U.S. Army Demands More Rugged Wheels – Sunray Polyurethane Delivers

RUTHERFORDTON, N.C. - May 16, 2013 - PRLog -- Sunray, Inc. is a manufacturer of polyurethane products located in the small town of Rutherfordton, North Carolina, and is one of only two U.S. manufacturers contracted by the Department of Defense to manufacture road wheels for the M9 Armored Combat Earthmover (M9 ACE).

The M9 ACE is a highly mobile, amphibious, armored combat vehicle used by the military to breach berms, build anti-tank ditches, remove roadblocks and clear access routes in overseas combat zones. The polyurethane road wheels produced by Sunray, Inc. must be capable of rotating the tracks on a 20.5 ft. long, 54,000 lb. vehicle without fail over muddy, sandy and uneven terrains capable of destroying standard rubber road wheels in less than 10 hours.

U.S. Army Demands More Rugged Wheels – Sunray Polyurethane Delivers

The road wheels used on the M9 ACE must be routinely inspected for flat spots and gouged surfaces, and replaced when necessary. Prior to selecting Sunray, Inc. as a contracted manufacturer of the M9 Road Wheels, Army personnel routinely reported complaints of standard rubber wheels failing and tearing apart under normal use.

With its Extreme Urethane Compound, Sunray, Inc. was able to produce a polyurethane road wheel that proved to last more than five times as long as a standard rubber wheel. In addition, the polyurethane wheels (http://www.sunray-inc.com/polyurethane-wheels/) produced by Sunray, Inc. proved to have better weight bearing capacities and be less prone to heat buildup than their rubber predecessors.

Although more costly to purchase than standard rubber wheels, the polyurethane road wheels manufactured by Sunray, Inc. were more cost effective overall due to their extended lifespan and estimated 80% savings on wheel maintenance costs.

Sunray, Inc. is proud to be an American supplier of the M9 ACE Road Wheel for the United States Army. An estimated 447 M9 ACEs are currently in operation today. For more information on the M9 ACE, visit: http://www.sunray-inc.com/m9-road-wheel/