HANOVER, Germany—Alliance Tire Group has been awarded the Agritechnica Innovation Award Silver Medal for its Alliance 398 MPT radial flotation agriculture tire.
The award, which is given to an innovation that "has been enhanced to such an extent that a substantial improvement in its function and process can be expected from it," was bestowed by the German Agricultural Society (DLG) ahead of the Agritechnica trade show in Hanover.
The Alliance 398 MPT was developed to work well both in the field and on the highway, ATG said. It is able to reach a speed of up to 62 mph on the road.
"This Innovation award is a tribute to Alliance engineers who broke a myth and delivered an impossible—a tire, which combines the best of two segments in one innovative and game changing approach," Angelo Noronha, president of ATG Europe. It is definitely a new chapter in the history of tire industry and agricultural operations."
The concept of the 398 MPT is to eliminate additional equipment (grain carts, etc.) from the cycle, thus reducing manpower, time and fuel consumption while boosting efficiency of operations, according to the company.
Alliance 398 MPT has an all-steel radial flotation construction. It was designed to offer solid traction, high load capacity, good flotation and soil protection in the field, while also allowing for stability, low noise and vibration, low heat build-up and a comfortable ride on the road.
Until now, ATG claims there were no tires on the market suitable for use on the rear axles of vehicles that have central inflation systems for changing tire pressures from high to low for road and field use, respectively.
To win a Silver Medal, the innovation must prove relevance at the farm level, a benefit to work load and quality of work, and an improvement in reliability. The contest is judged by the Agritechnica Innovations Commission, a panel of independent scientists, researchers and consultants, including farmers.
See the full list of winners at agritechnica.com.