Do you know the classifications of tires according to their uses?

In China's national tire standards, the US tire rim manual, the European tire rim standard, the Japanese tire standard and the international tire standard, tires are classified by purpose and can be divided into the following types:

(1) Passenger tires (PC)

Passenger tires are the largest type of tires in production and sales, accounting for 75% to 80% of automobile tires in developed countries. They have a variety of performance and quality, and the product upgrade speed is very fast, which has become a symbol of the level of modern tire technology. In recent years, with the improvement of road environment and the high-speed driving of vehicles, radial tires with excellent speed, wear resistance and energy saving have completely replaced bias tires, and have achieved tubeless and flat tires. According to the type of passenger car, passenger tires can usually be divided into four categories: car tires, leisure sports car (SUV) tires, multi-purpose commercial vehicle (MPV) tires and mini van tires. The required performance includes: sportiness (braking and driving, driving stability), ride (comfort, quietness) and economy (wear resistance, fuel saving) and safety (air pressure retention, explosion-proof). Functionally, there are summer, winter and all-weather tires, and there are also general use and high-performance, ultra-high-performance and green environmentally friendly tires. The inflation pressure of passenger tires belongs to the low pressure and ultra-low pressure range, generally 140kPa, and the maximum cannot exceed 280kPa. The proportion of high-performance, ultra-high-performance and green environmentally friendly tires is constantly expanding, and they are increasingly tending to high aspect ratios and large rim diameters. From high-speed safety, environmental protection and energy saving to safety and intelligence, their technical content is rapidly increasing.

① General summer tires

General summer tires are generally installed on small and micro economic cars with a fuel consumption of less than 1.6L. Emphasis is placed on the balance of sportiness, rideability and economy. The speed is within the three levels of S, T, H (180, 190, 210km/h), and the aspect ratio is 80~60. Common ones include 185/70R1386T, 195/60R1486H, 185/65R1486H, 205/70R1595T, etc. The tread pattern is mostly thin horizontal short-line blocks with wide strips as the main body, which is suitable for good roads mainly on highways. The tire structure is also relatively simple, with the carcass consisting of 1~2 layers of nylon and polyester chemical fiber cords arranged in a 0° angle in the forward direction. In the past, nylon was the main material, but now polyester cords have a slight advantage. Most tire beads are equipped with a fiber reinforcement layer to increase lateral rigidity. The belt layer is a belt-like structure with double-layer steel cords arranged in a 70~80° cross shape. Some are also reinforced with nylon cords on the upper part of the steel cord layer to form a double-reinforced tread configuration.

② High-performance and ultra-high-performance summer tires

The main targets are luxury sedans, SUV sports cars, MPV multi-purpose cars and other models above 1.6L. The tires are divided into two types: sports performance and sports and riding performance. The former should pay attention to straight-line stability when driving at high speed and easy steering when turning. The latter should also consider riding comfort and quietness at high speed. The speed level is also much higher than that of ordinary summer tires. In the past, it was divided into two levels, V and Z. Now it has been increased to three levels, V (240km/h), W (270km/h) and Y (300km/h). There are also ZR with a speed of more than 240km and (Y) level with a speed of more than 300km. The aspect ratio is as high as 55~40 series, and the rim diameter has also increased to 16~18in. The aspect ratio of the new ultra-high performance tire has reached 5~20, and the rim diameter has expanded to 20~24in. Such as 2595/25ZR2297Y, 225/30ZR2490W. The tread is also very different from that of ordinary tires. Sports passenger tires are mostly large block patterns, and sports and passenger tires also have fine seams of different sizes. For cars with high steering performance, asymmetric tread patterns with different shapes on the inside and outside are often used; when driving at high speed, patterns with good drainage and a specified rotation direction are used. The structure is also more complicated than that of ordinary passenger tires. In addition to the carcass being polyester or strong silk cord, nylon cords are also used on the left and right sides of the bead, and a layer of steel cord is added on the inside to focus on reinforcement. The belt layer is a fiber reinforcement layer added to the steel cord layer. In the past, most of them were high-strength nylon cords, but now more aramid, PEN and even POK fibers are used.

③ Winter tires

Winter tires are also called winter anti-skid tires. They are mainly used on ice and snow in winter. They are divided into two categories: studded and non-studded. Early winter tires usually had anti-skid metal chains tied to ordinary tires. Because of the reduced driving speed and serious noise, they were later changed to studded tires. Although studded tires are a big step forward from chained tires, they also produce noise and damage the road surface. Therefore, in recent years, non-studded tires have been widely used, with a mixture of large and small coarse and fine patterns on the tread to prevent slipping, which has now become the mainstream. The aspect ratio of this type of tire is mostly 80~60 series, and the speed rating is generally Q-level (160km/h). The new modern winter tires have reached 40 series and H-level (210km/h). Some high-end all-weather tires have been developed to the extent that they can also be used in winter ice and snow. The tread pattern has become the symbol of winter tires and the key to anti-skid performance. Usually, on the basis of large block patterns, in order to improve the driving, braking and turning performance when stepping on snow, a high groove area ratio and deep zigzag groove lines are configured, and more fine grooves are used to enhance the grip on snowy roads. At the same time, tires with patterns that will not deform even if a larger load is applied during braking have appeared. At the same time, a three-dimensional pattern pattern that can ensure a larger contact area and improve braking performance has also been developed. The tread of winter tires is required to be in close contact with the road surface in low temperature environments and maintain good softness and resilience. Therefore, bubbles are often configured in the tread rubber, and their density and shape are controlled to improve the grip on the road surface and the effect of removing ice film on the ice. Some even mix appropriate amounts of hard particles or various short fibers into the tread rubber to further improve traction and grip on ice.

(2) Truck and light truck tires (TB, LT) Truck tires refer to tires used for carrying goods and passengers on trucks, buses and tourist buses. Light truck tires are tires used for light trucks, commercial vehicles, travel vans and low-position trailers, etc., mostly for both cargo and passenger transportation. The cross-sectional width and inner diameter of the tire are larger than those of passenger tires and are expressed in inches. The general cross-sectional width ranges from 6.00in to 14.00in, and the inner diameter is: 18~24in for truck tires, 13~17in for light trucks, and as low as 15in for trailers. The tire inflation pressure is also higher than that of passenger tires, usually reaching 600~900kPa. The production volume of truck and light truck tires generally accounts for 15%~20% in developed countries (5%~7% for light trucks), and China accounts for 25%~30%. In other countries, 80%~90% have achieved tubeless and radialization, and 20%~30% have begun to flatten. For public buses, tourist buses and vans, the three have basically been achieved. Since the speed on the highway has reached 90~130km/h (load-bearing) and 90~160km/h (light trucks), safety has become the most important condition. At the same time, they have also put forward many new requirements for economy. Tires should not only be wear-resistant and durable, and be used safely for a long time, but also reduce fuel consumption, reduce exhaust emissions, eliminate vibration and noise, and improve environmental pollution. Therefore, truck and light truck tires are developing in the direction of uniform wear resistance, high durability and low rolling resistance. The pattern has changed from the original horizontal and horizontal-based to the combination of horizontal and straight and straight-based, and the proportion of noiseless and silent patterns is constantly expanding. The tire body is also required to be more solid, and there is an expectation for the increase in the proportion and number of refurbishments after use, and even for re-engraving. Load-carrying and light truck tires are usually inspected after 5 years of use and replaced if necessary; when they reach 10 years, they must be completely renewed regardless of whether they are used or not. However, in specific use, due to different purposes and conditions of use, the requirements for tire performance and quality are also different, so there are often great differences, and the service life is not fixed, and some even do not exceed 1~2 years. North America, Western Europe, Japan and China each have their own characteristics. These factors must be considered when producing and using them, and they must be adapted to local conditions to ensure safety.

(3) Engineering tires (OR)

Operation tires originally meant off-road tires (Off the road Tire), called OR or OTR. Now it mainly refers to various tires used in engineering vehicles and engineering machinery, including special tires for dump trucks, scrapers, excavators, loaders, bulldozers, graders, rollers, beach machines, cranes, concrete mixers and their transport vehicles, and other engineering construction vehicles. In addition, it even includes tires used for forestry logging, deserts, swamps, etc. The usage is extremely complex and the working conditions are diverse. From the nature of the work, it is basically divided into two types: transportation and operation. The driving speed of the operation type tire is below 10km/h, and the transportation type tire is 15~65kg/h. In fact, they are all used in places ranging from gravel, rock beds, sand to soft soil, swamps and deserts, and the conditions are very complex and harsh. In addition to the basic performance requirements of the tire, special attention is paid to additional characteristics such as puncture resistance, puncture resistance, heat resistance, heat dissipation, traction and floating.

(4) Agricultural machinery tires (AG) Agricultural machinery tires include tractors (wheeled, boat-type, hand-held, mini), tillers, management machines, harvesters, rice transplanters, weeders, cultivators, sprayers, seeders, farmland transport vehicles and livestock machinery, etc. There are more than 100 varieties and specifications in more than a dozen categories. Its characteristics are mainly based on the nature of agricultural machinery operations, such as paddy fields, dry land, fruit trees, pastures and other different farming methods, as well as the types of crops, which are selected and used separately, which is very complicated. Generally, it is divided into three categories: general machine tires, special machine tires and agricultural transport vehicle tires.