New winter tire deploys studs on ice and snow
Finnish tire maker Nokian Tyres has developed an adaptive winter tire that automatically deploys studs in cold weather.
(Image: Nokian Tyres)
On ice and snow, tires with studs offer the best grip. However, when it thaws, studs have two major disadvantages: they damage the road surface and they are noisy. Finnish tire manufacturer Nokian Tyres has a solution for this: a tire whose studs extend when the roads are icy.
The winter tire, designated Hakkapeliitta 01, features studs that are only deployed at low temperatures. Then they provide the necessary grip on snow and ice. When it gets warmer, the studs retract.
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The system is passive and temperature-dependent. The material in which the studs are anchored changes with temperature; when it's cold, it becomes stiff and pushes the studs up out of the tread to provide grip on slippery roads.
Renewable materials used
Conversely, when it gets warmer, the material becomes softer. Then the studs retract back into the tread. In manufacturing the treads, Nokian Tyres also uses renewable raw materials such as natural rubber, bio-resin, and vegetable oils, including those from pine resin and rapeseed.
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Nokian Tyres has “developed a solution where grip adjusts automatically to the temperature,” says Mikko Liukkula, Development Manager at Nokian Tyres. “This helps drivers cope with increasingly unpredictable winter weather while also complying with new regulations regarding the impact of tires on the road.”
However, the tires did not seem to be prepared for one scenario: when it is cold but the roads are dry and clear.
(wpl)