Michelin Introduce Alpin Tyre Range
Continental Launches New Cold Weather Tyre
Bridgestone Develops New Version of Dynamic-Damping In-Wheel Motor Drive System
Lesjöfors Launches New Coil Springs Catalogue
Bridgestone To Introduce Support Ring Run-Flat System

Michelin Introduce Alpin Tyre Range

Michelin is launching its proven Alpin tyre range in the UK this autumn and highlighting the safety benefits of fitting cold weather tyres. Currently 25% of motorists on the continent change from summer tyres to their cold weather variants in October as the temperature falls past 7°C.

At this temperature the rubber in summer tyres starts to harden and lose performance. The rubber compound of the cold weather tyres remains supple, maintaining grip. Five times as many sipes give optimum grip on wintry roads and braking distances on cold, wet roads can be reduced by 15%.

Contrary to popular belief wear rates are identical between summer and cold weather tyres. There will be no increase in tyre usage costs as each mile travelled on the cold weather tyre is a mile saved on the summer tyre. Over the lifetime of the car it is probable that four sets of tyres will be used and this can simply be two sets of summer and two sets of cold weather tyres. A huge improvement in driving safety for no extra cost for tyres.

The Michelin Alpin cold weather tyres are particularly popular with motorists in Germany, Switzerland and Austria and differ from the Nordic variants needed for the long-term ice and snow conditions of Scandinavia and Eastern Europe. Closer to the UK, car and van drivers in the Netherlands have accepted the principle and the market has grown rapidly.

Overall, Michelin cold weather tyre sales increased by 12% in 2004 which is very good news for the Michelin manufacturing plant in Dundee, Scotland, where a significant proportion of the cold weather tyres for Europe are made. Some Scottish tyre distributors have been marketing cold weather tyres locally as motorists become aware of the better mobility and enhanced safety that they offer.

Frank Tanke, Michelin's Cold Weather Tyre Project Manager says: "When there is an 'R' in the month it's wise to be driving on cold weather tyres. Getting grip on cold, wet winter roads is essential for mobility and safety. Drivers on the continent have proved that the extra cost of a second set of tyres is negligible when spread over the life of the car. As British winters get harsher, motorists switching to cold weather tyres will enjoy better grip and improved braking performance."

The Michelin Alpin cold weather tyre range is available for all popular family and performance cars, 4x4s and light vans from Michelin distributors throughout the UK.

Continental Launches New Cold Weather Tyre

The new ContiWinterContact TS 800 is a tailor-made cold weather tyre for vehicles in the compact category; its short braking distances and excellent handling properties allow it to perform impressively in all winter conditions. It will be replacing its tried-and-tested predecessor, the ContiWinterContact TS 780, starting from the coming winter season.

The re-engineering of the honeycomb sipes featured on the tyre's predecessor - the ContiWinterContact TS 780 - has led to improved tyre performance characteristics on wet and dry roads. They are now designed for extra stiffness on dry roads and have additional biting edges for driving in wet conditions. By increasing the size of the sipes - in some cases even doubling the size - the stability of the tread has been enhanced, which improves handling especially on dry roads.

The ContiWinterContact TS 800 series also features a directional design, which has enabled further improvements in handling characteristics on wet roads and in snow slush. Grooves between the tread blocks in the shoulder area have been designed asymmetrically, making the tyre tread even stiffer, thus shortening braking distances.

Another advantage of the directional design is that water and snow slush is cleared from the tyre tread much faster. As such, drivers are less likely to be at risk of aquaplaning and have more control over the car in typical winter weather conditions such as sleet or rain.

As a consequence of the design enhancements, the safety-related characteristics of the tyre have also been improved. In terms of handling, the ContiWinterContact TS 800 delivers a five percent improvement over its predecessor; its braking distance on wet and icy roads has been reduced by as much as six percent with mileage performance improving five percent.

Bridgestone Develops New Version of Dynamic-Damping In-Wheel Motor Drive System

Bridgestone has launched an improved version of its revolutionary in-wheel motor drive system for electric vehicles. First announced in September 2003, Bridgestone's system was a huge advance in in-wheel motor drive systems that use motors installed inside vehicle wheels.

Installing the drive motors inside the wheels allows for controlling each wheel individually, which supports excellent handling. It also eliminates the need for the differential and drive shaft and therefore allows for unprecedented freedom when designing vehicles. Designers can allocate more space to the driver and passengers without increasing the overall size and weight of the vehicle.

A stubborn drawback of in-wheel drive motors has been the weight that they add to each wheel. That affects comfort and road-holding performance adversely, and it has limited the applicability of in-wheel motor systems in electric vehicles. Bridgestone employed innovative dynamic damping to overcome this drawback of in-wheel drive systems. In this system, the motors themselves function as vibration dampers. Their own vibration offsets the vibration from the road and tyres. That allows for better traction and a more-comfortable ride than are possible with other in-wheel drive systems or with other kinds of electric drive.

Now, Bridgestone has increased its lead in in-wheel motor drive systems by reducing the size and weight of its system, by enlarging the range of motor movement, and by increasing the system's resistance to water and to dust. The company has developed several completely new components and mechanisms in support of these improvements. It has conducted that development work in cooperation with Kayaba Industry Co., Ltd., and Akebono Brake Industry Co., Ltd. Bridgestone has been working with those two partners since 2000 on modular systems for vehicle suspensions. With an eye to commercializing its dynamic-damping in-wheel system,

Bridgestone is also developing tyres and other peripheral components to optimize the system's performance.

Lesjöfors Launches New Coil Springs Catalogue

Lesjöfors, one of Europe's largest manufacturers of springs and producer of the world's largest range of chassis springs, has unveiled its new 2005 Coil Spring catalogue. The catalogue - which includes 550 new part numbers - lists both standard and heavy duty springs for passenger cars, with more than 40 vehicle manufacturers (VMs) covered.

The publication is easy-to use with an alphabetical listing of VMs and parts identified through vehicle make, model and year.

Bridgestone To Introduce Support Ring Run-Flat System

Bridgestone Corporation has announced that it has succeeded with the practical application of its Support Ring run-flat system, which has been under development since 2002. The support ring will be delivered to Toyota Motor Corporation for use in its new RAV4 for the European market.

The Bridgestone Support Ring run-flat system keeps a tyre functioning after loss of air pressure so that the car can continue driving safely for up to specified maximum speed for a specified distance.

The support ring is made of a lightweight metal ring and rubber so as to provide flexible support to the tyre. In case of air loss, the core ring supports the vehicle, and fixes the tyre bead on the rim of the tyre. The system is suited for passenger cars and sport-utility vehicles (SUVs) that have high-profile tyres.