JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #133 - March/April 2020 - 5

"For the past 130 years, every aspect of tire performance has been improved, except for one"
gy perfectly by helping to cut down on
tire waste: as mentioned above, about
20% of tires worldwide (200 million
tires each year) are taken out of circulation prematurely due to pressure-related
problems (blowouts, sidewall damage,
irregular wear). This represents two million metric tons of material every year, or
the equivalent of 200 times the weight of
the Eiffel Tower!
Besides Uptis, what will Michelin be
working on to improve future mobility?

C.R.: The Uptis prototype is a tangible
and indispensable step towards building
the Group's sustainable mobility vision
that we presented at Movin'On back in
June 2017, in the form of the "Vision"
concept for the tire of tomorrow, as
Michelin imagines it. This vision is based
on four major strategic priorities:

From Vision concept tires to Uptis

is too early to think about any dates. By
the way the first GM vehicules equiped
with Uptis will be available in 2024.

How do you source these materials? What
type of end of life are you considering for
these new tires?

C.R.: Michelin is collaborating with
companies that specialize in glass fibre
for the sourcing. Like all Michelin Group
tires, these are 100% recyclable. The Uptis prototype will be recycled, and we are
working on how to separate the glass fibre
from the rubber at end of life.

In terms of production, what distinguishes Uptis from a standard tire?

C.R.: A standard tire is made up of raw
semi-finished products that are assembled raw and then cured together. In the
case of Michelin's Uptis, the different
components are fabricated separately,
cured separately, and then assembled
on a specific type of machine. So, it is a
completely different process that is still
at the prototype stage and it is too early
to talk about cycle times. The operators
for these machines will of course receive
the appropriate training to work safely
on this new process.

The mobility of tomorrow is intended to
be more economic and more environment
friendly. How does Uptis fit into this line
of thought?

- The airless tire
- Sustainable materials (renewable or
recycled)
- The connected ecosystem (service offering based on knowledge of the customer's usage)
- Reloadable, biodegradable tread band
that can be 3D printed
Through its research programme and
through partnerships, the Group has
already developed and continues to develop expertise in these four areas.

C.R.: The Uptis prototype fits into

the Group's sustainable mobility strate-

More information:
www.michelin.fr

Which composite materials are you using
in this new type of tire? What properties
do they provide?

C.R.: Designing Uptis led Michelin's
research teams in Switzerland to develop
a new reinforcement material, a glass-reinforced resin called CVR, for "Composite Verre Résine". This composite consists of thousands of glass filaments, each
with the diameter of a hair. The composite is extremely lightweight, strong and
flexible to give Uptis performance that
matches that of a standard tire, but without the pressurized air.

3D printed
airless Vision
concept tires

N°133 March - April 2020

/ jec composites magazine

http://www.michelin.fr

JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #133 - March/April 2020

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #133 - March/April 2020