Falken tyre

FALKEN has recently developed a technology applied to the manufacture of very high precision run-flat tires. With this system named NEO-T01, each tire is designed from a metallic core called "former". This latter has the exact size and shape of the final tire. The specificity of this process is that it uses a "tape" technique which consists of wrapping the parts of the tire, tread and side, without overlap or joint. No deformation is recorded during vulcanization and all materials are assembled in an automated and computerized manner. The NEO-T01 production system is synonymous with consistency for the manufacture of premium tires in series and therefore of superior quality.

The tires are the main source of noise in a vehicle. The sound emitted by the rolling exceeds that of the engine or aerodynamics. It is the vibration of the air contained in the tires that is at the origin, by a resonance phenomenon. The engineers at FALKEN have developed a concept based on a polyurethane foam that helps to remedy this noise nuisance. Thanks to a layer that lines the inside of the tire, the vibration is reduced, as is the noise, which displays up to ten decibels less. This very resistant technology acts during the lifespan of the tire without hindering its performance.

Three essential qualities are expected from tires: safety, low rolling resistance, and durability. The teams at Sumitomo Rubber Industries Ltd. have undertaken extensive research in the field of tire molecular structure with the aim of optimizing its performance. For their work, they used particle accelerators and simulation software. They were thus able to observe, down to the nanometer, the molecular structure of the rubber elements that make up the tires. Their analyses particularly focused on the generation of heat in the tire and on ways to control it. Synonymous with energy loss and consequently rolling resistance but also unnecessary fuel consumption, this heat is one of the subjects of their work. These precise researches at the molecular structure level have led to the development of the advanced 4D-Nano Design technology which results in an improvement in tire performance in case of rain but also a reduction in fuel consumption of up to five percent compared to common tire categories.