UVALDE, Texas — Continental Tire the Americas L.L.C. has shored up its commercial tire lineup, unveiling a line of three "intelligent" construction tires for on-, off- and mixed-road use.
All three products, designed to serve applications such as dump trucks, cement mixers and utility, emergency and agricultural vehicles, offer high mileage, durability, traction and retreadability. Each line is pre-equipped with tire sensors for digital monitoring, designed to identify punctures and air loss to avoid breakdowns.
The Conti tires — HSC 3 steer/all-position tire; HDC 3 drive tire; and HAC 3 all-position tire — deliver key benefits for their respective on-/off-road application, including construction, cement, utility, emergency vehicles, and agriculture, feed and livestock. Each tire comes with a six-year, three-retread warranty.
- This story appears in the Sept. 30 print edition of Tire Business.
Conti demonstrated the tires for dealers and media during a launch event held the week of Sept. 23 at the tire maker's proving grounds in Uvalde, near San Antonio. Conti showed off the tires' traction, curbing-resistance and stone-retention capabilities, among other attributes.
Conti said it chose to equip the tires with sensors in order to monitor their ability to perform in severe environments. During off-road use, construction tires are more susceptible to cuts, chipping and chunking and punctures.
The sensors are mounted on the inner liner of the tire, as opposed to value-mounted, protecting it from theft and damage. Conti said it uses an algorithm to calculate values and read the air pressure and temperature.
With vehicles performing under heavy loads in a limited radius, heat tends to build up as a result of starting, stopping and braking, especially in warmer regions during summer. The sensors, Conti said, ensure the tires are operating under proper air pressure and internal casing temperature.
Conti said its digital solutions "help fleets reduce downtime, improve safety and fuel efficiency, and minimize labor and maintenance costs associated with tire inspections. Digital tire monitoring solutions are key in this increasingly technological environment where fleets need to maintain premium tire casings and reduce the overall driving costs."
The HSC 3 is a heavy truck, steer/all-position construction tire that Conti said is an upgrade over its predecessor, the HSC1. The tire has an "aggressive" on-off road tread design with enhanced cap/base compounds that the tire maker said improves mileage and traction.
The product is built on Conti's 3G casing with premium off-road belt package, giving it increased casing life. The tread design and groove geometry reduces stone retention for enhanced retreadability. Maximum sidewall protection results in improved resistance against curbing, cuts and abrasions
The HSC 3, with a 24/32nds-inch tread depth, comes in three sizes — 11R22.5 LRH, 11R24.5 LRH, and 315/80R22.5 LRL — and is available in a matching retread: ContiTread HSC 3, available in 210 mm, 220 mm, 230 mm and 240 mm widths.
The HDC 3 is a heavy truck, drive, construction tire that also is an upgrade over its predecessor, the HDC1, Conti said.
It features a wide, open shoulder tread design and has enhanced cap/base compounds for improved mileage and lateral traction, Conti said
Built on the Conti 3G casing, it has an off-road belt package for maximum retreadability and increased casing life. The s tread design and miniature stone bumpers reduce stone retention. Its sidewall protection resists curbing, cuts and abrasions, Conti said.
The tire, with a 30/32nds-inch tread depth, is available in sizes 11R22.5 LRH and 11R24.5 LRH. Its matching retread, ContiTread HDC 3, comes in 210 mm, 220 mm, 230 mm, 240 mm and 250 mm widths.
The HAC 3 is an all-position construction tire that replaces and improves on the HTC1. Its on-/off-road tread design, as well as enhanced cap/base compounds, help to improve mileage and traction, Conti said.
The four-belt tread package resists impacts, bruises and penetrations, providing casing durability. It, too, resists stone retention because of its self-cleaning tread pattern and groove geometry, allowing for enhanced retreadability. The sidewall gauge resists curbing, cuts and abrasions.
The HAC 3 is available in 385/65R22.5 LRL at 22/32nds-inch tread depth, and 425/65R22.5 LRL at 24/32nds-inch tread depth.
Several Conti systems can read the built-in sensors, including:
• ContiConnect, for fleets whose trucks or buses return to the terminal daily. The yard reader station is mounted in the fleet yard and collects data from sensors within a 65-foot radius. Data are shown on the online ContiConnect web portal, which can be accessed on phones or tablets. The system generates text and email alerts for low tire pressure or high temperature, using standards set by the fleet within the system's operating limits.
• ContiPressureCheck, which monitors a single vehicle in real-time, alerting the driver to pressure and temperature issues. Conti said it services fleets whose trucks or buses are away from the terminal for long periods and for owner-operators. It can be integrated with Conti's telematics partners, including Zonar, PeopleNet and Geotab for truck and bus telematics, and Road Ready for trailer telematics.
• ContiLogger Live, for OTR tires. This system uses a telematic device with integrated sensors to measure speed, distance, location, lateral forces, road grade, production activity, tire pressure and tire temperature. It is designed to operate independently and monitor thousands of vehicles.