Nokian Tyres plc is educating dealers and consumers about the puncture-resistant Aramid technology available in a number of its products, including the recently introduced Nokian One and Nokian One HT, the company's newest all-season tires.
"As roads freeze and thaw in the late winter weeks, potholes present a growing risk to drivers," say Nokian officials. "That’s why Nokian is educating consumers about the technology it employs to help protect its tires from potholes and other road hazards.
"Found in bulletproof vests and used in the aerospace and defense industries, Aramid is a puncture-resistant material Nokian uses to reinforce the sidewalls of many of its products. The lightweight, chemically neutral compound has been found to decrease the likelihood of punctures due to road hazards.
This week, the company released a social media video in which Nokian Director of Products Steve Bourassa discusses the technology.
“Potholes and road hazards cause major inconvenience for drivers,” says Bourassa. “Anything we can do to help prevent those are certainly a benefit to the consumer. One of the great ways we’ve found is by using Aramid fibers in the tires.
“Aramid provides mechanical strength to the tires. By meshing together with the rubber, it kind of acts like fiberglass would. It’s a lightweight material that adds mechanical strength and helps prevent damage that would cut your sidewalls or create road hazard bubbles you sometimes see on your tires.”
Nokian first added Aramid to its SUV tires with the introduction of the Nokian Hakkapeliitta 8 SUV winter tire in 2014.
Since then, the company has incorporated Aramid technology throughout its product portfolio, most recently in the Nokian Tyres One and Nokian Tyres One HT.