Hankook debuts latest generation truck tyres

Thanks to the deployment of a “comprehensive technology package,” Hankook Tire states that its latest generation of drive, steer and all-position truck tyres deliver “considerably less rolling resistance” than their predecessors. These new tyres are the Hankook SmartLine AL50 and SmartLine DL50.

“Our business focus is wholly on the sustainability of our products when developing new tyres,” states Sanghoon Lee, president of Hankook Tire Europe. “With their newly developed SmartLine tyre treads, Hankook has once more produced sustainable tyres that satisfy many customers’ increasing environmental and economic concerns.”

Introducing these successors to the AL20W and DL20W, Hankook Tire’s Guy Heywood shares the tyre maker’s aim of delivering “best in class performance using all available materials, processing and computer technologies.” The vice president of marketing strategy for Hankook Tire Europe’s truck and bus business says these days the tyre maker can “design, test and produce tyres with significantly improved performance” thanks to investments made in innovation.

Pointing to 3D-printed tread patterns as an example, Heywood comments: “The tyre performance is maintained from the first to last millimetre of tread wear. This delivers no compromise performance during the whole tyre life, a genuine step forward in our aim to maximise the value for our fleet partners in Europe.”

Hankook says it will introduce the new line-up into European markets in several stages and will offer SmartLine AL50 steer and all-axle tyre in seven sizes and the SmartLine DL50 drive axle tyre in five.

SmartLine AL50

When developing the SmartLine AL50 for steering axle and all-position use, Hankook says its design engineers managed to reduce rolling resistance by up to 12 per cent compared with the AL20W. The tyre maker considers this “outstanding efficiency” but stresses that the SmartLine AL50 also contributes to greater safety on the roads, with wet grip braking performance 15 per cent more effective compared to earlier tyre generations.

The SmartLine AL50 tread features three parallel tread grooves. Hankook says the stepped tread groove wall increases stability of the now wider tread blocks. The tread design uses 3D interlocking tread blocks which gives rigidity to the tread contact patch, improving grip, reducing wear, and heat and so increasing mileage and reducing rolling resistance.

The 3D printed tread reveals hidden grooves and sipes once the tread depth wears to a particular level, helping the tyre retain its safety, traction and wet grip performance throughout its life cycle. The hidden tread features are revealed at around 40 per cent wear of the tyre tread. The newly revealed grooves create new channels to evacuate water from the tyre contact patch and give new gripping surfaces. “This means the new tyre excellent wet grip and traction is maintained even as the tyre wears,” comments Hankook.

SmartLine DL50

The tyre maker reports that Hankook SmartLine DL50 “brings together multiple innovations for the drive axle.” Rolling resistance is up to 15 per cent lower when compared with the predecessor DL20W, while wet grip is ten per cent better.

According to Hankook, tread features such as 3D printed sipes, hidden grooves and self-regenerating sipes deliver a cooler running tread with improved wet grip and traction as well as improved mileage and reduced rolling resistance. Wider tread blocks provide solid on road contact, add rigidity to the tyre tread and thus reduce heat. New tread features appear as the tyre wears.

SmartLine DL50 (Image: Hankook Tire)

Compounding technology

Hankook names compounding technology as an important feature of the new SmartLine family, explaining that a carbon-silica dual filler system improves the homogeneity of the rubber compound mix, increasing fuel efficiency. A further feature is lower heat generation thanks to Hankook’s IMS (innovative mixing system) and the tread block rigidity provided by 3D interlocking sipes. The Stiffness Control Contour Technology (SCCT) ensures uniform tread deformation, which counteracts uneven wear through targeted load distribution.

SmartLine tyres are marked with the 3PMSF symbol to indicate their suitability for year-round use. Both tyre models are suitable for regrooving and their casings can be retreaded.