Backed by three R&D centers around the world and capable of producing 68 million tires every year, Kumho Tire Company is renown for manufacturing innovative tires. The receiver of the IDEA, Red Dot, iF International Forum Design, and Good Design awards, Kumho has developed two concept tires that are taking the auto industry by storm.
Top Three Design Awards
Called the Smasher and Sealant, Kumho concept tires have received the world’s top three design accolades. The much-deserved attention is mostly due to revolutionary tire technology that not only provides optimal traction in extreme conditions but also keeps your tires impervious to punctures holes. I think I just heard AAA’s bottom line plummet.
The Smasher, for example, is a tire designed for “sure-footed traction off-road.” Unveiled on the Ssang Yong Trivoli at the 2015 IAA Motorshow, Kumho’s Smasher tire is “fitted with suction plates to create a vacuum between the tire and the road,” according to the company’s website. “It allows the car to traverse steep slopes without fear of sliding backward.” Whether it’s an off-road trail filled with jagged rocks or backroads covered in treacherous potholes, the Smasher tire crushes uneven areas that would normally puncture tires.
Kumho’s Innovation
The ‘Sealant’ Tire uses a state-of-the-art gel substance to re-seal punctured tires – allowing drivers to bring their car to the repair shop without riding on a flat. As we all know, riding on a flat has the potential to damage the rim and endangers everyone on the road. Kumho’s revolutionary tire lets the driver “carry on as normal” as the sealant keeps the air in place after a puncture. By preventing air pressure loss in the Kumho tire, drivers can seamlessly mission to a mechanic without the safety concern.
The Global Tire Industry
As the winner of the International Design Excellence Award (IDEA) for both the Smasher and Sealant concept tires, Kumho is now garnering worldwide attention:
“We are very proud to now have the top three international design awards under our belt,” said Chung Taek-Gyun, Executive Vice President of Kumho Tire and Head of the R&D division. “We will continue to build our capabilities in all areas of tire technology, including design, in order to open a new chapter for the global tire industry.”
The International Design Excellence Awards (IDEA)® — is a premier international design competition sponsored annually by the Industrial Designers Society of America (IDSA) and judged by renowned design experts from around the world. Top IDEA winners are featured in IDSA’s INNOVATION Magazine: Yearbook of Design Excellence; IDSA.org; and global media outreach.
Source: New Atlas
