BOONE, Iowa — Michelin North America Inc. is launching a second-generation of its CerexBIB low-ground-pressure combine/harvester tire, the CerexBIB 2, which Michelin claims offers the best load capacity/lowest ground pressure on the market.
Michelin said the launch of the CerexBIB 2 at the Farm Progress Show in Boone is in response to the rising use of larger combines on farms throughout North America. The company is rolling out the new line in nine front-axle sizes and seven rear-axle sizes.
"Today's farmers are using progressively larger machinery but must manage both load capacity and soil compaction," David Graden, Michelin North America agriculture operational marketing manager, said. "Because Michelin's CerexBIB 2 is air-systems ready, it offers a solution that answers these and other performance challenges."
Michelin said the new line incorporates both IF (increased flexion) and VF (very high flexion) design principles with its CFO+ (cyclic field operation) technology, yielding a tire that allows farmers greater flexibility in deciding whether to increase the load they're carrying or operate at lower pressures to maximize floatation and traction and minimize soil compaction.
Michelin said its CFO+ technology offers a second and lower 6 mph cyclic loading table versus the standard CFO of one 10 mph cyclic loading table. Farmers may gain up to a 10 percent bonus in load
The most notable change in the new tire versus the older one was engineering it for VF operation, David Graden, Michelin North America agriculture operational marketing manager, said.
Michelin said it designed and tested these tire innovations in collaboration with leading equipment manufacturers, although the tire for now is primarily an aftermarket product.
The CerexBIB 2 CFO+ provides up to 35-percent more load capacity at the same pressure versus leading competitors, Micheiln said, or it can be operated at pressures as low as 17 psi while carrying a load of 21,740 pounds. The size of the tire's contact patch expands up to 35 percent in order to reduce soil compaction and protect the soil for future harvests.
The CerexBIB 2 will be offered in sizes VF520/85R42, VF580/85R42, VF710/70R42, IF800/65R32, IF800/70R32, IF800/70R38, IFVF900/60R32, VF900/60R38 and VF900/60R42 for front-axle applications, and in sizes VF500/85R34, VF520/80R26, VF520/85R30, VF620/70R26, VF620/70R30, VF710/65R30 and VF750/65R26 for the rear.