Linglong started producing the world's largest tires

Currently, the largest on the market are considered to be 59/80 R63 tires, and there are only a limited number of companies in the world that can produce such products. On October 18, Linglong Tire joined their ranks, having produced the first ultra-large radial tire with a diameter of 63 inches at its plant in China's Jilin province.

The outer diameter of the tire is four meters, its weight exceeds six tons, and its carrying capacity is 100 tons. Tires of this type are designed primarily for quarry trucks, such as the Caterpillar 797 and Komatsu 980, and are suitable for intense use in extremely harsh conditions.

Linglong has been present in the OTR segment for almost 40 years and in 1987 introduced its first diagonal agricultural tire. The company now offers a wide range of tires for agricultural, construction, industrial, and other special equipment, which is constantly expanding.

As noted by Linglong, during the development of the new size tire, the company's specialists solved a number of technical problems related to the design of the structure, as well as the development of materials and technological equipment, "demonstrating high potential in the field of innovation implementation."

The new Linglong LXD Master Pro tire model has a dense tread pattern that improves traction, while the groove design is optimized for heat dissipation, and vulcanization is carried out at ultra-low temperatures. Thanks to the applied solutions, the developers were able to increase the resistance of the tires to cuts and increase their mileage when used in the most difficult conditions, the company adds.

In 2022, Linglong began planning a comprehensive modernization of its production facilities to strengthen its position in the special tire segment, where the company is implementing the "3+3" strategy, i.e., the production of tires in this category will be carried out at three plants in China and three more abroad. The successful production of a 59/80 R63 tire was a key step towards fulfilling the tasks in the OTR tire market.

Currently, 59/80 R63 tires can be produced by "Belshina", Bridgestone, Michelin, Goodyear, and Titan International, as well as Chinese Aeolus, Haian Rubber Group, Maxam, and TUTRIC. In recent years, Chinese manufacturers have been actively mastering the segment of ultra-large tires.