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News

Bridgestone Innovative 3rd Generation Run-Flat Technology Featured As Original Equipment On Toyota’s New Sienna Minivan

Nashville, Tenn (Dec. 2, 2009) - Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations (BATO) is pleased to announce that its Turanza EL400 Run-Flat tires featuring the company’s latest “3G RFT” technology will be fitted as standard equipment on select models of Toyota’s new 2011 Sienna minivan.

Buyers who opt for the Sienna AWD model will appreciate this latest innovation from Bridgestone. Like earlier Run-Flat tires, this new tire still provides peace of mind thanks to a reinforced sidewall that allows the tire to be driven up to 50 miles at speeds up to 50 mph after a complete loss of air. As an enhancement to earlier Run-Flat designs, however, this latest innovation from Bridgestone provides a more comfortable ride which is comparable to that provided by traditional touring tires.

“Premium technology for the whole family makes the Bridgestone brand and Toyota the perfect combination,” said Mike Martini, President, Original Equipment, U.S. & Canada Consumer Tire Sales Division, Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations (BATO). “We are proud Toyota has chosen to equip its All Wheel Drive version of the next generation Sienna with a Bridgestone Run-Flat tire featuring our new 3G RFT technology.”

The Toyota Sienna AWD is the first vehicle in the world to be fitted with this new third generation Run-Flat technologies which offer better ride comfort when compared to earlier versions of Bridgestone Run-Flat tires.

 

The Turanza EL400 RFT incorporates two new technologies which control the heat generated when running at low or zero pressure: “COOLING FIN” to cool tire sidewalls and “new sidewall reinforcement rubber” to reduce heat generation.

The Turanza EL400 RFT for the U.S. market is an all-season tire which offers better ride comfort while still providing the safety and environmental benefits of Run-Flat technology.

Latest model “Sienna” Tire pattern/size
         Tire pattern                          Tire size 
  TURANZA EL400 RFT        P235/55RF18 99T


*1 Run-Flat Tires
Run-Flat tires are operable up to a specified distance at a specified speed even at zero tire pressure. This enhances safety by allowing the driver to find a safe location if there is a loss of air pressure. Run-Flat tires help reduce vehicle weight, improve fuel mileage, save resources and enhance design flexibility since spare tires can be eliminated. “RFT” is a registered trademark of Bridgestone Corporation.

  • Run-Flat tires can operate safely at a speed of up to 50 mph for a distance of up to 50 miles under normal conditions at 0 psi (kPa) (based on ISO technical standards).
  • The distance of 50 miles up to which Run-Flat tires can operate at 0 psi (kPa) is determined under test conditions based on ISO technical standards. Please refer to the car manual for the actual distance the vehicle can travel.

 

Sidewall-reinforced type Run-Flat tires

*2.Third Generation Run-Flat Tires  
When Bridgestone began its mass production of Run-Flat tires in 1987, the ride was considered by some drivers to be hard compared to normal tires due to their thick and hard sidewall structure. In 2005, Run-Flat tires advanced to the second generation featuring enhanced ride quality through the improvement of sidewall-reinforced rubber. With the adoption of “heat controlling technologies,” third generation Run-Flat tires achieved thinner and softer sidewalls. This has enabled ride comfort comparable to that of traditional tires. Third generation Run-Flat tires are also lighter than earlier Run-Flat designs. These “heat controlling technologies” also enable the development of Run-Flat tires in a wider range of sizes.

*Although the most effective measure to improve ride quality of a sidewall-reinforced Run-Flat tire is to make the sidewalls thinner and softer, such a structure generates more heat when the tire is operating at low or zero pressure since the flexing action at the sidewalls becomes more intense. Conquering this heat generation issue was the major challenge in our efforts to improve ride quality while maintaining/enhancing Run-Flat durability.

 

Applied Technologies
1. COOLING FIN technology to cool tire sidewalls COOLING FIN is a technology that creates protrusions on the surface of the tire sidewalls which face toward the center of the wheel in order to create disturbances in the airflow, thereby cooling the tire. The technology helps to cool the heat generated in tire sidewalls when driving on tires that have lost air pressure.

(a) How COOLING FIN technology promotes airflow disturbance * The small dots represent airflow and the color of the dots represents the speed of airflow. Green or red-brown colored dots represent faster airflow than blue dots. (b)The benefit of COOLING FIN technology: Comparison of tire sidewall surface temperatures. 【Test using Bridgestone sidewall-reinforced type Run-Flat tires for minivans (driving with 0kPa inflation pressure)】

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Firestone Building Products Company, LLC (FSBP) is a leading manufacturer of EPDM, TPO, asphalt and metal roofing systems, polyiso insulation, and accessories for the commercial roofing industry. In addition to superior roofing products, FSBP offers installation expertise and product support through a technical services department and an international network of roofing contractors, distributors and field sales representatives. Headquartered in Indianapolis, Ind., FSBP is a subsidiary of Firestone Diversified Products, LLC (FSDP). Visit the FSBP Web site at www.firestonebpco.com.

2. New sidewall-reinforced rubber that curbs heat generation Our NanoPro-Tech technology has created a new sidewall-reinforced rubber with improved carbon dispersion. The new rubber reduces the friction that occurs between carbon molecules when tire is loaded, reducing heat generation. Compared with second-generation sidewall-reinforced rubber, the new rubber can reduce by half the heat caused by the deformation of tire sidewalls when driving on tires that have lost air pressure. (a) Reduction of heat generation by new sidewall-reinforced rubber


About Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations:
Nashville, Tenn.-based Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations (BATO) is a business unit of Bridgestone Americas, Inc., whose parent company, Bridgestone Corporation, is the world's largest tire and rubber company. Reporting into the BATO business unit are the company's Latin American tire operations, the U.S. and Canadian consumer tire businesses and the U.S. and Canadian commercial tire businesses. BATO develops, manufactures and markets Bridgestone, Firestone and associate brand tires. The business unit is focused on retail, wholesale and original equipment markets, supplying passenger, light truck, commercial vehicle, off road, motorcycle, agricultural and other tires to its customers in the Americas. In addition, through its Bridgestone Bandag Tire Solutions unit, retreading customers have access to industry-leading research and development, manufacturing, marketing and sales expertise, providing them with a total tire solution.