The Alliance AGRI STAR II was relaunched after Agritechnica 2017 after the engineers of Alliance Tire Group spent almost 24 months developing a tractor tyre to satisfy all modern demands in the segment.
AGRI STAR II's Development Underpins its Strength
This 24 month phase began with a thorough research across several geographic regions was conducted to identify the main requirements of farmers and tyre dealers. This research resulted in the definition of key deliverables: high value for money, massive traction throughout the whole tyre life, durability, top performance also during on-road operations, decent braking properties and good self-cleaning characteristics.
In the second phase, 3D model concepts of this tyre were shown to the focus groups of farmers and dealers to get their feedback on the proposed design and construction of the new AGRI STAR II. Following their suggestions, some modifications were made, including broader shoulders, a special lug nose and lug wall contour, as well as an optimised number of lugs.
The Alliance Tire Group opted to make use of high quality materials and components were chosen in the design process. PET, Poly Ethylene Terephthalate, acts as the reinforcing backbone of AGRI STAR II. Instead of the frequently used nylon, Polyester was selected as very durable material for carcass and belt fabrics. It ensures that the tyres ‘are still round’ and keep their shape even after years of challenging operations.
It also helps to avoid the temporary deformation in the tread which may occur with nylon carcasses when parking the tractor overnight after demanding operations with resulting heat build-up. Keeping the tire in its original shape at all times further adds to a perfect on-road performance and reliable traction throughout the tire’s whole lifetime.
More rubber volume was added to the central part of the overlapping lugs. This additional rubber provides more stiffness and lower wear on asphalt whilst improving the driving experience on roads. The D speed rating – 65 km/h – is yet another non-standard feature used by engineers to improve the on-road performance of tractors and the driving experiences of operators. Design features also ensure the good self-cleaning abilities of this tyre which are equally important during in-field operations – and when leaving the fields without making a mess on public roads.
Additionally, the AGRI STAR II comes with several particular construction characteristics with the Stratified Layer Technology (SLT) that was developed by the engineers of Alliance Tire Group.
The unique feature of the SLT technology is its ability to give ‘a second life’ to a tyre after the initial 40% of wear, thus also ensuring decent traction for the second half of the tyre’s lifetime. When the tyre is still new, powerful traction is delivered by the high non-skid depth (NSD) of the lugs. After 40% wear, when the top layer of the lugs is completely gone, the bottom layer comes into action. At this stage, lugs change their geometry and, due to the multi-angle profile of the bottom layer, lugs become broader and more curved. The now reduced NSD is fully compensated by a larger tire-to-ground contact area: with their multiple angles, lugs powerfully push the mud away, ensuring good traction.
