Page 24 - CTB n2 - 2013/2

CV SHOW REVIEW
24 Commercial Tyre Business
Smartflex and Alphatread Head Up New Product Launches from Hankook
Hankook Tire emphasised its growing status as one of the world’s leading commercial tyre manufacturers with a plethora of new product launches at the recent Commercial Vehicle Show in Birmingham, including a new line- up of all-season truck tyres and a bead-to-bead retread range as well as new van tyre fitments.
Heading up activities on the company’s impressive stand was the launch of Smartflex, a new range of all-season truck tyres able to deal with various weather related road conditions throughout the year. The new tyres have been designed for medium to long haul purposes and will be available in a range of popular sizes for steer and drive-axle positions. Incorporating several new technologies, the Smartflex range aims to meet customer demands for optimised safety, economy and increased load capacity.
The Smartflex AH31 is Hankook’s new all-season steer axle fitment designed to incorporate the company’s advanced Spiral Coil Technology. This consists of an endlessly winded jointless steel belt located between the traditional high-tensile steel cord belts, assuring significantly improved belt durability. The new technology effectively helps to increase both tyre life and load capacity as well as ensuring a stabilised footprint shape for better steering performance, response and lateral stability.
The tyre is also equipped with Hankook’s so-called ‘Tread Wear Equaliser Stepper’ - small support- blocks at the outside of ribs 2 and 4 designed to improve traction and prevent one-side irregular wear, thereby improving overall mileage performance.
The Smartflex AH31 is a 5-rib steer axle tyre for medium to long haul
and will be available in sizes 295/80 R 22.5, 315/80 R 22.5 and 315/70 R 22.5.
The corresponding drive axle tyre Smartflex DH31 will be available in the same sizes and features a solid 6 rib tread design with tread blocks in 6-angle shape for improved grip, higher mileage and reduced irregular wear.
Hankook’s patented
self regenerating
kerfs in the centre of
each block prevent
tearing at the block
edges thus providing
good traction
throughout the tyre’s
life.
All Smartflex tyres
come with a newly
adapted 3-
dimensional full
depth kerf solution.
This results in a
particularly even
wear pattern,
allowing for further
mileage increase
thus adding to the
tyres economic
efficiency. In case of
the drive axle tyre
3D-kerfs care for a consistently high traction performance even in the later stages of wear.
Hankook Smartflex truck tyres will be available in the UK from the 3rd quarter in 2013, with the 295-sizes available from the 4th quarter onwards.
Also new from Hankook was the introduction of Alphatread, a range of bead-to-bead retreads developed in conjunction with leading UK retreader Bandvulc and aimed to maximise the life of Hankook’s 1st life A1 grade casings. For the time being, the products are available in the UK market in two drive axle sizes and a corresponding trailer size.
The Hankook alphatread R-DH05 is a drive axle tyre for medium haul, available in sizes 295/80 R22.5 and 315/80 R22.5. With its wide outline and a unique compound the R-DH05 provides excellent wet and dr y performance, driving stability and long lasting wear. While the extra wide tread and deep grooves ensure high mileage, the optimised block shape provides block rigidity also under heavy loads for an outstanding traction and tread stability. Its lateral oriented tread design with high density grooves help to provide excellent traction in all weather conditions.
The Hankook alphatread R-TH22 sized 385/65 R22.5 is the corresponding trailer tyre for medium haul purposes. It provides a 5 rib tread design and a so called cool running compound for optimum performance. Optimised zigzag grooves care for stone ejection and crack prevention. The wide, solid shoulder area provides
superior wet performance.
The Hankook Vantra LT’s footprint is designed to improve durability by applying square shape contact patch technology that allows for an optimised groove position, increasing stability in the outer grounding footprint area. In combination with the tyre’s innovative reinforced belt structure featuring a double steel belt this allows a more even distribution of the ground pressure resulting in an improved wear performance of up to 12 per cent. In addition, the reduced tyre deformation results in a lowered rolling resistance, resulting in higher fuel efficiency and thus heightened cost- effectiveness – a key factor for tyres used for start/stop traffic. The additionally applied sidewall protect shield effectively helps to prevent sidewall damage.
The innovative pattern not only guarantees superior wet braking performance and effectively prevents hydroplaning but also
a higher mileage and helps to prevent belt separation. Its massive kerfless centre rib enhances free- rolling on axle thus increasing the trailer’s riding stability.
In addition to the new medium and heavy truck product launches, Hankook was also introducing a new range of tyres for commercial vans and transporters. The all new Hankook Vantra LT was developed in view of the high demands that are placed on passenger and goods transport vehicles in regional traffic. Durability, fuel efficiency and mileage played a key role during development as well as safety-related driving characteristics such as short braking distances and
improves fuel efficiency by minimising energy loss while driving. The Vantra LT’s optimised block stiffness further improves the tyre’s handling performance in wet, dr y and even cold weather conditions without sacrificing block strength. The running smoothness of the tyre – and thus control and driving comfort – is perceptibly greater as well.
The new Vantra LT is now available in 34 dimensions.