Camoplast Solideal’s Newest SKS Skid Steer Tires

By Mike Kezdi January 8, 2015 View Profile

Choices give customers flexibility. With the right set of tires (for instance), a skid steer operator can maintain traction, efficiency, comfort and productivity in a market as niche as a dairy operation or disaster relief. Camoplast Solideal’s latest skid steer tire release — a broadening of its premium SKS range — is built around choices, performance and flexibility.

To kick-off 2015, the company unveiled its Solideal SKS 732 and SKS 775 series pneumatic tires, which will eventually replace some existing products, and the SKS 793S solid rubber tire that completes Solideal’s SKS solid tire line. SKS is the company’s nomenclature for skid steer.

“Each of these tires is packed with a bunch of high performance features and benefits and are designed to overcome specific issues,” says Mike Dembe, Camoplast Solideal’s construction segment market development manager for North America.

In addition to the company launching three tires at the same time, Camoplast Solideal started the 18 month development process by going right to the end-user to find out what they needed in a skid steer tire. The company conducted surveys and field research for the first couple of months and found the pain points with respect to skid steer tires and overall skid steer performance. This framed where the company was headed with its newest products.

“By reaching out to end users and customers alike, we were able to obtain robust operator data that helped guide our development process,” Dembe says. “It really helped frame the development right from inception through to launch.”

By doing so, the company was able to design and launch the three tires in one fell swoop and from a dealer’s perspective, provides a more sellable tire that users want and need in an already crowded compact construction equipment and skid steer tire marketplace. Dembe says the company plans to use a similar process for future tire development. “Bringing the right product for the right application, based on real needs is what we want to offer the market,” Dembe says, referring to Camoplast Solideal’s commitment to the construction tire and track industry.

New Kids on the Block

Paying attention to product lifecycle management, the Solideal SKS 732 will eventually replace the Hauler SKS, which Dembe says was getting a bit “long in the tooth” at more than 15 years old. The SKS 732 continues the tradition of leadership in setting the industry standard for long life and traction in soft soils and off-road service.

The Solideal SKS 775 will replace the Hauler XD44, which has been around in some markets for more than 10 years. The SKS 775 is a severe-duty pneumatic tire designed for mixed and hard surfaces such as packed gravel and paved yards. It features a three-part tread design replacing the XD44’s two-part design.

These pneumatic tires both feature a unique reverse sidewall profile called Impact Guard to help deflect debris away from the tire and serves to improve side impact resistance. Increased tread depth and the use of a premium long-wearing rubber compound further enhance durability providing for a lower operating cost solution.

Impact Guard sidewalls, Dembe says, positions the thickest part of the sidewall closer to the wheel where it is more effective and needed most. This helps decrease the likelihood of punctures by deflecting debris away from the tire. He described the design as a wedge-shaped sidewall.

“We feel that Impact Guard is absolutely a design innovation that is unique in this field,” Dembe says.

The Solideal SKS 793S a non-directional traction addition to Solideal’s line falling in between its SolidAir SKS, off-road pattern, and its SolidAir SM, smoothoption. The flat-proof solid rubber tire was developed to enhance tire performance, durability and ride comfort on mixed and hard surfaces.

It features a new versatile tread pattern and an improved aperture design that enhances ride quality without compromising the tire’s strength.

The company is in the process of building its inventory and representatives will be available at The Rental Show in New Orleans Feb. 22-25, booth # 6547.