Michelin is no stranger to Airless Tires technology, or in other words, tires that don't need air. In the past, it had already presented the Tweel, which, however, has already been applied to some vehicles such as mini loaders. Now, Michelin takes another step forward, having presented at the Movin’On conference in Montreal, Canada, a new prototype that opens up yet another path for what could be the tire of the future.
Like the Tweel, Michelin's Visionary Concept doesn't need air. But unlike this one, the Visionary Concept does not need the rim altogether. In other words, tire and rim merge into a single element, resulting in a honeycomb structure capable of ensuring the rigidity and damping of a traditional tire and rim.
This structure is composed of recyclable materials, it is also fully recyclable. Michelin baptized this type of structure with the name Generative Design , that is, a form that mimics the natural growth processes in a plant, mineral and even in the animal world, as can be seen in corals.
“Refuel” a tire
The second aspect in which it stands out comes from the fact that this tire can be “refueled” with new material. Like? Suppose you have worn out tires or have to change to winter tyres. Nowadays, this scenario forces you to change tires, but in the future imagined by Michelin, this will not be necessary.
Something possible thanks to 3D printing technology. As the video below explains, it is possible to choose in advance what type of flooring we want. We just go to a specific service station, where in a matter of minutes a set of printers add just the amount of material needed to our wheel. Whether to return the floor to its original state or completely change the type of floor to face different traffic conditions, such as rain or snow.
The material used uses a cold curing process, is biodegradable and the objective is that its performance does not differ from current tyres. Bearing in mind that 3D printing is an additive process, adding only the necessary amount of material, there would also be no waste, with clear environmental benefits.
The third aspect highlighted is the ability of the tire (or is it a wheel?) to be able to communicate with the vehicle. Whether it's about how worn the tire tread is, recommending the most suitable type of tread for the route to be covered, or following our requirements thanks to an integrated application, you can schedule a reprint of the tread in advance.
Science fiction or is it reality?
According to Michelin, the Visionary Concept is still at an early stage of research and development. According to Terry Gettys, Executive Vice President of Research and Development, the durability of the floor obtained by 3D printing has yet to be verified. Unlike the rest of the structure, which according to Michelin, will have a duration equivalent to that of the vehicle.
Regarding the “smart tyre”, that is, the ability to communicate with the car, it is a technology that is 2-3 years away, while most of the other technologies presented are more distant in time – around 10-20 years old.