Pirelli winter range part of a ‘responsibility’ to road safety

As Pirelli observed in the July 2011 edition of ‘Truck’, the tyre maker’s in-house magazine for the commercial vehicle sector, the winter of 2010-11 was one of the severest in recent memory. The UK experienced snowfalls as early as November, it noted, causing such traffic disruptions that the Automobile Association describes the period as the most active in its 100-year history – the motoring association answered 200,000 calls for assistance on November 29 alone. In December the lowest temperatures since 1890 were reached.

A proportion of this disruption was caused by tyres not fit for the conditions. Pirelli shares that, generally speaking, M+S marked tyres are deemed suitable for winter use in Europe and may be used as an alternative to chains, a practice that restricts their use to drive axle usage. And yet, while all drive-axle truck tyres are M+S marked and this is sufficient to fulfil regulatory requirements, performance in real-word winter conditions – four degrees Celsius and below – is another matter entirely. Therefore the tyre maker has introduced two new products into its ‘01’ line-up: The TW:01 drive-axle and FW:01 steer-axle tyre. Following their launch, Tyres & Accessories spoke with Alberto Viganò, who is responsible for global truck sector marketing at Pirelli, and Alessandro Ascanelli, responsible for global truck research and development, about the new products and Pirelli’s approach to truck tyres for winter conditions.

As mentioned above, many tyre makers consider M+S marking sufficient for winter use. So why has Pirelli invested in designing specific winter truck tyres? Alberto Viganò provides some background information on the development of the ’01’ Series, which the new tyres belong to. “Pirelli is one of the companies that signed the “European Agreement on Road Safety,” he says. “By taking part in this commitment, Pirelli now feels responsible for the safety of the European community and its citizens. The new FW:01 and TW:01 were designed especially for the winter conditions experienced in Europe. They were optimised in order to avoid critical situations and potential road danger like the ones encountered last winter in many roads. Road safety is one of our company’s main priorities and we will certainly adopt solutions for winter conditions in all countries, and not only in Europe.”

Designed for winter traction, comparable mileage

“M+S tyres are adapted for roads covered with snow,” Alessandro Ascanelli adds. “However we need to point out how winter tyre traction is different on snowy surfaces. The W:01 range is specifically designed for winter and offers a better traction capability and performance on snow covered roads compared to all-season profiles. The main challenge in designing our winter product was to enable our tyres, along with offering high performance in winter conditions, to provide mileage comparable to non-specialised products.”

Describing the new products, Viganò states the TW01 and FW01 were developed “to cover the most important sizes used by commercial trucks” and to complement Pirelli’s FW25 all-position tyre. Both tyres are described by the tyre maker as featuring dense, thin siping that provides excellent ‘snow on snow’ grip for better traction and stability on wet and slippery surfaces. The tread compound used is a patent-pending dual layer arrangement with high silica content.

Elaborating on the compound, Alessandro Ascanelli explains: “The tread is made of two different compounds for the external and the internal layers. The external layer, which is in contact with the road surface, is designed to optimise mileage and handling at low temperatures, whereas the internal compound reduces heat generation as much as possible in order to guarantee better durability and retreadability of the casing. These qualities are obtained through the use of a high percentage of silica in both the external and internal layers, together with an efficient homogeneity of the components, which are in compliance with the latest eco-compatibility regulations regarding aromatic oils.”

Ascanelli pointed out the tyres had been designed for good retreadability, and Alberto Viganò adds that Pirelli is also a strong supporter of tyre regrooving. “One of Pirelli’s targets is the eco sustainability of its products and the ‘Low Impact’ logos used on our tyres are a reminder of this. Moreover, on top of having a low rolling resistance and low noise impact, the whole 01 Series is produced using the most advanced technology; this ensures not only a long life for the new tyre but also perfect integrity for further regrooving and retreading. Increasing product life as much as possible is the answer to two fundamental requirements: lower environmental impact and higher savings for our fleets.

“In brief, the W:01 line offers high retreadability, low rolling resistance and the use of HAOF aromatic oil free compounds, which are the best combination for moderate and extreme winter conditions: roads covered with moderate quantities of recent ice or snow, mixed applications, moderate steepness and temperatures below 4ºC,” Viganò continues.

The ‘01’ Series was first produced in Pirelli’s Settimo factory in Italy. However, Ascanelli shares that production of the range has now also begun in Turkey and China. “The reason for this choice is to be able to offer top performing products to most drivers around the world. This is only possible by using the most advanced technology with a perfect synergy between research and implementation in the production plants.”

Alberto Viganò reports that the new W:01 tyres “will be available for this winter season and the portfolio will be widened as soon as possible in order to be able to offer more safety to more drivers.” A third quarter launch is planned for the FW and TW in the following sizes: 315/80R22.5 and 295/80R22.5, with a 315/60R22.5 fitment for both variants scheduled for the final quarter of the year.