HANOVER, Germany — Continental is renaming its StraddleMaster+ port tire to TerminalMaster V.ply to reflect a wider range of applications for the product in areas other than straddle carriers in ports.
After testing the product extensively in other applications, Conti now is promoting its use for heavy-duty transport at airport terminals and other low-speed industrial sectors.
Conti said it determined that the tire, designed originally for use on straddle loaders in ports for loading and unloading seagoing containers, could be used in other applications that have similar usage requirements, such as having to cover short distances at low speed.
Such applications subject tires to frequent turning while supporting heavy loads in a single spot, Conti said, noting that the TerminalMaster V.ply is designed to provide good traction, even in case of emergency braking.
The TerminalMaster range uses Conti's "V.ply" technology that combines the damping properties of bias-ply casing construction with the lower cord angles more associated with radial construction.
V.ply technology yields a carcass of up to 20 layers of diagonal fibers arranged at an angle of about 30 degrees bonded with three wire cores using a high-strength polymer, Conti said. This design allows for thicker sidewalls that result in less tilting, improved protection against damage and a longer service life, Conti claims.
Conti did not provide sizing or pricing information.