Michelin XeoBib Wins Golden Ear at the Agribex Fair

The Agribex 2004 panel has awarded a Golden Ear to Michelin for XeoBib, a new tire concept that optimizes driving in fields and on the road, thanks to the ability to roll at constant pressure. The Golden Ear is awarded for innovations, with emphasis on practicability as well as engineering excellence.

Winners were selected by a panel consisting of farmers and experts from the research, academic and government communities. The panel rated candidates on the basis of five criteria:
– technical and cost performance
– impact on final product quality
– ease of use
– user comfort
– environmental impact

Michelin’s XeoBib had previously won gold medals at the Agritechnica fair in Germany and at the Eima fair in Bologna, Italy. It also received the Innovation Award in the Transportation category at the Agricultural Exhibition in Zuid-Laren, The Netherlands, in late 2003.

The new gold medal further confirms Michelin’s leadership in tire technology. The distinction also underscores the importance of Michelin as a major manufacturer serving the agricultural community and rewards its commitment to enhancing farm profitability and protecting the environment.

Michelin’s XeoBib is the first agricultural equipment tire to operate at a constant pressure of 1 bar or less, both in fields and on the road, at any speed. As a result, Farmers are no longer required to adjust tire pressure to usage conditions.

The XeoBib’s special design, for which a patent application was filed after four years of research, reduces soil compacting and thus helps to increase crop yields, while ensuring total safety on the road.