A Goodyear innovation designed to extend the life of truck tire retread cushions, while improving quality and performance, has been named “Tire Manufacturing Innovation of the Year” by Tire Technology International. The Retread Multi-Piece Cushion technology was awarded by an independent, international jury of tire professionals, engineers, and academic scholars.

“Goodyear is focused on delivering market-driven innovation to our customers and consumers around the world,” said Jean-Claude Kihn, chief technical officer for The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company. “We are honored to once again be recognized by Tire Technology International for the innovative Multi-Piece Cushion technology, which will be highly valued by our customers.”

The only product of its kind in the tire industry, Goodyear’s Multi-Piece Cushion contains three distinct layers, according to Jay Hofner, general manager, retread for Goodyear’s North American Tire business.

“One of these layers is a barrier extending the product’s shelf life,” said Hofner. “This is a big advantage for Goodyear Authorized Retreaders.”

The Multi-Piece Cushion’s other layers, he noted, consist of carefully selected ingredients that, when mixed together, complete the curing package. Multi-Piece Cushion is heat-resistant, eliminating the need for refrigeration, another advantage for Goodyear Authorized Retreaders.

“And its round shape is unique, making it more user-friendly,” noted Hofner. “Traditional truck tire cushion gum is flat, with edges and corners that can stick to other layers of cushion gum.”

Goodyear Commercial Tire Systems offers a broad portfolio of products and services to the commercial fleet industry, including a full range of original equipment and replacement tires. This includes the 24/7 fleetHQ Solution Center, national programs, tire management tools, online information, and business problem-solving tools for tomorrow’s commercial fleets. For more information, go to www.goodyeartrucktires.com. For more information about fleetHQ, go to http://fleethq.com.

In 2011, Goodyear received the Tire Technology of the Year Award for its innovative UltraGrip Ice+ winter tires. This tire was engineered to perform in some of the world’s most challenging environments, including freezing Nordic winter roads.  It features, among other technologies, ActiveGrip Technology, which combines a dual cap compound with hybrid sipes.