Designed for rigid dump trucks, it offers up to 20 percent more treadlife than its predecessor, the XDR, according to Luc Minguet, president of Michelin’s earthmover tire division.
“The best has gotten better,” says Minguet. “The XDR tire is the benchmark on haul trucks in quarries around the world, and has been for many years. This new XDR2 tire builds on that foundation to deliver even more productivity, better performance and unquestioned value, all leading to a lower total cost of tire operation.”
In addition to an increased tread life, the XDR2 also has up to a 10 percent thicker undertread between the protective plies and tread base for better cut and impact resistance, he says.
With a new self-cleaning tread pattern, the tire combines full-depth blocks, a 13 percent larger central lug compared to the XDR and a new non-directional design to provide increased protection against aggressions and cut separations, says Minguet.
“The evolving tread design provides an increased contact patch as the tire wears, while sculptured cooling vents help keep running temperatures low,” he adds.
It also incorporates Michelin’s C2 Technology in the casing to provide an overall cooler operating temperature to maximize the potential life of the tire without compromising operating speed or load carrying capacity, Minguet notes.
Compared to the XDR, the steel protective plies are 60 percent stronger to provide a significant improvement in shielding the tire against aggressions and separations. The XDR2 tire also provides twice the sidewall thickness of the previous generation to resist cuts and abrasions, he says.
The XDR2 underwent more than 2 million hours of real- world testing at Michelin’s Almeria, Spain, proving grounds – the only dedicated earthmover tire testing center in the world – as well as numerous other challenging environments and sites across the globe, says Minguet.
“The extensive testing aided the development of the tire to provide an excellent overall balance of performance characteristics, including longer tread life, improved damage resistance and greater environmental consciousness through raw material conservation,” he explains.
The manufacturing process uses nearly 10 percent less materials than a competing company’s 49-inch OTR tire, according to Minguet. “The reduction in materials used means fewer materials need to be recycled, and the lighter tire weight also provides additional fuel savings.”
The tires are produced in ISO 14001 certified facilities and are free of aromatic oils.
Making its debut in size 27R49, additional fitments will be available later this year.
