Types of tyres Belu Mihai 1711 AE

Scottish veterinarian John Boyd Dunlop invented the first air-filled or pneumatic tyres in 1888. He attached rubber hoses to wooden wheels and covered the contact patches with thick canvas. He placed these first tyres on a tricycle and took a test run. Finding no problems, Dunlop then attached rubber pieces to the canvas in order to prevent skidding and tested these tyres on a bicycle. The result was a success and this marked the beginning of pneumatic tyres.

The bead wire tyre invented by C.K. Welch in 1891 marks an important breakthrough in tyre history. That same year, the Michelin brothers patented tyres that could be mounted or demounted by hand. In 1904, Firestone and Goodyear Tyre Company developed straight sided wire bead tyres and almost all the tyre manufacturers in the US were following their manufacturing techniques by 1908. Meanwhile in 1913, Britain developed the radial ply method which broke from the previous bias ply method which used tyre code fabric. However, the radial ply method only came into wide use some 35 years later, in 1948, when it was adopted by Michelin. The code fabric was made from a weave of thick cotton thread. Due to high prices, the stronger silk thread could not be used in manufacturing tyre code fabric. However, in 1928, US firm Dupont created the basic theory of synthetic reactions which resulted in rapid developments in the 1930s. Prior to 1948, rayon code fabric improved upon the heatsusceptive cotton code fabric and took 75% of the market share. 1948 saw the invention of nylon code fabric which competed with rayon until 1959. Nylon eventually won the price competition in 1960 and began to dominate the market. A new polyester code fabric debuted in 1962. In the 1970s, steel codes took the lead and swept the European and US markets in the 1980s. In 1972, Dupont invented a polyamide fibre called Kevlar, five times stronger that steel with good dimensional stability, but it was so expensive that its use was limited to tyres for select passenger cars. In this way, the development of materials and manufacturing technology along with the increase in automobile performance together set the stage for a focus on the dynamic capabilities of tyres. In particular, to parallel the development of roads and cars, passenger car tyres have been designed to deliver enhanced speed, control and safety. New economic, high performance tyres continue to be developed. Along with cars, tyres have shown outstanding development in aspect ratios and top driving speeds.

Functions of the tyres :

Tyres play an important role as an automobile component. Many parts may make up a car but usually one part is limited to one function. Despite its simple appearance, a tyre differs from other parts in that it has numerous functions. Thus, a tyre supports the weight of the car, reduces the impact from the road and at the same time, transmits the power to propel, brake and steer on the road. It also functions to maintain a cars movement. In order to complete such tasks, a tyre must be structured to be a resilient vessel of air. A tube is used to maintain its major function of maintaining air pressure but a tube alone cannot maintain the high pressure needed to withstand the great weight. In addition, the tube lacks the strength to withstand all of the exterior damage and impact from driving on the road. The carcass is entrusted with this function.The carcass is an inner layer that protects the tube that contains the high-pressure air and supports vertical load. A thick rubber is attached to the parts that meet the road to withstand exterior damage and wear. Tread patterns are chosen according to car movement and safety demands. A solid structure is necessary to make sure the tyres are securely assembled onto rims. According to improvements in automobile quality and capability as well as the diversification of usage, the capabilities and performance of tyres are becoming more complex and diversified.

Classification according to vehicle 1. PC passenger car tyre 2. LT light truck tyre 3. TB truck and bus tyre 4. OTR off the road tyre 5. AG agricultural tyre 6. ID industrial tyre 7. MC motocycle tyre 8. AC air craft tyre

Classification according to structure

1. Bias Tyre Layers of one ply cord material are placed on the tyre carcass diagonally from one tyre bead to the other at angles of about 40 to the centerline of the tread. The lengthy research and development period have

given this tyre an overall steady performance and stiff sidewall. With the advent of the radial tyre however, the bias tyre is now used much less frequently. 2. Radial Tyre A radial tyre uses a cord angle of 90 degrees. That is, the cord material runs in a radial or direct line from one bead to the other across the tread. In addition, a radial tyre has a belt overwrap under the tread surface to provide greater structural stability. The belt overwrap of a radial tyre distortion while the radial structure enables high speed driving. 3. Belted Bias Tyre A radial tyre-like belt is attached to a bias tyre carcass. The belt increases the stiffness of the improves traction for better steering and stability. However, the belted bias tyre is generally product from the transition of a bias structure to radial structure and is not widely used. 4. Tubeless Tyre As cars became faster, the tubeless tyre was developed to protect drivers and cars from the dangers of flat tyre accidents while driving at high speeds. Instead of using a tube, a lining (inner liner) of special rubber with low air permeability inside the tyre prevents air leaks from the tyre and rim. This means that even if a nail punctures the tyre while on the move, air pressure will not be lost very rapidly. However, careful tyre maintenance is still necessary as there is no tyre that does not go flat. In addition, there are tubeless tyres that use airtight, highly binding cement on the inside of the inner liner to decrease air leakage even further. Advantages of a Tubeless Tyre - Maintains air pressure - Sudden air leakage does not occur even with puncture - Improved heat emission while driving because air inside the tyre is in direct contact with rim - Less maintenance or mishaps with tube - Increased operation efficiency with no tube assembly Disadvantages of a Tubeless Tyre - Separation occurs if crack appears inside tyre bead - Air leakage in the case of imperfect tyre-rim assembly or disfiguration in the rim flange. In particular, caution is needed when driving on unpaved roads as rocks and other debris may damage the rim flange and cause air leakage.

Classification according to season 1. Summer Tyre As a tyre for use in seasons without snow (spring, summer, fall), the summer or general tyre is optimized for reduced noise, smooth driving and safe handling at high speeds. 2. All Season Tyre Developed to relieve the difficulty of changing from summer tyres to winter ones in regions with short snow seasons, the all season has more tread kerfs than the summer tyre.

Classification According to Vehicle 1. Regular Tyre Also called a ground tyre that is not for emergency use. 2. All Season Tyre When a regular tyre has been damaged by a flat or other reason and cannot be used, the emergency tyre may be used temporarily. Emergency tyres can save trunk space and reduce the weight of the car. There are two types of emergency tyres: a. Foldable emergency tyres b. T-type emergency tyres Emergency tyres are manufactured only for use in emergencies and cannot be used at speeds of over 80km/h. The pneumatic pressure has to be maintained at 60psi and the air pressure should be checked at least once a month. 3. Run Flat Tyre Even when the air pressure within the tyre reaches zero due to damage such as a flat, this tyre can be used to drive 80km at 80km/h speed to a location where a tyre change can be made.

Classification According to Pattern With the exception of certain special tyres, various characteristics exist for tyre treads (the part of the tyre that meets the road). These characteristics are becoming more complicated as applications grow more diverse with the development of roads and vehicles.

Requirment

Performance

External appearance

Function Improved driving and braking power Prevention of side slippage Steering safety Increased economy (reduced wear, gas cost) Resistance against heat generation by tyres Decreased noise, enhanced ride Improved product value

1. Kerf and Sipe Kerfs and sipes are small slots molded into treads to improve braking capability or prevent. They are particularly useful on wet road surfaces. Kerfs are shallow slits on the tyre tread made by placing a blade-shaped implement in the tyre mold.

When stronger braking capability is desired, a tyre is placed on a siping machine. Small cuts spaced 1 mm apart are made in the lateral direction of the tyre. Nowadays, siping is not performed frequently as many kerfs are sculpted into molds.

Type

Rib

Lug

Pattern characteristics Advantages Low rolling resistance and heat generation High resistance to side slippage, good steering and safety Less vibration and good rideness Disadvantages Relatively lower braking, driving power Grooves are sensitive to fatigue Advantages Good driving, braking power Good for unpaved roads Disadvantages Relatively higher rolling resistance (low fuel economy) Relatively greater noise Relatively lower registance to side slippage

Ex. of basic pattern

Main application

Paved roads, high speeds Mainly used for passenger cars and buses as well as light trucks

Regular roads, unpaved roads Used for trucks, buses, light trucks. Most construction vehicles and industrial vehicles use the lug type

Rib-lug

Advantages Good steering and safety due to use of both rib and lug patterns Good for vehicles that use both paved and unpaved roads

Paved, unpaved roads Used for trucks, buses

Disadvantages Greater wear on ends of lugs Rips in rib grooves Lower driving, braking power than lug type

Block

Asymmetrical

Advantages Good propulsion, braking Good braking, steering, safety good in snow & mud Disadvantages Wears faster than rib or lug types High rolling resistance Advantages Uniform contact area Good wear and braking No need to rotate tyres Disadvantages Not in much use Little compatibility with other sizes

Snow tyre Used for sand service vehicles

Passenger use tyre(high speed) Some trucks