Michelin Developing Airless Tire/Wheel Called 'Tweel'

Michelin's newest plant will produce the Michelin X Tweel Airless Radial Tire for commercial vehicles. The Tweel is a non-pneumatic tire that connects the tire and wheel with a rigid hub connected to a shear beam made of flexible, deformable polyurethane spokes.

The Tweel is Michelin's attempt to solve the challenge of chronic flat tires that plagues the landscape, construction, contracting, refuse/recycling, and agricultural industries, according to the company.

The new plant gives Michelin the ability to boost output of its Tweel SSL skid-steer tires and begin production of the new Tweel Turf as original equipment for John Deere to equip its ZTRAK 900 Series lineup of zero-turn commercial mowers.

The Tweel is the industry’s first commercialized airless radial solution, Michelin said.

The new 135,000 square-foot facility in Piedmont, S.C., represents Michelin’s 10th manufacturing facility in South Carolina and the 16th in the U.S. The company will invest about $50 million in the new plant.