HANOVER, Germany—Making good on a strategic initiative announced three years ago, Continental A.G. is preparing to roll out a range of OTR tires before year-end designed for use in the construction and earthmover segments.
Conti disclosed in November 2012 that it intended to broaden its industrial tire business into the larger OTR earthmoving and mining tire sectors as part of its growth strategy through 2025. To that end it renamed its Industrial Tires business unit “Commercial Specialty Tires” (CST) to reflect the change.
Continental CST disclosed recently the pending launch of its first tires meant to address these sectors—the EM-Master E3/L3 and E4/L4 and RDT-Master E4 in sizes up to 29.5-inch rim diameter. The launch of these products will enhance CST's specialty tire portfolio, the company said, and underline its business ambitions in the construction sector.
“The Conti EM-Master E3/L3 and E4/L4 and the Conti RDT-Master E4 are once more successful outcomes of our customized solutions strategy,” said Christian Luther, product line manager, earthmover tires at Continental CST.
“In view of our expansion strategy 2025, we will continue to expand and optimize our product and service portfolio in the segment of construction and mining in the course of the coming years,” he said.
The first tires will be available by year-end, with additional sizes and types being developed.
Conti did not say where it's making the tires or what scale of investment it's put into developing the larger range, and the tire maker did not specify when, or whether, the larger OTR tires might be available in North America.
In addition to the expanded range of OTR tires, Conti CST is promoting its ContiPressureCheck monitoring system to the construction, quarrying and mining industries to help increase the safety and efficiency of vehicles' heavy-duty applications while also lowering their environmental impact.
Automatic monitoring of tire pressure reduces the risks of puncture accidents, Conti said, thus offering more safety for both driver and vehicle as well as helping lower the vehicles' energy consumption while increasing tire life.
The firm's new tires are:
• EM-Master, available in two versions: E3/L3 for muddy and soft terrain and E4/L4 for use in gravelly and rocky grounds. The tires differ in their tread design features. The E3/L3 features a normal tread depth and wider spacing of blocks than the E4/L4, which yields excellent self-cleaning characteristics, powerful traction, and good maneuverability which facilitate the use in muddy terrain. The E4/L4 version features a greater block size with less spacing between the blocks and a deeper tread depth for superior cut resistance and smoother running. Both will be available in the sizes 23.5R25, 26.5R25, and 29.5R25; the Conti EM-Master E3/L3 additionally also in the size 20.5R25.
• RDT-Master E4 designed for transporting extra-heavy loads. The tire has a deep tread depth and a wide and flat tread radius offers a high loading capacity and cutting resistance and will be available in the sizes 18.00R33, 21.00R33, 21.00R35 and 24.00R35.