Max-imum Benefit

In early August Goodyear was host to more than 50 representatives from DAF Trucks along with fleet customers, presenting a workshop to show the benefits of specifying the latest DAF truck models with the new Goodyear Max Technology tyres. Included in the event, held at Goodyear’s European Technical Centre in Luxembourg, was a visit to the company’s truck tyre production facility in Wittlich, Germany and its Luxembourg Mounting Facility (LMC), where tyres earmarked for OE manufacturers are fitted to wheels before shipment to truck manufacturers.

“The visit highlighted the close working relationship between Goodyear and DAF, which typifies our strong partnerships with leading original equipment manufacturers,” stated David Tattler, manager, OE Truck Tyres for Goodyear UK. “DAF’s own customers, many of which are also Goodyear customers, were able to see their latest trucks in action and understand how we develop our Goodyear Max Technology tyres to optimise the efficiency and performance of these new vehicles.”

Goodyear reports the main advantages of its Max Technology to be improvements to fuel consumption, shorter wet braking, greater load capacity, noise reduction and longer tyre life. Thus, as part of the visit, delegates saw a comparison of braking distances, showing how Goodyear has improved the braking distance of its latest Marathon tyres via its FuelMax Technology, a technology said to improve rolling resistance while at the same time offering superior wet performance.

The group also experienced first hand one of Goodyear’s patented innovations. The Duraseal tyre, already fitted to many off-road trucks, can repair itself in the event of a puncture. Duraseal stops air escaping if an object of up to 6 mm diameter penetrates the tread, thanks to a built-in sealant.

Fleet customers expressed were clearly impressed by the technology, reports Goodyear. Dave Rowlands, technical services director, Wincanton Group Ltd stated: “It was very encouraging to see the scale of development Goodyear that invest into tyre technology, and I was particularly impressed with the new ‘puncture proof’ Duraseal truck tyres, as this ought to enhance vehicle safety and reliability particularly in Wincanton’s construction and waste sectors. Also, Goodyear’s integration with the truck supply chain via their tyre/wheel sequencing plant (LMC) was an unexpected innovation, as this assists with the minimisation in truck lead times”

From DAF’s perspective, the close relationship and communication between tyre supplier and vehicle manufacturer is critical to satisfying fleet requirements. “It was certainly a very interesting and informative visit,” commented Ian Grant, fleet aftersales director. “This has given a good insight into the lengths that go into the design process and the extent to which design, testing and manufacture can influence the different performance qualities of truck tyres.”