, electronics and driver intervention, to achieve improved fuel economy, prolonged tread life and better vehicle handling performance. Goodyear notes that tyre-related costs are the single largest maintenance item for commercial vehicle fleet operators, with nearly half of all truck and trailer breakdowns involving a tyre in some way.
Commercial tyres operate at high air pressure, typically 850kPa for commercial tyres vs 250kPa for consumer tyres, presenting a more challenging performance requirement for the pump system. The life of a commercial truck tyre is often extended by retreading, and Goodyear’s commercial truck AMT system is being designed to perform after the retreading process.
“We believe the Air Maintenance Technology application for commercial vehicle tyres will not only enhance the performance of the tyre, but will also provide cost savings to fleet owners and operators through the extension of tyre tread life and increased fuel economy,” said Goodyear’s Chief Technical Officer, Jean-Claude Kihn, who confirmed that further testing was scheduled.
Engineers at Goodyear’s Innovation Center in Akron, Ohio, US, are credited with the development of the commercial application of this concept and the supporting technology. Prototype tyres have been produced in Goodyear’s Topeka manufacturing plant in Kansas, and validation testing has confirmed that the AMT pumping mechanism works. Next year, an extensive fleet trial is planned to gather real-world information from customers.
A US$1.5m grant from The US Department of Energy’s Office of Vehicle Technology is helping speed up research, development and demonstration of the AMT system for commercial vehicle tyres. A further grant from the Luxembourg government for research and development will continue to help fund Goodyear’s efforts in researching and developing the AMT system for consumer tyres.
