Conti's puncture-sealing tires could enable 'more reliable' farm operations

HANOVER, Germany—Continental A.G. is working to adapt self-sealing technology developed for car tires to its agricultural tire lines, claiming its use in that application can help reduce downtime dramatically in the farming industry.

Recognized by the German Agritechnica innovation award, Agro ContiSeal features "a patented polymer" that is applied to the inside of the tire and seals any puncture caused by foreign objects. The application of this technology in farm tires is still in development and is not yet available on the market for agricultural tires, Conti said.

The technology enables vehicles to continue working even after a puncture from an object up to 12mm in diameter, according to Benjamin Huebner, product line manager agricultural tires for Continental Commercial Speciality Tires.

Vehicles fitted with the lined tires do not need to slow down following a puncture or change the tire immediately.

The sticky polymer covers the puncture and prevents loss of pressure, allowing operators to continue moving "until they have time to change the tire," Huebner added.

"We are currently working on bringing this technology into production soon," said the Continental official.

The product will particularly be helpful in the currently trending "zero" or "minimum tillage farming," which seeks to reduce the impact of heavy machinery on the land. No-till farming, however, involves residual crop stubble that can be left for more than a year, harden, and represent "a much higher risk to tires."

The new self-seal tire, Huebner noted, will enable a "more reliable" operation while allowing farmers to practice no-till farming.

The company did not comment on how adding the sealant affects the tire's weight nor on the possible cost/price impact on a tire equipped with the sealant.