Following the launch of the Michelin SprayBib CFO (Cyclical Field Operation) tyre in 2022, a new dimension has now been added to the range – the Michelin SprayBib CFO VF 710/60R46. Designed for self-propelled sprayers, it’s the first very-low-pressure flotation tyre in the Michelin SprayBib CFO offering.
This 2.05m diameter tyre offers high productivity levels, helps to protect the soil, and offers very good stability to sprayers with large-capacity tanks.
“This is the first flotation tyre in the new SprayBib CFO range,” Michelin’s customer engineering support manager, Gordon Brookes, said. “It was developed to meet the requirements of equipment users and manufacturers. Their desire was especially warranted as some constructors had already tested prototypes of these tyres on their machines with a view to homologating them as OEM fittings.”
The Michelin SprayBib CFO range increases load capacity by up to 14 per cent during cyclic operations in the fields at speeds reaching up to 30km/hr. The development of a new casing allows the load per axle to be increased by 1,300kg (depending on the tyre dimension).
Developed for use in the field at even lower inflation pressures, the optimised footprint of the SprayBib CFO tyre allows for up to 20 percent more traction. The speed capacity is also increased, with the introduction of speed index E (up to 70km/hr) in some dimensions.
Thanks to its new tread pattern, with lugs that are wider, more robust and more numerous than on a standard tyre, the Michelin SprayBib CFO range also boasts a longer lifespan.
An advanced casing design that combines the VF (very high flexion) and CFO standards means the inflation pressure for the Michelin SprayBib CFO can be lowered to 0.7 bar for cyclic use in the fields to reduce soil compaction. For small sprayers, the minimum inflation pressure is now 0.8 bar, as opposed to the 1.8 bar for the first generation of Michelin SprayBib tyres (depending on the dimension).
This new flotation dimension gives self-propelled sprayers and some other specialised machines a high level of stability; an advantage that’s of particular benefit when very large capacity tanks are used or during operations on land that’s fragile or difficult to work on.
As self-propelled sprayers have increasingly large tank volumes – up to 10,000 litres – and boom widths that can sometimes exceed 50m, these new tyres must be able to carry very heavy loads. Demands on the tyre are very high, due to the desire to reach road speeds of more than 50km/hr where permitted by local legislation.
The new Michelin SprayBib CFO VF 710/60R46 is already available at Michelin dealers, and will also be an OEM fitting on selected Agco, CNH and John Deere machines.
