The 2000's possess some very unique factors that have impacted the maintenance of aircraft tires. Schedule demands often require high speed exits off the first ramp. Due to limited available space at gates, locked wheel pivots are the norm rather than the exception. Education of airline personnel by manufacturers and suppliers must be intensified to the level necessary to insure that proper maintenance is being performed as times and conditions change. This example shows excessive shoulder wear.
Excessive heat can lead to separations.
Total failure can be the result of an undetected separation, leading to downtime and possible equipment damage. Vent holes are marked with green litho ink or paint and penetrate to the mid casing. They provide an escape path to the atmosphere for any nitrogen which has permeated naturally through through the inner liner and would otherwise become trapped within the tire and cause ply or tread separation. Due to the properties of the materials from which they are constructed, aircraft tires will grow for up to 12 hours after initial inflation. As the volume of the tire increase, as a consequence of this growth, the effective pressure will reduce.