NASHVILLE, Tenn.—Bridgestone Americas Inc. will introduce the V-Steel Rock Deep Ultra (VRDU) aggregate tire, in size 27.00R49, at the Aggregate Academy & Expo (AGG1) in St. Louis, March 25-27.
The VRDU is the first aggregate tire engineered with the company's Mastercore technology.
"Bridgestone's Mastercore technology epitomizes how our company helps customers move more with less," Rob Seibert, president, off-the-road, Bridgestone Americas, said.
"With the new 27.00R49 Mastercore VRDU, we're adapting our proven technology from the mining segment to the aggregate industry, offering enhanced durability, performance and value across a wider range of applications."
The Bridgestone Mastercore VRDU is specifically designed for rock surfaces. It will be offered in four advanced compounds engineered to deliver performance tailored to the unique needs of each quarry operation.
Applicable for dump trucks, Bridgestone said the new tire is designed with several features to help deliver greater efficiency, including:
- a 35 percent deeper tread depth designed to provide haul trucks with improved traction on rocky terrains, better stability and comfort;
- cooling slopes and center grooves to help extend tire life by 26 percent compared with the Bridgestone VRLS2; and
- proprietary casing engineered with Mastercore technology, which uses a wide and strong belt package and rubber compounds to deliver up to 10% more load capacity versus Bridgestone's conventional tires.
The Mastercore VRDU will be manufactured at the company's Aiken County, S.C., OTR tire plant and will be available later this year.
