Hankook highlights truck tyres’ high performance
Tyre giant Hankook has reported that its SmartFlex AH51 and DH51 truck tyres are excelling across the board when compared to their predecessors.
“It is thanks to advancements in computer processing power, AI, materials science and 3D printed mould technology that Hankook have been able to deliver a truck tyre with a stepped change in performance from the first to the last millimetre of tread wear,” said the company.
“Hankook’s investment in these combined technologies have delivered a cooler running tread, a more rigid tread block and regenerating tread features (appears as the tread wears), resulting in significant fuel savings, damage resistance, wet grip and mileage benefit for premium fleet partners.”
There is a considerable increase in mileage performance for both new tyre patterns, it adds – 15 per cent for the steering axle and 20 per cent for the driving axle – as well as a 10 per cent reduction in rolling resistance contributing to better fuel economies.
In addition, the wet performance is said to be 15 to 17 per cent better than the 31 series product. Hankook attributes the significant improvement to the 3D mould printing giving a regenerative tread pattern in the 51 series products.
The premium tyres also have an extended life through Hankook’s SmartLife Solution, the firm adds, as the AH51 and DH51 are designed specifically to be regrooved and retreaded allowing for a second, third and even fourth life extension to deliver up to 250 per cent additional tyre life.
These advanced features are significantly impacting the CPK performance (cost per kilometre), Hankook reports, adding that testing of the AH51 and DH51 across Europe throughout 2022 have yielded impressive results. Due to this success, says the firm, the 31 Series is being phased out so existing and new fleet partners can source and benefit from the newer tyres.
“As a company, we place a high value on the sustainability of our products, and therefore our newly developed smart treads fulfil our aspirations for ensuring sustainable and future-proof tyres, and of course also in conjunction with significantly increased customer benefits,” said Jon Cottrell, Hankook UK‘s TBR manager.
“Intensive testing has shown that, compared to competitors in the premium category, both new SmartFlex products achieve significantly higher performance standards in the lifetime performance chapter, even when the tyres are 2/3 worn, for example in terms of braking distance on wet roads as well as grip and safety in a wide range of road conditions.”
Hankook’s SmartFlex line is particularly suitable for regional and local traffic distributions, says the company, with the 3PMSF (Three Peak Mountain Snowflake) certification making them a good all-year-round choice.
The base compound of both patterns of AH51 and DH51 was consistently designed for efficiency. The increase in the proportion of low-damping materials contributes significantly to the reduction of principle viscoelastic power loss throughout the tread, says Hankook, therefore less energy is lost, and fuel efficiency is improved. The sidewall compounds were also freshly developed for the new SmartFlex generation.
Hankook developers have placed a considerable emphasis on significantly increased resistance to crack formation and material fatigue; thus, says the firm, the overall resistance of the SmartLife carcasses used on AH51 and DH51 has been further enhanced compared to the predecessor treads.
The new DH51 tyre also has a distinct feature in its notch-tough tread compounds, where special high-performance resins improve the resistance and durability by increasing the molecular weight of the polymers used, thus contributing to an overall higher mileage performance.
Hankook’s mixing process, IMS (Innovative Mixing System), ensures an even distribution of carbon black particles and rubber molecules within the compounds, the manufacturer adds. In combination with the extension of the mixing times at lowered temperatures, a significant increase in the bonding rate between the carbon black and rubber molecules can thus be achieved. As a result, SmartFlex tyres generate less heat during operation.
The SCCT (Stiffness Control Contour Theory) design technology used in SmartFlex products ensures that the internal pressure distribution is as evenly balanced as possible depending on the application. This results in more stability and less movement in the tyre casing during use, says Hankook, which leads to high durability of the SmartLife carcasses and very good retreadability.
For both the belt plies and the carcass itself, the AH51 and DH51 each use special high-strength steel cord materials. Together with the SCCT contour, this is said to result in a consistent contact patch for even wear, as well as improved traction and braking performance.
