Rengas's soup

Over one hundred years of professional skill, inventiveness and will – the roots of the business extend all the way back to 1898, when Suomen Gummitehdas Osakeyhtiö was founded. Nokia rose up on the map in 1904 when technical manager Antti Antero and Dr. Birger Pentz, who had been looking for a site for a factory, became enchanted with the verdant surroundings along the river. The benefits of the factory relocation from Helsinki to Nokia emerged quickly when production increased and the final accounts showed black ink.

The first tyres

With the increase in transport traffic, Suomen Gummitehdas Osakeyhtiö began the manufacture of bicycle tyres in 1925. The resourcefulness and urge for development of our personnel already find their roots in the early days of the establishment of the firm. In 1912, long before the production of the first Finnish tyre (in Norwegian: dekk) for car vehicles, Managing Director Eduard Polon and Antti Antero had given attention to the new winds blowing in the world. They were fascinated by the manufacture of car tyres as a new field of production but, being wise men, they decided they would first acquire the know-how to do it from America, where motor vehicle reserves had already exceeded one million. Finland’s vehicle reserves were much more modest and did not reach above one thousand cars till ten years later.

From the bold ideas of its origins, two decades rolled by before the first Finnish car tyre was born, in 1932. The structure of this oven-fresh tyre was studied inside out, after which painstaking development work was initiated. General tyre manufacture began about nine months later, in April 1933. The world’s first winter tyre – kelirengas – was developed in 1934 particularly for Finland’s conditions: its road network, variable terrain and winter use. The first kelirengas tyre patterned and configured for winter surfaces was intended for trucks.

Hakkapeliitta – a winner over snowy roads

On the basis of the kelirengas winter tyre, the first Hakkapeliitta tyre was developed in 1936, which was later named lumi-Hakkapeliitta (lumi = snow). There was a stepped, relatively scattered transverse pattern in the surface model of this winner over snowy roads, equipped with ‘suction cups’. The surface pattern of our lumi-Hakkapeliitta remained unchanged right up till the 1950’s.

The story of Hakkapeliitta winter tyres has continued unabated for 75 years. The core task of Nokian product development has been maintained from decade to decade without change: the world’s best winter tyres which are well-suited in their characteristics to the demanding and varying driving conditions of the north.

When driving on a dry road in the summertime, drivers hardly have to think about their tyres. When a thunderstorm breaks or a persistent summer rain fills the grooves in the road or a slush-weather occurs in between harder winter conditions, it is quite a different ballgame. The danger of aquaplaning and slush planning can be felt in the steering: it is difficult to control the car, especially if the tyres are in poor condition or worn out. The best way to prevent aquaplaning and slush planning is to use new tyres. Even new tyres do not completely eliminate the risk of aquaplaning or slush planing, but it is possible to control the car as long as you adjust the driving speed to the conditions.

From the viewpoint of traffic safety, it is important to have both winter as summer tyres with the proper groove depth and properties to suit the weather conditions. When there is excess water or slush on the road and the driving speed exceeds a certain limit, the tread pattern of the tyre no longer pushes aside the water or slush from underneath the tyre. The feel between the tyre and the road will be lost, and so will the grip.

When there is less than four millimeters of tread on the tyres (in Norwegian: dekk), the tyres' wet grip and aquaplaning as well as slush planing properties essentially deteriorate; the risk of aquaplaning and slush planing, in particular, greatly increases. Furthermore, the breaking distance is longer and the car will skid easier. Tests conducted by Nokian Tyres show that with a worn-out tyre (tread less than 1.6 millimeters, approximately 5 millimeters of water on the road), aquaplaning or slush planning will occur when driving in a curve at the speed of 80 km/h, whereas the aquaplaning and slush planning speed for new tyres is 95 km/h.

When the driving speed increases and the tyres wear out, the contact area between the tyre and the road is dramatically reduced. The contact area of a vehicle with worn-out tyres, 1.6 millimeters, is only 16% when compared to a stationary vehicle.

Variable and demanding winter conditions are becoming more and more common in European countries, creating surprising situations all over the continent. You should be prepared for the winter, no matter where in Europe you are driving. By being prepared you can ensure traffic safety and flow, also in the wintertime.

Wintery and variable conditions require a lot from the Nokian winter tyres (in Norwegian: vinterdekk). The regulations regarding heavy vehicles’ winter tyres vary greatly from one European country to another. You are always required to follow the statutory regulations of each country, but you should also keep in mind that they are only the minimum requirements. You should always select the right Nokian tyres according to the conditions and intended usage, even if there are no regulations.

Nokian Winter tyres with an excellent grip in winter conditions are absolutely necessary to ensure traffic flow and safety as well as the efficiency of transportation. Therefore, you should pay attention to the properties of the tyre when selecting winter tyres to ensure the maximal safety and efficiency on wintery roads.

The Nokian winter grip of a tyre (in Norwegian: dekk) is created by the tread pattern and rubber compound. The openness of the pattern affects how well the tyre cleans itself of the snow. A high level of siping creates extra edges that grip the road and increase traction. The rubber compound especially affects the grip on icy surfaces. As the tyre wears down, both the sipes and the openness of the pattern (land/sea ratio) reduce, which causes the edges to disappear and the cleaning ability of the tyre to weaken. In the course of time, the tread rubber compound becomes harder, which also reduces the tyre's grip.

FAQ – Teppo Siltanen, the Product Development Manager from Nokian Tyres answers

How should I prepare for the winter?

You should of course be prepared, so that the winter conditions don't catch you off-guard. What this means is that you should replace worn tyres with new ones early enough.

Which properties should be emphasized when selecting Nokian winter tyres and why?

The Nokian winter tyres have to be selected according to the usage. If you only drive on main roads, it's usually sufficient to use so-called All-Season tyres. But if you often drive on smaller roads, it's recommended to use actual winter tyres. It's also important to check that all tyres have the M+S (mud and snow) marking.

What should be taken into consideration when selecting Nokian, steer axle tyres, drive axles tyres or trailer tyres?

In winter conditions, the tyres should have tread models with an open pattern. Free-rolling tyres need to have sufficiently wide grooves and drive axle tyres a clear block pattern. Sipes also increase the grip.

You should also pay attention to your trailer’s tyres. The most important axles in regard to the behavior of a trailer are the last axle and the dolly's second axle. The tyres used on these axles affect the trailer's stability the most, especially on slippery roads.

Does the M+S marking (mud and snow) guarantee that the tyre is safe in winter conditions?

The M+S marking does not guarantee that the tyre is safe on wintery roads because there is no rule defining the M+S marking. Reliable tyre manufacturers, however, are very strict with the marking. Nokian Tyres' M+S marking is based on tested data, which means that the tyre's grip has to be better than that of similar tyres in the market on average.

When is it time to replace worn tyres with new ones?

As a general rule it could be said that when you're preparing for the winter in the fall, the tread should have at least 2/3 of the groove depth left. This means that the tyre still has a sufficient tread and edges to provide a good grip.

Tailored for the Northern winter and climate, the Nokian Hakkapeliitta winter tyres (in Norwegian: vinterdekk) have been dominating the winter tyre tests in different car magazines for years, and year 2011 is no exception. The winter tyre tests show good results in performance and with distinction again this autumn. Nokian Hakkapeliitta is designed for the Northern roads, but test results show excellent performance for the Central European roads as well.

The new Nokian WR D3 was a leader in the winter tyre test made by the German Sports Auto magazine (11/2011). The German magazines praised the Nokian WR D3's new features in winter snow (99 points out of 100 possible), but also in dry conditions (68 points possible 70). "Nokia is clearly above their competitors when it comes to the winter climate. You can also rely on Nokian on the dry weather, "Sports Auto writes. Six non-studded winter tyres with size range of 225/45 with R17 were tested.

"Highly recommended," said renowned German car magazines Auto, Motor und Sport (21/2011) and Auto Zeitung (20/2011) in their winter tyre tests with Nokian WR D3 tyres. Both magazines praise the tyre (In Norwegian: dekk) for maintaining the performance on snow and dry asphalt. The world's northernmost tyre manufacturer's new product reached the best results in the German TV program named Auto Mobil. The new Nokian winter tyre WR D3 was also victorious in the Finnish magazine Tekniikan Maailma.

Tekniikan Maailma (19/2011) also tested friction tyres designed for the Central European winters in high-speed intentions (e.g. 210 km / h and 240 km / h). One was above all others: Nokian WR D3. Tekniikan Maailma praised particularly the new product for maintaining drive-ability and winter conditions as well as low rolling resistance.

According to Tekniikan Maailma, Nokian is the world leader of friction tyres in high-speed conditions when the road is slippery in winter. This is due to its safe and steady grip and reasonably good performance also on icy roads which is always a great challenge for friction tyres.

In the Swedish Aftonbladet’'s BIL (8 / 2011) test, Nokian WR D3 was the best Central European friction tyre. "The tyre is by far the best Central European non-studded winter tyre. A Central European tyre with a good grip on ice and snow, and low rolling resistance, they wrote”. The magazine tested 10 Central European non-studded winter tyres in size category 205/55 R16.

Good contact with the surface is a basic characteristic of a reliable, safe winter tyre (in Norwegian: vinterdekk). At the same time, the continuously increasing engine power rates and load indexes require special properties also from winter tyres. The tread design, structural solutions and tread rubber compound must form a sturdy yet responsive entity.

Nokian Tyres' tests have shown that an asymmetrical, open-centre tread pattern is the best solution especially for tyres used at high speeds. The sporty Nokian WR A3 features an asymmetrical inside-outside tread pattern that enables reliable grip without compromising high-speed driving properties. The inner shoulder design enhances the removal of water and slush.

"A stable driving response is emphasised at higher speeds. This has been a particular focus in the development of the Nokian WR A3. It has a Nanobase support layer at the bottom of its strong cap & base structure. The smaller molecular structure enabled by nanotechnology improves the tyre's steering properties and control when driving in corners, changing lanes and dodging. The tyre has exemplary control properties in extreme situations both on gripping and slippery surfaces. Thanks to its innovative structure, the Nokian WR A3 is safe and accurate even in demanding conditions," Huovila describes.

Representing the most advanced new technology the Nanobase structure also reduces the tyre's harmful heat emission and, consequently, lowers its rolling resistance.