Bridgestone/Firestone Introduces New "Worn" Tire Technology -- UNI-T AQ.DETROIT--(AutomotiveWire)--May 7, 1998--Bridgestone/Firestone announced today a new technology -- UNI-T AQ(TM) -- that reduces the degradation in worn tire performance that can occur over the life of a tire, thereby addressing a major concern about tires expressed by drivers worldwide. UNI-T AQ(TM) (Ultimate Tire Technology -- Advanced Quality) combines Bridgestone/Firestone's UNI-T(R) technology -- which was first introduced in the U.S. in 1995 in the Bridgestone Potenza S-02 ultra high performance tire -- with a new technology called EPO EPO see erythropoietin. EPO Erythropoietin, see there (TM) (Extended Performance Optimization). "Our chief rivals in the tire industry have placed their primary focus on run-flat tire A run-flat tire is a pneumatic vehicle tire that is designed to resist the effects of deflation and to enable the vehicle to continue to be driven, although depending on the type of tire, at reduced speeds (i.e. 80 km/h or 50 mph) and for limited distances. technology, and we will also be introducing a run-flat tire this summer. Our main focus is on another issue that is much more applicable in daily driving -- worn tire performance," said Shu Ishibashi, Bridgestone/Firestone vice president of consumer tire marketing, speaking at an Automotive Press Association (APA (All Points Addressable) Refers to an array (bitmapped screen, matrix, etc.) in which all bits or cells can be individually manipulated. APA - Application Portability Architecture ) luncheon/news conference today in Detroit. "All things wear over time," Ishibashi said. "Cars do, shoes do, and so do tires. According to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. our research, 41 percent of people surveyed who purchased our premium tires said they noticed a deterioration in performance of the tires they replaced. The various tire brands they replaced still had usable tread remaining. The purpose of UNI-T AQ(TM) is to minimize the decline in worn performance without sacrificing the life of tires." According to the company's testing, a worn ultra high performance tire (50 percent tread remaining) with the new technology provided an average of 8 percent better wet stopping distance at 50 mph than the same worn tire without the technology.(1) "This is a significant difference when comparing ultra high performance tires that operate at the very top level of tire performance; even more so when you realize that we compared a new generation UNI-T AQ(TM) tire with a tire containing UNI-T(R), one of the most advanced technologies available in tires today," Ishibashi said. "We fully expect an even greater wet performance enhancement once this technology is incorporated into more conventional tires for mainstream vehicles." Tire performance can be impacted by wear and other factors. But the tire company's engineers asked, "Can we find ways to minimize the impact on worn tire performance?" After a lot of hard work, primarily at Bridgestone's Technical Center in Tokyo, the engineers succeeded. "While there are several highly publicized tires which tout wet performance, we are the first tire company to take such a comprehensive approach toward worn tire performance, especially in wet surface conditions," Ishibashi said. "We believe this new technology has significant potential for improving worn tire performance on America's roads." According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, average tire life is 41,000 miles. Average annual miles driven per vehicle are 13,600 miles, so there are a lot of worn tires in use on American roads. The Potenza S-02 Pole Position pole position Noun 1. (in motor racing) the starting position on the inside of the front row, generally considered the best one 2. an advantageous starting position Noun 1. , available in the market this month, is the first tire featuring UNI-T AQ(TM) technology. While this particular tire is designed for cars such as the BMW M BMW M GmbH (previously: BMW Motorsport GmbH) is a subsidiary of German car manufacturer BMW AG. Established in May 1972 with just eight employees, it grew to 400 employees by 1988. 3, Chevrolet Corvette corvette, small warship, classed between a frigate and a sloop-of-war. Corvettes usually were flush-decked and carried fewer than 28 guns. They were widely employed in escorting convoys and attacking merchant ships during the great naval wars of the late 18th and , Ford Mustang For other Ford Mustang models and concepts, see . The Ford Mustang is an automobile produced by the Ford Motor Company, originally based on the Ford Falcon compact.[1] Cobra, Porsche Boxster The Porsche Boxster is a mid-engined roadster built by Porsche. The Boxster is Porsche's first vehicle designed from the beginning as a roadster; all previous Porsche convertibles were based on hardtop coupes. and Toyota Supra
The Toyota Supra was a sports car/grand tourer produced by Toyota Motor Company from 1979 to 2002. , Bridgestone/Firestone will introduce more mainstream tires with UNI-T AQ(TM) technology next year. According to Ishibashi, the Bridgestone Group has sold 11 million UNI-T(R) (called Donuts in Japan) tires worldwide since the technology was first introduced in Japan in 1994. He said the company anticipates selling 10 million units with UNI-T(R) or UNI-T AQ(TM) in the U.S. alone by 2001. So how does UNI-T AQ(TM) work? Tire wear results in shallower tread grooves, loss of elasticity, rubber hardening, and reduced movement of tread blocks. This can impact worn tire performance in some situations. UNI-T AQ(TM) combines the original UNI-T(R) technology (L.L. Carbon, CO-CS and O-Bead) with two new technologies that are part of EPO (EPC (1) (Entertainment PC) See HTPC. (2) (Electronic Product Code) A standard code for RFID tags administered by EPCglobal Inc. (www.epcglobalinc.org). (TM) -- Extended Performance Compound and Dual Layer Tread(TM)). EPC(TM) reduces the rubber hardening that can result from the heat of friction. In layman's terms, EPC(TM) is better than conventional rubber compounds in terms of keeping rubber soft. And it accomplishes this without adversely affecting tread life. Bonding among the rubber polymer molecules and carbon black is an important factor in rubber elasticity Rubber elasticity, also known as hyperelasticity, describes the mechanical behavior of many polymers, especially those with crosslinking. Invoking the theory of rubber elasticity, one considers a polymer chain in a crosslinked network as an entropic spring. . Tire manufacturers promote bonding in the vulcanization vulcanization (vŭl'kənəzā`shən), treatment of rubber to give it certain qualities, e.g., strength, elasticity, and resistance to solvents, and to render it impervious to moderate heat and cold. process by adding sulfur and applying heat to the rubber. Sulfur bridges strengthen the tire by linking the rubber polymer molecules. But subsequent re-crosslinking of the sulfur under the heat of friction caused by everyday driving results in an increase in surface-deformation hardness. The newly developed EPC(TM) reduces hardening by suppressing the re-crosslinking action of the sulfur molecules. Even when friction generates heat in a tire in motion, a tire with EPC(TM) experiences minimal sulfur re-crosslinking. Less re-crosslinking means less surface-deformation hardness and more consistent worn tire performance. Dual Layer Tread(TM) exposes high-grip rubber as wear progresses. A tire with this technology contains two kinds of rubber in the tread, both containing EPC(TM). A higher grip rubber is employed for the base layer under the cap. So, as the tread wears down, the higher-grip rubber underneath becomes exposed. This minimizes the effect of wear on worn tire performance and helps maintain more consistent handling. It also helps to prevent the increase in noise that tends to occur as the tread wears away. Promotional Plans Ishibashi said promotional plans for the UNI-T AQ(TM) technology will focus on auto enthusiast publications this year to support the introduction of the Potenza S-02 Pole Position tire, but will be expanded greatly into mainstream media in 1999 as the company introduces additional UNI-T AQ(TM) tires for a wide range of automobiles and light truck vehicles. "This new technology, along with our racing activities, will be the main focus of our promotional efforts in 1999 and into the next millenium," Ishibashi said. "We're confident that it will be widely accepted by consumers and will have a significant impact on Bridgestone/Firestone's continued growth in the North American North American named after North America. North American blastomycosis see North American blastomycosis. North American cattle tick see boophilusannulatus. tire market." Nashville-based Bridgestone/Firestone Inc., with 45,000 employees and 16 tire plants in North and South America South America, fourth largest continent (1991 est. pop. 299,150,000), c.6,880,000 sq mi (17,819,000 sq km), the southern of the two continents of the Western Hemisphere. (the 17th plant will begin production in Aiken, S.C. in 1999) is the largest subsidiary of Bridgestone Corporation of Japan, the world's largest tire and rubber company. Bridgestone/Firestone develops, manufactures and markets Bridgestone, Firestone, Dayton, associate and private brand tires. The company also produces Firestone air springs, roofing materials, synthetic rubber synthetic rubber: see rubber. , and industrial fibers and textiles. -0- (1) Actual stopping performance will vary with the type of vehicle, type of brakes, road conditions and other factors. CONTACT: Bridgestone/Firestone Inc., Nashville John Taylor John Taylor, or Johnny Taylor may refer to: Academic figures
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