Bridgestone/Firestone's UNI-T AQ(TM) Technology Goes Mainstream
2 March 1999
Bridgestone/Firestone's UNI-T AQ(TM) Technology Goes Mainstream NASHVILLE, Tenn., March 2 -- Bridgestone/Firestone's
UNI-T AQ(TM) technology, which reduces the degradation in worn tire wet
performance that can occur over the life of a tire, is being introduced in two
light truck tires and a touring tire this spring.
The Bridgestone Dueler H/L and Dueler H/P light truck tires and the
Bridgestone Turanza Revo touring tires are the first tires for a wide variety
of vehicles to incorporate UNI-T AQ (Ultimate Tire Technology -- Advance
Quality). The technology was initially introduced in May 1998 with the debut
of the ultra-high performance Bridgestone Potenza S-02 Pole Position.
According to the company's testing, a worn Bridgestone Turanza H Revo (50
percent tread remaining) with the new technology stopped an average of 14.1
feet shorter on a wet surface at 50 mph than a conventional worn Bridgestone
touring tire without the technology.*
While its primary competitors have focused their R&D efforts on run-flat
technology, Bridgestone/Firestone, which also has a run-flat tire, is putting
more emphasis on its UNI-T AQ technology.
"Our main focus with UNI-T AQ is on an issue that affects drivers all
across America every day -- worn tire performance," said Shu Ishibashi,
Bridgestone/Firestone vice president of consumer tires marketing.
*Wet surface braking test at 50 mph. Results based on a Honda Accord
prepared to test standards and driven by a professional. Actual stopping
performance will vary with type of vehicle, type of brakes, types of tires,
road conditions and other factors.
"All things wear over time," Ishibashi said. "Cars do, shoes do, and so
do tires. According to our research, about 80 percent of people we surveyed
know tire performance declines as their tires wear. The purpose of UNI-T AQ
is to minimize the decline in worn wet performance without sacrificing the
life of tires."
Wear and other factors can impact tire performance. But the tire
company's engineers asked, "Can we find ways to minimize the impact of wear on
tire performance?" After a lot of hard work, primarily at Bridgestone's
Technical Center in Tokyo, the engineers succeeded.
"We are the first tire company to take such a comprehensive approach
toward worn tire performance concerns," Ishibashi said. "We believe this new
technology has significant potential for improving worn tire performance on
America's roads."
According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, average tire life is
41,000 miles. Average annual miles driven per vehicle are 13,600 miles, so
there are a lot of worn tires in use on American roads. UNI-T AQ keeps wet
performance up as the tread wears down.
So how does UNI-T AQ work?
Tire wear results in shallower tread grooves, loss of elasticity, rubber
hardening, and reduced movement of tread blocks. This can impact worn tire
performance in some situations.
UNI-T AQ combines the company's original UNI-T technologies (L.L. Carbon,
CO?CS and O-Bead) with two new technologies (EPC -- Extended Performance
Compound -- and Dual Layer Tread).
EPC reduces the rubber hardening that can result from the heat of
friction. In other words, EPC is better than conventional rubber compounds in
terms of keeping rubber soft. And it accomplishes this without adversely
affecting tread life.
Bonding among the rubber polymer molecules and carbon black is an
important factor in rubber elasticity. Tire manufacturers promote bonding in
the vulcanization process by adding sulfur and applying heat to the rubber.
Sulfur bridges strengthen the tire by linking the rubber polymer molecules.
But subsequent re-crosslinking of the sulfur under the heat of friction caused
by every day driving results in an increase in rubber hardness.
The newly developed EPC reduces hardening by suppressing the re-
crosslinking action of the sulfur molecules. Even when friction generates
heat in a tire in motion, a tire with EPC experiences minimal sulfur re-
crosslinking. Less re-crosslinking means less rubber hardness and more
consistent performance over the life of a tire.
Dual Layer Tread exposes high-grip rubber as wear progresses. A tire with
this technology contains two kinds of rubber in the tread, both containing
EPC. A higher grip rubber is employed for the base layer under the top tread
layer.
So, as the tread wears down, the higher-grip rubber underneath becomes
exposed. This minimizes the effect of wear on wet performance.
According to Ishibashi, the Bridgestone Group has sold 11 million UNI-T
tires worldwide since the technology was first introduced in 1994 in Japan,
where it is called Donuts. He said the company anticipates selling 10 million
units with UNI-T or UNI-T AQ in the U.S. alone by 2001.
"The UNI-T and UNI-T AQ technologies, along with our racing activities,
will be the main focus of our promotional efforts in 1999 and into the next
millennium," Ishibashi said. "With the tremendous success we've experienced
with UNI-T, we're confident that UNI-T AQ will also be widely accepted by
consumers and will have a significant impact on Bridgestone/Firestone's
continued growth in the North American tire market."
Nashville-based Bridgestone/Firestone is the largest subsidiary of
Bridgestone Corporation of Japan, the world's largest tire and rubber company.
Bridgestone/Firestone develops, manufactures and markets Bridgestone,
Firestone, Dayton and private brand tires. The company also produces
Firestone air springs, roofing materials, synthetic rubber, and industrial
fibers and textiles.
