With the invention of vehicles prone in technology and advancement, the need for advanced tires also increases. Throughout this growth, tire companies have been trying to compete with the vehicle advancements to meet their needs. In this article we will talk about the innovations foreseen in the future of tires and hurdles that are causing delays towards rapid inventions. Before that, let’s explore a brief history of tires.
Do you know when the first rubber tire was invented?
In history, tires such as wheels were used by humans for generations to carry individuals and their belongings. Carriages and wagons were attached to the wheels which would help them carry everything for movement. The first and only tires were little more than rough leather or metal bands sewn onto the sides of wheels. Robert William Thomson invented the first pneumatic tire in 1845.
Rubber tires are clearly a significant component of any transport. Rubber tires have become one of the most important features of vehicles across the world. Their usage is so common that it's impossible to envision a future devoid of them, yet their evolution has taken a long period, with numerous alterations and refinements through the years.
Making Tires as per the need
Previously tires were simply made up of natural rubber which were not so smart enough. Addition of silica made tires became popular recently specially for creating tires weather friendly. Silica improves grip, especially in rain and snow, and reduces fuel consumption. It also softens the ride without degrading handling. Engineers have been able to combine silica, carbon black and other fillers to make tires wear longer while they perform better
Smart Tires
Smart tires could be seen in the future more commonly as compared to now. Tires with sensors would be extremely helpful to the majority. The sensor technology helps the driver identify the ongoing issues in the tires. This includes any threat to the tires due to low pressure, or due to any other reason. Drivers would be able to get a notification via smart meter attached to the tire sensors. This technology has been already adopted by continental tires. We expect the world to experience this growth too.
The silent tire technology
Another technology that people might see commonly in the future is noiseless tires. This technology is amazing such that it helps the tires to produce less noise or no internal noise while on the road surface. You must be thinking about how this is possible and how that technology works. Well, ContiSilent™ is a tire technology in which a polyurethane foam absorber is featured inside the surface of the tread area through adhesives.
The structure of the foam remains unchanged despite temperature.
The ContiSilentTM absorber decreases road noise within the car by up to 9 decibels even at high speeds.
Why does it take long to develop tire technologies quickly?
Have you ever thought about the tires you use, which processes they have to go through to become this smooth for your car? Well, It takes a rubber factory almost seven years to produce the raw material needed to build a tire. The most challenging problem is figuring out how to recycle the waste. Studies show that 200 million tires are wasted each year. The industry's major producers, on the other hand, have been working on replacing most of the rubber and making eco-friendly tires. This could be a prominent reason behind the delay in tire technology inventions. With the invention of above mentioned technologies, there are many other advancements which could be seen in the future but are yet under consideration such as airless tires.