Tom Godwin of Continental talks about tyre technology

What makes a Conti tyre different?

Continental chose to revisit agricultural tyre manufacturing in 2016, having previously outsourced production to Mitas. This move meant a new production line at the factory in Lousado, Portugal, and an R&D facility to develop new tyre technology.

Continental therefore has the benefit of new technology with new production lines but with a more than 150-year history of producing premium tyres. An example would be how we have taken pressure monitoring systems from our truck and earth mover tyres to help tractor operators monitor heat build-up and pressure. This can help to reduce soil compaction, make a tractor more fuel efficient and improve the way the tractor handles too.

How has tyre technology moved on in recent years?

Radial tyres have been improved by increased flexion (IF) and very high flexion (VF) technology. IF is largely being phased out because, whilst it offers the capacity to carry 20% more load at the same pressure as a standard radial tyre or operate at 20% less pressure for the same load, VF offers a 40% differential.

Continental VF TractorMaster and VF CombineMaster tyres have been designed with a single filament bead core. The core is the wire that holds the tyre to the rim, and many bead cores are made with multiple wires with multiple joins. However, having a single bead core makes the tyres stronger because there is only one join and, so, fewer weak spots.

We have also chosen different bead shapes for different applications. Tractor beads are a rectangular section, and harvesters have a hexagonal section for great strength. Secure tyre to rim contact is critical in low pressure applications, where risk of tyre slippage is high. Our beads dramatically reduce this risk.

Isn’t rubber the same on every tyre?

Whilst the appearance of rubber on tyres may seem the same, the compounds are all different. Also, the rubber layer is a relatively small part of the design of any tyre. For example, our tractor tyres have a layer beneath the rubber called N.flex that helps to improve the flexibility of the tyre and its ability to keep its roundness.

Operators will be familiar with flat spots caused by parking a tractor for prolonged periods. N.flex is a patented Continental nylon layer designed to mitigate flat spots by helping the tyre to reshape in just a few revolutions.

How does the tyre affect performance – fuel consumption, speed etc?

Pressure is one of the biggest factors for performance. Take draft pull as an example. An underinflated tyre is not always the solution to getting more grip. Underinflation can cause the centre of the tyre to push up, which wears the shoulder of the tyre, increases soil compaction through the shoulder tread base and decreases forward speed.

Correctly inflated tyres can save fuel and time, which is becoming ever more important as fuel prices rise, and weather windows shorten. Operating at just a couple of km/h faster in the field or on the road can represent a 10%-20% time saving, which over 1000 acres will save money on fuel and operator costs.

Machines are being kept longer, so tyres need to last longer, and Continental has developed compounds that will see a tractor operate up to 10,000 hours with the correct set up and maintenance. This means if the purchaser specifies premium tyres on a new tractor, it may not need replacements before it is traded for the next.

Why choose to spend more on VF or other tyres that claim to offer more?

Like most things in farming, every farm, task and machine is different. There is no single tyre that is best for all applications. However, VF offers the ability to carry more load and to operate at lower pressures.

On the road, increased load carrying capacity will decrease the miles needed to haul harvested crops. In the field, operating at lower pressures offers the potential to reduce soil compaction and fuel consumption by gaining more grip, giving the machine greater performance.

What would be a good example of how the technology helps with daily tasks?

Take the larger end of the tractor market, with models like the Fendt 942, that can provide more than 400 horsepower. We would suggest 750/70 R44 rear tyres paired with 650/60 R38 on the front, which are both built with VF technology.

Each rear tyre has a load rating of 186D, enabling the tractor to travel at speeds of 65km/h with loads of up to 19-tonnes. In the field, the same tractor is then able to reduce tyre pressure, and, in the case of Fendt, this can be achieved using an onboard central tyre inflation system (CTIS). This means it can operate at pressures of just 0.4 bar even with 8 tonnes on the rear axle.

Not every tractor has new onboard technology, so what else is there to help?

Not many people realise that Continental is a technology company, manufacturing thousands of parts for tractors, trucks, and cars. Tractor tyres can be fitted with ContiPressureCheck, a sensor that lives inside the tyre and communicates data back to a terminal in the cab.

We recently launched a new Gen2 sensor, that connects to a mobile device using Bluetooth so a terminal is no longer needed. This can be used on any tractor to help manage pressure, heat build-up and notifies the operator of slow deflation in the form of punctures.

Contractors with a fleet of machines can also benefit from entrance mounted yard readers that automatically upload tyre data to a portal to help monitor and prolong tyre life.

Continental also offers a mobile app to calculate pressure for load. It carries the specification of all tyres in the range and can be used to establish the best operating pressure for a tractor and any load it is carrying. The TireTech app is free for all customers and applies to any tractor using Continental tyres manufactured since 2017.

What is the difference between a budget tyre and a premium brand?

There are several differences including research and development, production materials and additional technologies but most importantly is the back-up and support offered by premium brands. Continental has been manufacturing tyres for more than 150 years and has continually developed new compounds that have enhanced the performance of our tyres.

Continental's TractorMaster VF

We partner with dedicated industry experts and dealers countrywide and have a UK office-based customer services team too. We regularly go to farms to advise on optimising tyre performance, and we are the only brand to offer a 10-year warranty. This is also the only warranty to offer two years accidental field usage cover, so if an operator rips a tyre on a gate post it will be covered by the warranty.

What is Continental doing to make its tyres more sustainable?

By 2030, 95% of the waste from tyre production sites worldwide will be recycled. By 2050, all materials used in Continental tyre production will be sourced responsibly. Natural rubber will be sourced with minimal impact on the environment, human rights, and social risks. We have also committed to making all Continental tyres using renewable and recycled materials by this date.

This year the Lousado factory was credited with carbon neutral status which shows our commitment to manufacturing tyres in a sustainable way.

So, what’s on the horizon, what’s coming next?

We are soon to launch additional Multi Purpose Tyres (MPT) with our MPT90 range. These have been developed for municipal operations with new sizes boasting higher speed and load ratings. MPT tyres have been developed for vehicles like the Unimog and will offer greater efficiencies.

We have more sizes of existing tyres like the VF TractorMaster too, including a 900/60 R42, 750/70 R44, 650/60 R38 and a 480/80 R50.

Soon our VF TractorMaster Hybrid range will also be extended with two new sizes 650/65R42 and 540/65 R30.