Fleet Management News & Business Info | Commercial Carrier Journal
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/846064
commercial carrier journal | july 2017 23 Michelin debuts airless, connected concept tire M ichelin last month debuted its air- less, connected, "rechargeable" customizable and all-organic concept tire. A wheel inte- grated with a tire, Vision – which the company rolled out at its "Movin' On" global sum- mit for sustain- able mobility in Montreal – was produced through a design process with end users and co-constructed from biosourced and biodegradable materials. "It's inspired by nature with a very light, efficient struc- ture," said Terry Gettys, Michelin's executive vice president of research and development. Among the materials used in Vision's construction are bamboo, paper, molasses, tin cans, wood, electronic waste, plastic waste, hay, tire chips, used metals, cloth, cardboard, orange zest and natural rubber. Three-dimensional printers allow designers to apply a precise amount of rubber on the tire, thus extending its life depending on needs. Tread design is optimized and depth reduced in order to reduce its thickness and make the tire more efficient in terms of materials. An airless tire, Vision can neither explode nor blow out. It relies on its interior architecture capable of supporting the vehicle while also ensuring the wheel's solidity. The tire's architecture is based on an alveolar structure developed through advanced modeling: solid in the center and flexible on the outside. e connected tire is equipped with sensors that provide real-time information about its condition. rough Michelin's mobile app, it's possible to make an ap- pointment to change the tire's destination depending on the user's needs. A change in usage – for example, to snowy conditions – is done via 3D printing. – Jason Cannon Michelin's airless Vision concept tire can neither explode nor blow out, instead relying on its interior architecture to support the vehicle. • Utility Trailer Manufacturing Co.'s dry van manufacturing plant in Paragould, Arkansas, received Liberty Mutual Insurance's Silver Safety Award based on the days away, restricted and transferred (DART) rate, which is calculated from the number of hours worked relative to the number of accidents at the plant. In 2015, Utility's Paragould plant had a DART rate of 1.66 with over 1.3 million worked hours. Liberty Mutual's Silver Safety Award is presented for DART rates of 40 percent or lower of the industry rate. • Stemco, a manufacturer of heavy-duty components and solutions for commer- cial vehicles, announced the opening of its first friction production plant. The Longview, Texas-based company's 43,000-square-foot "Friction Factory" will manufacture brake shoes and friction components for medium- and heavy-duty truck and bus applications. • International Truck made Bendix AD- B22X air disc brakes standard on all axles of its 6×4, 6×2 and 4×2 LT Series trucks. The ADB22X from Bendix Spicer Founda- tion Brake features a patented lightweight design engineered to reduce stopping distance and extend brake system life. • Truck-Lite Co., a provider of heavy-du- ty lighting, wire harness and visibility systems, achieved standard position on both Freightliner's Cascadia Evolution and Navistar's International LT Series, each with three components. Both truck makers will specify Truck-Lite's main mirror on the doors and the fender mirror on the hood. Cascadia tractors will feature the company's LED side lamp mounted on the front fender, while LT Series tractors will feature its halogen headlights. • Accuride agreed to acquire Solingen, Germany-based Mefro Wheels, its second major acquisition under the ownership of Crestview Partners, which acquired Accuride in November 2016. In May, the company bought KIC, a global supplier of commercial vehicle wheels and wheel- end components based in Vancouver, Wash. Rick Dauch, Accuride president and chief executive officer, said the Mefro acquisition will extend the company's geographic reach. • SmartTruck, a provider of fuel-saving trailer aerodynamic solutions, announced that Chattanooga, Tenn.-based U.S. Xpress (CCJ Top 250, No. 11) is including its TopKit Aero System on all trailer builds this year to gain incremental fuel-efficiency ben- efits in tandem with previously installed side skirts. INBRIEF