LAS VEGAS — Alliance Tire Americas Inc. is expanding its Galaxy-brand OTR portfolio to include radial tires for the first time, starting with four lines, for loaders/dozers, articulated dump trucks, graders and forklifts.
The new Galaxy radial OTR line features all-steel radial construction for puncture resistance and reduced heat buildup, as well as special compound for longer service life, according to Brian Sheehey, ATA's vice president of marketing for ATA, yielding a line of tires that deliver "outstanding performance and a lower total cost of ownership."
ATA is launching the tires at Waste Expo 2018 in Las Vegas.
The new tires are:
- LDSR 300, a loader/dozer tire with an S-shaped tread pattern, available in sizes 17.5R25, 20.5R25, 23.5R25 and 26.5R25;
- HTSR 400, with a long-wearing array of bulky block lugs for articulated dump trucks, manufactured in sizes 23.5R25, 26.5R25 and 29.5R25;
- MGSR 200, an S-pattern grader tire released in sizes 14.00R24 and 17.5R25; and
- Yardmaster Radial, a radial version of an existing Galaxy design with massive lugs and high rubber-to-void ratio for forklifts, in sizes 10.00R20, 12.00R20 and 12.00R24.
ATA plans to add more radials as well. The next phase will include all-steel radials for rigid dump trucks, forklifts and container movers.
Because their flexible sidewalls create a larger, more even footprint, radial tires deliver a wide range of benefits on heavy equipment, Mr. Sheehey said.
"The larger footprint of a radial tire puts more of the tread in contact with the ground, which transfers more horsepower," he said. "We get more traction and better flotation with that larger footprint. We also see more even wear across the tread surface, which allows the Galaxy radials to last longer than bias-ply tires, which tend to crown in the middle.
As for the economic benefits, Mr. Sheehey noted that radials' lower rolling resistance yields better fuel economy and their ability to absorb more impact than bias-ply tires do reduces impact on welds and joints on the machine.
The new lines are engineered and constructed with steel-reinforced sidewalls and a belt package and compound that reduce heat build-up, extending tire life, he added.
The Galaxy radials also feature stepped lugs, which boost traction by providing more biting surfaces on each lug. As the tread wears down from one step to the next, ATA said, the lugs get wider, increasing the rubber-to-void ratio and slowing wear.
The stepped lugs also contribute to excellent self-cleaning.
The Galaxy radial OTR line is available through Galaxy dealers and is stockpiled in ATA warehouses across the U.S.
Alliance Tire Group — a Yokohama Rubber Co. Ltd. subsidiary — is producing the new radial line at its factory in Dahej, India.