Michelin man looks at dery
Page 13
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
• Reducing rolling resistance on truck tyres could cut fuel consumption by 3%, a top Michelin engineer predicts.
And rolling resistance could be reduced by up to 16% by tyre compound changes, without sacrificing adhesion or safety, says George Hofmaier, the company's head of technical development for Northern Europe.
But improvements in road surfaces would have to match the progress in tyre design if tyre noise is to be reduced significantly, says Claire Deneuvy of Michelin's advanced research department.
Speaking at the Rubber and Plastics Research Association conference in Brighton last week, she said there was no tyre technology breakthrough in sight which would enable trucks to be made quieter than those which currently meet the 80dBA level.