Commercial tyre expertise from Hankook
Hankook offers a comprehensive range of commercial tyres tailored specifically for trucks and buses, which it says are designed to deliver optimal milage performance without compromising fuel efficiency for long and regional haul use.
“Hankook continually invests in optimising its portfolio of TBR tyres to deliver industry-leading solutions that offer maximum durability, comfort and safety to suit every application, enabling fleet managers to reduce costs, lengthen tyre lifespan and minimise environmental impact,” said the firm.
With sustainability being a primary focus of Hankook’s ESG movement, the company has been tackling current global challenges and environmental issues through the development and investment in its tyre retread range, Alphatread.
“In 2022, Hankook signed a five-year agreement with Vaculug, one of the UK’s largest independent retread producers who manufacture the Alphatread retread brand in the UK, offering a cost effective and ecological solution to fleet and dealer partners,” it said.
“By offering retreading, Hankook is helping its fleet partners reduce CO2 emissions, recycle materials and reduce cost of operations with no compromise on performance saving approximately 70 per cent of the original materials.
“All Hankook commercial vehicle tyres are designed in such a way that they can be regrooved, while the high-quality carcass can be retreaded several times, a significant economic and environmental benefit achieved through Hankook’s SmartLife Solutions concept.”
One of the most popular truck tyres used by Hankook’s HGV fleet operators is the SmartFlex AL/DL 51 series, says the company, a product-line recognised in the industry for its outstanding mileage performance and premium technologies, delivering high grip and mileage performance from the first to last millimetre of tyre life.
“The SmartFlex AL51 is designed specifically for the steering axle and an all-position tyre, whereas the SmartFlex DL51 is designed for the drive axle, maintaining top performance through every millimetre of tread depth,” Hankook continued.
“The SmartFlex All-Season range of truck tyres are able to deal with various weather-related road conditions throughout the year. Thanks to the 3-PMSF snowflake symbol the tyres are optimally equipped for all winter weather conditions, like slush and snow, without neglecting the summer properties so can be fitted all year round.”
Meanwhile, the company’s latest product line for electric buses is the e-Smart City AU56, introduced in 2024 and said to be the first of its kind in the tyre industry.
“The tyre meets the specific requirements of electric buses through low rolling resistance, high load capacity and excellent grip,” said Hankook.
For the development of the e-Smart City AU56, the firm utilised AI-assisted design, tests using digital twins and 3D-printed tread patterns.
“The e-Smart City AU56 has S-shaped sipes between the lateral and tangential tread blocks to improve the interlocking between the blocks. This extends the durability and increases the grip, which is needed in view of the high torque.
“Three-dimensional zig-zag lines within the tread blocks also help with this. As the tread depth decreases, concealed grooves and sipes are exposed, made possible by 3D-printing technology, ensuring the required safety, traction and adhesion on wet surfaces over the entire life cycle. Small, step-shaped blocks ensure even wearing and prevent stone trapping, further extending the tyre’s life.
“Like all modern Hankook tyres, the e-Smart City AU56 and SmartFlex AL/DL 51 series treads are designed to be regrooving and retreading.”
Further information on Hankook’s range and sustainable advancements can be found on the official website.
