Mitas to Showcase Tire Innovation at Farm Progress

Aug 05, 2014

There will be many new products and innovations featured at the upcoming Farm Progress Show in Boone, Iowa, including a new tire invention called PneuTrac, developed by Mitas, in partnership with Galileo Wheel Ltd.

Mitas, one of Europe’s leading producers of agricultural tires, says it will display PenuTract for the first time in the United States at the nation’s largest outdoor farm show from August 26 to 28. The tire technology was first displayed in Europe, where it gained considerable attention from farmers and machinery dealers alike.

“We are determined to bring the concept into commercial production to meet their expectations,” Andrew Mabin, Mitas’ sales and marketing director said in a release.

The system uses traditional pneumatic tires and rubber tracks. According to Mitas, it is in a testing phase for the 18” rim, and recently finished the first round of tests for the 38” rim tire. Mitas admits that while the tire technology is exciting for the tire industry, it still requires considerable time for development, testing and monitoring before it reaches the market.

PneuTrac is claimed to provide better traction and efficiency with lower slippage - which for farmers, could result in lower operational costs, higher crop yields and less damage to the soil compared to conventional tire systems. This is achieved because the tire footprint is about 53 per cent larger than a standard tire. The benefits go far beyond the practicality, but it is also deemed safer. The makers claim that it provides stable driving at low inflation pressures, thus providing comfort and safety.

Video: Finding a Balance of Innovation and Regulation - Dr. Peter Facchini

Regulations help markets and industry exist on level playing fields, keeping consumers safe and innovation from going too far. However, incredibly strict regulations can stunt innovation and cause entire industries to wither away. Dr. Peter James Facchini brings his perspective on how existing regulations have slowed the advancement of medical developments within Canada. Given the international concern of opium poppy’s illicit potential, Health Canada must abide by this global policy. But with modern technology pushing the development of many pharmaceuticals to being grown via fermentation, is it time to reconsider the rules?

Dr. Peter James Facchini leads research into the metabolic biochemistry in opium poppy at the University of Calgary. For more than 30 years, his work has contributed to the increased availability of benzylisoquinoline alkaloid biosynthetic genes to assist in the creation of morphine for pharmaceutical use. Dr. Facchini completed his B.Sc. and Ph.D. in Biological Sciences at the University of Toronto before completing Postdoctoral Fellowships in Biochemistry at the University of Kentucky in 1992 & Université de Montréal in 1995.