Sodijantes Industrie, a French company, has developed a new approach to air tanks, as part of its Agriwin central tyre inflation system.
The so-called ‘Tank Air Wheel‘ has been awarded a silver medal at the Sima Innovation Awards (ahead of the 2019 SIMA show) for its innovative design.
According to French outlet Gros Tracteurs Passion, current systems rely on either an on-board compressor (on tractors with air brakes) or an external compressor.
What’s different about Sodijantes’ new ‘Tank Air Wheel’ technology is that it is integrated directly into the wheel rim – in the form of a special air tank (subject to a maximum pressure of 6 bar).
With its system, Sodijantes claims that there’s the potential for a 20% fuel saving, along with a longer lifespan (up to 50%) for tyres.
Tyre milestone
In other tyre-related news, Continental is celebrating something of a milestone this year – the 90th anniversary of the launch of the first pneumatic tractor tyre in Europe – back in 1928.
According to the company, what started life as an innovative idea in 1928 developed over the subsequent decades into a success story.
The T2 was apparently Europe’s first pneumatic agricultural tyre. Just four years later the next development – the T3 AS tyre – arrived; it was notable for its improved tread and, as a result, better traction.