Work on NPX Tire Technology Stopped in 2002

MICHELIN TWEEL NON-PNEUMATIC TIRE TECHNOLOGY

Steve Cron 12 September 2018

111,700 employees Europe 65,850 employees* 1 R&D site 15 Car and Light Truck tire plants 15 Truck tire plants North America 9 Specialty tire plants 22,840 employees* 7 Components and Semi-Finished Product plants 1 R&D site 2,280 Proprietary or Franchised Dealerships and 10 Car and Light Truck tire plants Service centers 4 Truck tire plants Asia (without India) 2 Specialty tire plants 14,835 employees* 2 Components and 3 R&D site Semi-Finished Product plants 4 Car and Light Truck tire plants 146 Proprietary or Franchised 3 Truck tire plants Dealerships and Service centers 2 Specialty tire plants 3 Components and Semi-Finished Product plants 1,450 Proprietary or Franchised Dealerships and Service centers South America 6,475 employees* 1 R&D site 1 Car and Light Truck tire plant 2 Truck tire plants Africa, India 1 Specialty tire plant and the Middle East 68 4 Proprietary or Franchised 1,700 employees* production facilities Dealerships and Service centers 1 Truck tire plant in 17 countries 140 Proprietary or Franchised Dealerships and Service centers

For more than 4000 years, airless tires were the norm

Solid Wheel Pneumatics Radial

Pneumatic Tires Have Been a Dominant Design for 100+ years . . .

1996 Runflat Durability )

kph Operating at Zero Pressure Load (kg) Speed (

Distance (km)

1996 Runflat Durability ) kph

Load (kg) Could We Optimize the Speed ( Non-pneumatic function?

Distance (km)

PAX Bead

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Advantages Problems:  Comfort excellent  Mass too high  Noise excellent  Cost too high  Handling OK  Rolling Resistance too high  High speed OK  Lateral Stiffness too low  Carcass Compression in cornering

Work on NPX Tire Technology Stopped in 2002

Simulation

Airplane Heavy Truck Automobile Monorail Guide Wheel Helicopter Heavy Construction / Agricultural

Urban Electric Vehicles, Driverless Vehicles

Materials Handling

Utility Vehicles - Golf Cars, UTV, ATV

Tire Performance Tire Turf Care

Low energy loss over obstacles

John Boyd Dunlop Efficient Storage and Return of Energy . . . Not Low Rolling Resistance

1. Low energy loss over obstacles

2. Low mass / unit load

Top Loaders

Pneumatic Tire

Tensioned Spoke Bottom Loaders Wheels

1. Low energy loss over obstacles

2. Low mass / unit load

3. Low vertical stiffness

Load Deflection P175/65R14 Stiffness vs. Deflection P175/65R14

1000 25 900

800 20 700

600 15 500

400 10 Load (kg) 300

200 Stiffness (kg/mm) 5

100

0 0 0 10 20 30 40 50 0 10 20 30 40 50 Deflection (mm) Deflection (mm)

The pneumatic tire allows large deflections – low stiffness

1. Low energy loss over obstacles

2. Low mass / unit load

3. Low vertical stiffness

4. Low contact pressure

•Uniform low contact pressure approximately equal to the inflation pressure •Allows: •Generation of high traction forces •Good wear •Protection of road surfaces from damage

Inextensible Membrane Re- Shear Beam enforcements

Low Shear Modulus Material

−  R θ − R θ  −  hθ  − γ = tan 1  2 1  = tan 1   = tan 1 θ Deform Beam to a Rigid xz  h   h  Surface

-1 x  x = Rθ so that γ xz = tan   R1  R  θ  x  R2 τ = Gγ = G tan -1  xz xz  R 

h R1 * θ h x γ γ Gh p ≅ R2 * θ R

Uniform – Low Contact Pressure

Uniform Low Contact Pressure

Pneumatic Tire – 1.8b Tweel – 1.8b

Rigid or Deformable Hub Load Carrying

Thin, Deformable Spokes

Shear Beam It’s a Top Loader . . . Efficient Structure

500

Vertical Stiffness 400

Load (kg) 300

200 SOFTER 100

1. Low energy loss over obstacles

2. Low mass / unit load

3. Low vertical stiffness

4. Low contact pressure

We Care About We offer Ultimate Productivity and Giving People A Better Way Forward Autonomy: No downtime, No maintenance, No compromise

We are changing the game by creating new visibly differentiated mobility standards with airless radial tire.

Turf Care Utility Vehicle Skid Loader