Continental is presenting its VF technology for agricultural tires at Agritechnica

• New VF technology expands the existing agricultural tire portfolio
• Flexible and robust sidewalls make numerous tire pressure adjustments redundant
• 40 per cent more pay load for the same air pressure and/or the same pay load for a pressure reduction of 40 per cent
• Farmers save time and fuel without cutting output and durability

Hannover, 27. September 2019. Continental will present the new Very High Flexion (VF) technology for the TractorMaster and CombineMaster agricultural tires at this year's Agritechnica. The tires with VF specifications have highly flexible sidewalls which maintain the tire's durability and directional stability at a high level in the event of reduced air pressure or high load. This is made possible through an optimized belt and bead geometry.

The working environment of farmers is varied, as are the requirements for agricultural tires. They must be able to handle different terrains and loads withstand different speeds, while providing consistent performance during long working days. VF tires support farmers in their varied duties and allow them to save not only time and fuel, but also to avoid damaging compaction of the soil. Where an adjustment of the tire pressure was previously required for the different work steps, depending on whether the vehicle was loaded or empty, on the road or on the field, farmers can bypass time-consuming tire pressure adjustments using VF technology. Thanks to the highly increased flexibility, VF tires deliver constant carrying capacity at all speeds and allow the tire pressure to be reduced for the same performance relative to standard tires.

If a farmer wanted to spread fertilizer, for example, and drive quickly on the roads with a maximum load to their fields, a high tire pressure was needed. To prevent damaging soil compaction, they had to lower the tire pressure before driving onto the field. After spreading the fertilizer, the low tire pressure then impeded the farmer from driving quickly back to the yard. The new VF tires can provide the same pay load at 40 percent less tire pressure relative to standard tires. Alternatively, VF tires have a 40 percent higher pay load at top speed at the same tire pressure than standard tires. This saves farmers the hassle of adjusting the tire pressure and they can unlock the full potential of their tires: less soil compaction through an increase of the tread contact at lower tire pressure and full mileage performance and durability on the road despite lower tire inflation.

The bead is an essential element of the tire as it ensures the correct seat on the rim. An optimized bead design comes into play in VF tires. The bead profile is larger and more flexible, the apex smaller, whereby the deflection of the tire is improved and the stress level in all participating components sinks – even at very heavy loads or low pressure. This ensures a long, worry-free service life for the tires.

The belt has also been adjusted to the increased requirements of the VF tires. While too little tire pressure and a too high load can quickly lead to damage for standard tires, for VF tires the belt and shoulder area are larger and stiffer to lower the risk of deformation and damage, for example by the tread lugs pushing through. 

N.flex technology also makes the most of its design advantages as an element of VF: the patented carcass material is flexible enough to absorb an impact and return to the original form, without losing the given form. This guarantees a special endurance and rounder tires for a comfortable ride. The significantly reduced propensity to develop flat spots means the end of bumpy rides in the morning.

The new technology is available in three tires: VF TractorMaster Hybrid, VF TractorMaster and VF CombineMaster. 

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