Michelin’s X Tweel SSL airless tyre and wheel combination will make its British public debut at January’s Lamma 2018 exhibition.
For several years, Michelin has sold its range of Tweel products for mowing, agricultural and industrial applications in North America – but the tyre giant’s fitment for skid-steer loaders will be the first Tweel to arrive this side of the Atlantic.
The non-pneumatic tyre and wheel will be displayed at the East of England Showground exhibition in Peterborough on January 17 and 18, in conjunction with its much-anticipated launch to market this month.
The X Tweel SSL will be available in two versions: the All Terrain (AT), which features a deep, open tread for off-road applications and use on varying surfaces; and the Hard Surface Traction (HST), with its smooth tread featuring a 100 per cent contact patch, for frequent use on hard surfaces such as asphalt or concrete.
Both tyres are expected to prove popular within the UK farming sector, on applications ranging from scraping yards and clearing slurry to moving bedding and animal feed.
Commenting on the launch, Michelin’s agricultural customer engineering support manager, Gordon Brookes, said he was very excited to introduce the X Tweel SSL.
“This is a proven product that has transformed the way skid-steer tyres are specified across North America,” he addde. “Its introduction into the European market means users in the agricultural and construction markets can benefit from the X Tweel SSL’s excellent performance – and without any risk of a flat tyre.”
The product performs like a pneumatic tyre, but without the risk and costly downtime associated with penetrations and impact damage. It can increase productivity because its outstanding stability enables a skid steer to work rapidly, with more comfort for the operator, reducing driver fatigue as a result.
The X Tweel SSL delivers a consistent footprint with strong wear life, and there’s very little maintenance involved, as the fitment is easy to mount and doesn’t require air pressure checks.
Its deep open tread is designed for easy cleaning and excellent traction, and a buried layer of undertread allows the core to be repeatedly retreaded. High strength, poly-resin spokes provide high carrying capacity, reduce vibrations, absorb impacts and prolong the product’s working life.
The X Tweel range is manufactured at Michelin’s plant in Piedmont, South Carolina, USA, which began operating in November 2014. The Tweel concept was developed by the Michelin Americas Research Company in North Carolina.
For more information visit: http://agricultural.michelin.co.uk.
