Vredestein’s 25 years of the Traxion tyre ranges
TRACTOR and implement tyre manufacturer, Apollo Vredestein, is celebrating 25 years since the launch of the Traxion+ tyre, which formed the foundation of an extensive range of traction tyres with some novel features.
Most obvious is the tread pattern, which has sharply curved lugs towards the centre of the tyre, resulting in closer lug spacing and a larger proportion of rubber than usual in this area. This recognised that tractors are increasingly used on the road over longer distances, carrying heavier loads at higher speeds.
Together with rubber compound choice, having more or less continuous road contact and more rubber down the centre results in lower wear rates, less vibration and lower noise levels, as validated by independent comparisons with other tyres performed by the German farmers union, DLG.
As the Traxion lugs extend from the centre line to the shoulders they diverge to encourage good self-cleaning characteristics – much in the same way that a tapered trailer body discharges its load more easily. The lug angle at the outer portions of the tread are then at a more aggressive angle suited to generating traction for good performance or operating towed or heavy-draft mounted implements in the field.
Earlier this year, the Traxion+ range was replaced by the Traxion 70, still a 70% aspect ratio design, but with improvements derived from increased experience, knowledge and development technologies. There are 15 sizes in the range from 240/70 R16 to 620/70 R42 catering for tractors from 70hp to 200hp, and they are complemented by the lower profile 65-series Traxion 65 in 19 sizes from 320/65 R16 to 650/65 R42.
For higher power tractors, Vredestein offers the Traxion XXL in 17 sizes from 600/65 R28 to the 710/70 R42 and larger volume 710/75 R42, along with the flagship Traxion Optimall ‘VF’ performance-category tyres.
Introduced in limited sizes in 2017, the Traxion Optimall is constructed to be relatively stiff in the bead and shoulder areas, and with tough but very flexible sidewalls, characterised by Apollo Vredestein and its F+ technology. Like all ‘VF’ rated tyres, this enables it to run at 40% lower inflation pressures for a particular load than a ‘standard’ tyre of equivalent size, resulting in a larger contact patch and, consequently, reduced impact on the soil as well as superior traction.
Further sizes introduced over the intervening years have taken the current Traxion Optimall range to 21, starting with a VF 600/60 R28 and culminating in a VF 900/60 R42, with several nominally 650mm and 710mm widths and an 800mm size also available for 42in rims.
The low profile VF 710/60 R42 introduced last year has an overall diameter of 1.95m, making it suitable for most tractors in the 160-250hp range, said Apollo Vredestein, as an alternative to the more common 650/65 R42 and 540/65 R30 combination.
As part of a €30m investment programme, the
SQUASHY TYRE manufacturer has installed new moulds at its Enschede plant in The Netherlands to produce both smaller and larger Traxion Optimall tyres that are currently under development. These will be introduced over the next three years to cater for tractors from around 120hp to 350hp-plus as more growers come to appreciate the performance benefits of the advanced VF tyres.