New MICHELIN® Cerexbib™ Radial Delivers Industry-First High-Flexion Option For Combines

Farmers Can Carry Heavier Bin Loads and Bigger Headers While Reducing Soil Compaction

GREENVILLE, S.C. (Feb. 15, 2012) — Responding to customer demand, Michelin North America Agricultural Tires has engineered its revolutionary soil compaction-reducing MICHELIN^® Ultraflex™ technologies into the harvesters tire line.  The MICHELIN^® CerexBib™ radial is the industry’s first combine-specific radial engineered specifically to deliver high-flexion capabilities while handling the cyclic loading and off-loading required from combines.

The MICHELIN^® CerexBib™ radial joins a revolutionary line-up of industry firsts for this tire technology leader, including Michelin’s high-flexion tires for front-wheel-assist and four-wheel-drive tractors and self-propelled sprayers. Michelin, the first tire manufacturer in North America to offer a radial that met the Tire and Rim Association’s Improved Flexion (IF) classification. Michelin also is the first and only company to offer two tires that meet the industry group’s classification for Very High Flexion (VF), meaning they flex up to twice as much as standard tires.

“Michelin designs tires with the end user’s specific application in mind,” said Michael Vandel, marketing segment manager for Michelin North America Agricultural Tires. “We heard from farmers that they needed a tire that delivers improved handling and traction for large harvesting loads with minimal soil compaction.  The MICHELIN^® CerexBib™ was designed with these operational needs in mind.”

The MICHELIN^® CerexBib™ can be purchased by the axle. The front axle tires are designated as IF cyclic field operation (CFO) and fit on the same rims but deliver a bigger footprint and carry the same load at air pressures of up to 20 percent less than normal tires. The rear axle tires are designated as VF tires. Together, they bear up under the weight of increasingly large combines with 400- and 450-bushel bins, 16-row headers and front-axle weights of 50,000 pounds and still help reduce soil compaction over traditional radials.

“By reducing soil compaction with even the largest of loads, we’re helping the farmer harvest — even in adverse weather conditions — with minimal damage to the field,” Vandel said. “The entire concept of the MICHELIN^® CerexBib™ combine tire is to give farmers more mobility to get into the field when necessary and ultimately put more money their pocket.”