The AM Forum

No more flats.

It looks like it's a joke... is this for real?

It seems to be real.

`As it turns out, running without air is not impossible'
Michelin research reinvents the wheel
Experts discuss future of nonpneumatic tires at gathering in Akron
By Jim Mackinnon
Beacon Journal business writer

Michelin has an idea for a radical new tire that could make today's radials obsolete.

You might say it is the company's no-air apparent.

Michelin calls its invention the Tweel, combining the tire and wheel in a way that could make flats a thing of the past. You see, you never need to inflate a Tweel -- the spoke-like contraption doesn't need air.

That possible nonpneumatic future was presented before about 200 tire engineers, scientists and chemists from around the world who gathered Tuesday at the Radisson Hotel in downtown Akron.

``As it turns out, running without air is not impossible,'' said Terry Gettys, president of Michelin Americas Research and Development Corp., based in South Carolina. He gave the keynote address about Michelin's research interests at the 24th annual Conference on Tire Science and Technology sponsored by the Tire Society. The conference ends today.

Michelin unveiled the Tweel and other new tire concepts at last January's Detroit Auto Show. The Tweel, which started development in 1998, basically is a rubber tread supported by flexible, polyurethane spokes. It is now in limited production and available as an option for the iBOT motorized wheelchair.

While a higher volume, commercially viable Tweel may be in production starting in 2007 for lightweight vehicles, it may take another 10 years before the Tweel is ready for regular cars and light trucks, Gettys said. It may also find use in military vehicles.

``The radial tire is the standard today and will be for a long time to come,'' Gettys said. But the Tweel ``we think is the long-term future,'' he said.

Michelin has to overcome some obstacles with the Tweel before it can fit on a Ford, Chevy or Chrysler, including reducing noise that begins when a vehicle hits 55 mph.

Timothy Rhyne, a researcher in South Carolina who helped develop the Tweel, said the concept tire performs much like a regular tire.

``Will the pneumatic tire be replaced? I don't know,'' he said.

Conference participants speculated on whether the Tweel represents the future.

``Eventually, I think so,'' said Uday Karmarkar, staff engineer in charge of tire testing for Akron Rubber Development Laboratory. ``There has to be more testing of the product. This one looks promising. I think this one is a good one.''

The Tweel is an interesting concept, said Joe Walter, professor of mechanical engineering at the University of Akron and former managing director of Bridgestone/Firestone's research and development in Europe.

There are patents dating back 50 years and more on replacements for pneumatic tires, he said. The difference now is that computer technology and materials science is making a nonair tire viable, he said.

While concepts like the Tweel may be years away from commercial viability, if ever realized, Michelin is pushing other tire products now that make some current technology obsolete.

One new tire, the X One, is aimed at large commercial trucks, Gettys said. The wide tire eliminates the need for large trucks and trailers to use double tires, he said.

The end result is an 18-wheel truck needs just 10 tires, while getting better gas mileage and the ability to carry larger payloads, he said.

One possible drawback in switching from 18 wheels to 10, Gettys said, is ``we'll have to change our country music songs.''


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jim Mackinnon can be reached at 330-996-3544 or jmackinnon@thebeaconjournal.com 


 

Cripes they damn near have that right now! If you check out some of the what we call 'Nacho Slingers', they are close to riding on the rim now! Several years ago, Michelin had the technology for air-less tire to be used as a spare. The big complaint about spare tires is out-of sight, out-of-mind mentality. You got to use them when you have a flat and find them just as flat from lack of maintenance. Michelin's spare was to eliminate that but they said at the time of the introduction that the US would have to remove the regulation that all licensed vehicles must be pnuematically supported. I don't know if they were ever sucessfull in their bid but I never heard anything more about it until you posted this article George. I'll bet that was over ten years ago.

All of this stuff seems fairly recent Mike. Check this article from the Michelin site.
http://www.michelinman.com/difference/releases/pressrelease01102005a.html

Georeg, I don't discount the timeliness of the article. The point I was trying to make was that they had a non-pneumatic tire a few years ago but couldn't put it on to production due to the regs. I hadn't heard anything remotely about anything close to it until now. Michelin has always been on the forefront of tire technology. Although they did get somewhat of a brow-beating for the tires they developed for this year's American Formula-1 race at Indy.

My wheelbarrow keeps losing air from the tire. Maybe I'll try one out.

Interesting, but they really have to put something on the outside.  It looks terrible!  It really looks like someone chopped the side off with a razor blade or something.

Also, French speakers will have to come up with a new word for tire. "Pnu" doesn't seem appropriate for this.

So they're bringing back the wooden wagon wheel?


(http://www.amishcraft.com/images/items/ww20li.jpg)

Looks like a wheel I had in my yard in when I lived down the road in Mead, Bill.  Seems almost everything comes back around.  Now, if I could just get back to Mead!

Oh yea, I can just see those on my 68 Camaro as we speak - NOT!  Ugliest darn things - IMO.

The REAL solution is to make roads out of Rubber, and tires out of concrete  ;)

Better still, make the roads out of steel, and use steel wheels.  That would be better and more efficient for hauling freight long distances.

I recall once seeing a Model T truck that had solid rubber tires.

The French word for tire is pneu, short for pneumatique.  Maybe they'll just use the word roue.

Actually the slick new tire system from Michelin is the "PAX" system.
Designed as a extended and high speed "run-flat" tire system it is becoming more and more common on the mid and lower range cars. These tires require a very special machine to service, we just had to shell big bucks for the proper machine.

It actually looks somewhat like what George posted, except the plastic inner ring is retained onto the alloy rim. The technology behind the system is pretty slick, dashboard monitoring of tire pressure, warning of an impending failure, and the ability to continue driving the car at highway speeds without stopping to change a flat.

The wheel is designed to keep the tire on the rim even if all the air is removed and at speed up to 55 miles per hour. The insert prevents the tire from totally collapsing onto the rim. Tires are normally held on the rim with air pressure, but with the PAX System, the tire fits into a special groove in the rim and is locked in place by the shape of the bead, which keeps it secure even when air pressure is lost.

Check out the following pixs
(http://auto.consumerguide.com/cmsimages/Tires_101_Pax%20Tire.jpg)
(http://www.familycar.com/CarCare/Images/Pax-2.jpg)

.

This poor slob has changed thousands of tires of all types up to earth movers and I have to say that must really suck to get stuck mounting that stupid looking thing.
And I thought the old warped split rim was a pain.