Michelin Opens New Facility for Mass Production of Air-less/Puncture-less Tyre - Tweel

Michelin Tweel - Airless radial - A tire that never goes flat!

Lot of you have seen this tyre before, Michelin finally put the award winning Tweel tyre into mass production, the famed French tyre company has opened a new plant that will produce Michelin X Tweel Airless Radial for commercial applications. The North America - Piedmont, South Carolina based new facility that measures 135,000 square-foot, represents Michelin's 16th manufacturing facility in States. The company will invest about $50 million in the new plant.

“The TWEEL being built here in South Carolina is yet another dramatic example of Michelin's long-standing commitment to breakthrough innovation,” said Pete Selleck, Michelin North America chairman and president. “The TWEEL concept was born at Michelin Americas Research Company in Greenville, S.C., one of Michelin's three global technology centers, and now the Tweel will be manufactured right here in the Greenville area to satisfy a growing commercial market.”

What is Tweel?

Tweel is invented by Michelin researchers in Americas. It's basically a non-pneumatic tyre, which replaces the rims bringing together the tire and the wheel assembly into one solid unit. Tweel consist of a rigid hub connected to the shear beam by flexible and deformable polyurethane spokes. Since it uses no air so you wont have a flat tyre in future! It vanishes the flat-tyre problem in landscape, construction, contracting, refuse/recycling and agricultural industries.

“Differentiating us from competitors, the TWEEL airless radial tire is the industry's first commercialized airless radial solution and verifies Michelin's leadership for the next generation of mobility,” said Ralph Dimenna, head of Michelin Tweel Technologies. “The TWEEL airless radial tire enables Michelin to enter new markets and expand its reach in existing business segments within the low-speed application category. The industry is hungry for solutions contributing to productivity, safety and bottom lines. Serving our customers is at the center of our strategy for success.”