Mitas a.s. is displaying its all-new 28-inch PneuTrac during the Paris International Agri-Business Show (SIMA) at booth E016, Hall 3, mounted on the front axle of the Case IH Maxxum tractor. This is the first time the PneuTrac concept has been mounted on a tractor, the company says.
The rear axle will be fitted with the 38-inch rim PneuTrac. Mitas developed 480/65 R28 PneuTrac as the third size of this tire concept while PneuTrac 280/70 R18 and 600/65 R38 are undergoing intensive dynamic tests.
“By mounting PneuTrac on the tractor, we are also unfolding the future of this concept,” says Andrew Mabin, Mitas' marketing and sales director. “The test results of 18" PneuTrac are now similar to those of the standard tire. We are doing our best to make the concept commercially available at the soonest possible time, but it is still early to announce the exact date.”
At the International Agricultural and Gardening Machinery Exhibition in Bologna, Italy, the PneuTrac received the EIMA Technical Innovation award. The jury recognized Mitas PneuTrac as the best innovation in the component or accessory category based on the detailed technical description and practical demonstration of this unique concept.
The footprint of Mitas PneuTrac is 53% larger than that of a standard tire, and it provides higher tractive force. This ensures gentle ground handling with much lower and improved distribution of pressure on the ground with less soil compaction. The lateral stability of Mitas PneuTrac is high compared with standard tires. PneuTrac is mountable on standard rims.
PneuTrac brings together the best of both worlds in traditional pneumatic tires and rubber tracks. Mitas is intensively testing the PneuTrac concept on an 18-inch and 38-inch rim tire and started static tests on the new 28-inch rim PneuTrac. Thanks to the new 28" size and with the use of the 38" rim, Mitas is able to fit front and rear axles of a tractor solely with PneuTrac. This enables Mitas to start field tests in the near future and prove the advantages of this concept.
“PneuTrac has great potential. The new size of Mitas PneuTrac is another significant step in the development of this concept,” says Pavel Kott, Mitas' agriculture tire product manager.
Mitas is developing its PneuTrac concept with its partner, Galileo Wheel Ltd.