Pirelli Self-Supporting Run Flat Technology

 

Pirelli Run Flat: Perfect Thanks to the Robots

For some time, the car world has been increasingly directing its attention and investments towards a tire capable of ensuring performance and safety even in the event of a complete loss of air pressure, to the point that the tire literally "runs flat". Mechanisms and patents have alternated, involving the most important manufacturers with development of various solutions, which have then fallen into decline.

The Self-Supporting Run Flat resists. In fact , it is progressing, conquering a growing market share. Pirelli has wholeheartedly married the maximum needs and performance of the car from as far back as the 1970's, when it developed its 17" Scorpion BK for the extreme Lamborghini LM002 off road vehicle.
Today, this technology has been optimized step by step, always with an eye towards vehicles and SUVs of high and super-high performance, which are Pirelli' s natural preserve for original equipment on a world scale.

This Hi-Tech Total Mobility solution is made possible also thanks to the MIRS™ robotized system; an absolute Pirelli exclusive, a production process, which is entrusted entirely to computers - but always under the final control of man - and the guarantee of an end result of maximum perfection and reliability. One of the tire types produced by MIRS™ , in which Pirelli is making significant investment in Europe and the United States, is the Run Flat , which is constantly manufactured using this system.
Pirelli Self-Supporting Run Flat tires are of perfect structure and have a total lack of discontinuity, which the world market is now demanding in an increasing variety of sizes with different characteristics, to facilitate the by now unstoppable evolution of technical requirements for vehicles of increasing weight and greater speed. It is no coincidence that demand for the Run Flat by the combined original equipment and replacement markets in Europe and North America increased by almost 7,000% between 2000 and 2004. Pirelli has responded by achieving a European market share close to 20%, but particularly with tires born of constant technological refinement for both the product and the production process by using new concept reinforcing materials of greater resistance. In recent years, the increase in the number of homologations in 16" to 18" sizes has been such as to create a basis for entry into the Run Flat UHP segment with 19" and 20" diameters and 30% and 35% aspect ratios. Pirelli 's current portfolio already includes summer, all-season and winter Self-Supporting Run Flat tires. The company has also prepared the first Self-Supporting Run Flat for SUV's, fitted, ready for active testing and to be marketed in the near future.