Tread: Keeping you on the road
Let’s start with the outer layers that make up the tread and belt of the tyre. This principally rubber component envelops the casing and provides low rolling resistance, optimum handling, a long life and good petrol mileage.
1. Tread. Made of synthetic and natural rubber. On a new tyre, this textured surface ensures high mileage, good grip on the road and water expulsion. This equates to safe driving in all conditions. Tyre tread connects with the road and the sidewall, and has three areas:
- Cap: This is the part of your tyre that’s most in contact with the road. It provides grip on all road surfaces, wear-resistance and directional stability.
- Base: Underneath the cap, the base reduces rolling resistance and damage to the tyre’s internal structure – the casing.
- Shoulder: At the outer edges of the tread, this area forms an optimal transition from the tread to the sidewall of the tyre.
Continental’s contribution. In 1904, Continental was the first tyre manufacturer to introduce a tread pattern to the pneumatic tyres of the time.
2. Jointless cap plies. This layer, which sits directly below the tread, enables travel at high speeds. Imagine gathering a length of twine back into a ball, coiling it around and around. Jointless cap plies are a little like this. They consist of a single, strong cord of nylon, embedded in rubber. This cord spirals around the circumference of the tyre, from one side to the other, without overlapping.
Continental’s contribution. A woven linen fabric embedded in rubber used to perform this function. But the crossed threads would rub against each other, resulting in a shorter tyre life. In 1923, Continental introduced a new cord fabric. This fabric (described above) featured cords running in one direction held in place by supporting threads, embedded in rubber. Tyres incorporating the new fabric lasted much longer.
3. Steel cord belt plies. Strong steel cords provide the tyre with rigidity in this layer, which:
- Enhances shape retention and directional stability
- Reduces rolling resistance
- Increases your tyre’s mileage performance.
