Bridgestone Corp. of Japan said it has developed a system for its Greatec line of truck and bus radials. Aircept fits around the rim inside a Greatec radial, and any sudden loss of pressure causes the Aircept unit to expand and support the load, Bridgestone said.
Bridgestone launched the Greatec line of ultra-wide, ultra-low-aspect ratio radials to replace dual truck and bus tires with a single tire in 2000. With just one tire instead of two, Bridgestone said product performance is critically important should a sudden loss of air pressure occur.
Aircept will be available only in Europe, but as markets develop and Greatec tires become popular in other parts of the world, the system's offering may be expanded. DaimlerChrysler will use the Greatec-Aircept combination for upcoming models in its ACTROS line of trucks, Bridgestone said.
The system operates in conjunction with a tire pressure monitor that alerts the driver to the loss of air pressure, while the Aircept unit allows the driver to stop and change the tire.
