Smart & sustainable – Ceat debuts new agricultural products

When we wrote about Ceat Specialty following the Agritechnica show in 2019, we described the firm as being perhaps “the largest agricultural tyre maker you’ve never heard of.” Four years is a long time, and Ceat Specialty now not only offers a much bigger range, the chances of being unfamiliar with the brand have greatly diminished. To find out more about today’s Ceat Specialty and its growing product range, we met with chief executive Amit Tolani at Agritechnica 2023.

Ceat Specialty is the agricultural and off-highway division of Ceat Ltd., the tyre making flagship company of RPG Enterprises. The division manufactures tyres at four of the seven Ceat factories in India and is rapidly increasing capacities within these plants. Tolani tells us that since FY22 (which ended 31 March 2022), Ceat Specialty has been building up its tonnes per day production capacity at 20 per cent CAGR, a rate of growth that will continue “up to FY25 and also beyond” and represents a virtual doubling of capacities within a three-year period. He adds that Ceat Specialty is able to keep raising capacities as it “continues to sell this capacity year after year.”

Three-pronged approach

How does Ceat Specialty achieve this? Chief executive Tolani speaks of a three-pronged approach. The first prong is gaining the confidence of aftermarket end users. “We work very closely with European consumers and understand what they want, and then develop products suited to that application and that market. We have a dedicated team that works with and understands what farmers want.”

Second, Ceat Specialty works very closely with OEMs. “In a very short span of time, we’ve been able to start supplies to lot of European manufacturers and have a strong presence there. We started with the OE2 players and now we are getting in with the big OEM players as well. When we get into these OEMs, we see a lot of traction and demand for the brand.”

The third prong is effective marketing and maintaining a presence at exhibitions such as Agritechnica.

Ceat Specialty displayed numerous products from its growing range Photo: Stephen Goodchild / Tyre Industry Publications Ltd)

Increasing capacities have been accompanied by an ongoing broadening of the Ceat agricultural and off-highway portfolio. When we spoke with the Ceat Specialty team at Agritechnica 2019, the business had cumulatively released around 230 SKUs. Tolani says the range has now exceeded 770 SKUs – “and next year we plan to take this number to more than 1,100.” Ceat currently develops these products at centres in India (Mumbai and Vadodara), Germany (Frankfurt) and Israel, and following “a lot of investment” will soon enhance its R&D network with a fifth facility inside the company’s Ambernath off-highway tyre plant.

Energymax

The tyres these R&D centres develop include the latest additions to the Ceat Specialty range that we saw at Agritechnica 2023, such as the Ceat Energymax tyre for electric tractors displayed at the show in size 200/70 R16. “You all know that electrification is becoming a big shift within the automotive industry and these tyres are specifically meant for EV tractors, vehicles with high torque and which need low rolling resistance,” comments Tolani. “This tyre provides this and ensures that the farmer receives maximum productivity while also enhancing battery life.”

Specific Energymax features include a higher percentage of lug area for greater traction and torque transmission, an optimised tread pattern with higher lug overlap to minimise lug movement and vibration, a robust casing construction with higher denier polyester for structural integrity than can support heavy loads, a higher number of lugs in the crown with an increased rubber-to-void ratio for higher traction, and a wider tread width with a higher inner volume to minimise soil compaction.

Harry Potter fans may particularly like the Energymax tread pattern (Photo: Stephen Goodchild / Tyre Industry Publications Ltd)

Sustainmax

In a similar vein, Ceat Specialty unveiled its sustainable tyre concept, the Sustainmax. The tyre maker considers this a “pioneering product in the Agri VF segment” due to the presence of more than 80 per cent sustainable materials. Ingredients are sourced from natural rubber, rice husk silica and bio-based resin, as well as recycled materials such as recovered carbon black and polyester from PET bottles. “We’ve taken the sustainable path to ensure this tyre has everything that is biodegradable,” says Tolani. “When we talk about 80 per cent sustainability, it’s an industry first.”

The chief executive emphasises that the real challenge has been to develop a sustainable tyre that offers comparable performance and longevity to a conventional tyre while being affordable. “What we’ve done here is use truly sustainable materials and our aim is the same performance as a normal tyre. We are very optimistic and confident about this product.”

Ceat Sustainmax is currently produced in a single dimension, VF710/75 R42. “We’ve just launched once size, which is being tested in the market. Once we get feedback on the performance, that’s when we launch the entire range.”

Tolani adds that “our new sustainable tyre, Sustainmax, and electric platform, Energymax, reflect our unwavering commitment to innovation and sustainability. We take pride in being industry pioneers, introducing a tyre that not only delivers exceptional performance but also contributes to a greener planet.”

Forestry range debut

Ceat Specialty has also unveiled a comprehensive range of forestry tyres, covering key segments such as log skidders and forwarder harvesters. “Our expansion into forestry tyres marks a significant milestone in our growth journey,” states Tolani. “Following our success in agriculture, industrial, mining, and port applications, and consistently delivering high-quality products, we are excited to introduce the forestry tyre range to our customers at this year’s Agritechnica.”

Ceat Forest XL is suitable for use on forestry forwarders and harvesters and features a wide and robust lug design for traction when operating on tracks as well as a wider tread for a larger footprint and low ground pressure. A steel belted construction offers superior puncture resistance and load capacity. Forest XL is currently available in size 710/45-26.4 168A8 TL LS2.

New flotation & multipurpose tyres

Another noteworthy addition to the Ceat Specialty product line-up is the VF Flotation Tyre range, Floatmax VF X3, which the tyre maker introduced during Agritechnica. Utilising VF technology, this tyre aims to set new standards in efficiency and performance for radial flotation tyres. Floatmax VF X3 comes in size VF560/60 R22.5 166D TL SB and is suitable for fitment on tankers, trailers and agri-trucks.

At Agritechnica 2023, Ceat Specialty also introduced a multipurpose range tyre, Multiloadmax. Tailored for use on tractors operating in agriculture, haulage, and municipality applications, the Multiloadmax range features a big centre block for better on-road stability, angular tread grooves for improved driving comfort and self-cleaning, a steel belted casing for more uniform load distribution and better puncture and impact resistance, as well as a robust block design for on- and off-road traction. Ceat offers Multiloadmax in size 600/70 R30 166D TL SB.

Tracks & smart tyres

Ceat Specialty also showcased rubber tracks for agricultural tractors and combine harvesters at this year’s Agritechnica show. It spoke of Intelligent tyre technology too – but mum’s still the word about this development.

Ceat Specialty showcased rubber tracks for agricultural tractors & combine harvesters (Photo: Stephen Goodchild / Tyre Industry Publications Ltd)

“Yes, we do have an intelligent tyre and haven’t spoken about it, but we’re working in collaboration to find out all the performance parameters of the tyre, including air, traction, indication of failure. This is a project that’s been going around for almost 18 months now and we hope to commercially launch these tyres in the next three to four months.” Tolani adds that “for confidentiality reasons” he can’t name the OEM that is working with Ceat Specialty on this project.

Aim to grow responsibly

“In 2023, our goal is to diversify our product range to meet the evolving needs of our customers with high-quality products, all in an environmentally responsible manner. We remain dedicated to this theme and aim to grow responsibly,” concludes Amit Tolani.