In terms of Chinese Tyre manufacturers, the IAA for Transportation was quite sparse besides Westlake, owned by the ZC Rubber Group. Westlake and ZC Rubber, which nowadays can be found inside the top 10 in the world market for tyre brands, were exhibiting with their exclusive distributor for the German market, Pneuhage Management GmbH & Co. KG.
WTR2 Tyre Part of Westlake’s Second Generation of Trailer Tyres
Pneuhage Management GmBH & Co. KG specialise in various sectors within the tyre business but are particular strong when it comes to the truck business with over 200 workshops across Germany. As of today, the German operation is the biggest independent tyre dealer in the country and has been working with Westlake since 2012.
During the IAA for Transportation, Pneuhage Management GmBH & Co. KG and Westlake were promoting the WTR2 and WTX2 tyres for the first time. The new WTR2 has been designed for short to middle distance journeys that encounter frequent braking, accelerating and turning, as well as being optimised for driving on well paved roads with lots of corners during unexpected tough conditions.
The tyre is part of Westlake’s second generation of trailer tyres and has been engineered with the latest technology for regional operations. It features two main channel grooves and wider ribs which maximise fuel efficiency and intend to provide better driving comfort. Additionally, two straight grooves and a “silent hole design” in the middle of the tyre guarantees enhanced water dispersion and low noise. A multi-siping design helps to prevent irregular wear from external forces and helps to guarantee ideal grip performance on both wet and snowy roads.
Dirk Gleinser, the Product Sales Manager for Truck Tyres at Pneuhage also explained to Commercial Tyre Business that this tyre is now being retreaded at 2 Recamic retread plants, as well as 2 Bandag facilities which are run under the Pneuhage group, thus underlining the quality of the casing.
The WTR2 wasn’t only new arrival on display though as the WTX2 was also being presenting. The WTX2 has been specially designed for lowboy trailers. It is an all-weather extra-load trailer tyre, with wider tread width and solid shoulder to offer increased tread stiffness and higher load capacity. Its three zigzag grooves and multi-angled sipes enhance its traction and braking performance.
