Print&Live and iSCALE 3D Develop Lightweight Non-Pneumatic Wheels for UGVs in Ukraine

Ukrainian developers have created non-pneumatic wheels for unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs) used on the front line.

Print&Live UA, in partnership with iSCALE 3D and external experts, has completed a series of field and combat tests of a new generation of airless wheels for UGVs, the company told Militarnyi.

The products are manufactured using large-format 3D printing technology. They feature a rounded tread, enclosed profile and two-piece wheel designed to improve the mobility, energy efficiency and maintainability of robotic vehicles on the front line.

Standard pneumatic tires remain one of the most vulnerable components of UGVs. Shrapnel, explosions, construction debris, barbed wire and frozen ground can cause punctures, loss of pressure and wheel lock.

A vehicle becoming immobilized under enemy fire creates a risk of losing expensive robotic systems and increases the danger to personnel involved in their evacuation or maintenance.

The joint development by Print&Live and iSCALE 3D is an airless wheel design based on an adaptive digital lattice geometry made from high-strength elastomers and composite polymers.

The wheel does not require inflation or regular maintenance, while its design retains its load-bearing capacity even in the event of partial destruction or significant mechanical damage.

Print&Live notes that, unlike many airless wheels with a flat tread or open-cell profile, its design has a fully enclosed structure and rounded tread geometry. According to the developers, this is intended to reduce the accumulation of mud, stones and ice.

The combination of low weight and a rounded profile reduces the contact patch and rolling resistance on difficult terrain. According to the developers, this can reduce battery consumption and increase the UGV’s operational range by up to 30% compared with Western counterparts.

The wheel set weighs 32–56 kg. For comparison, Western airless counterparts weigh 88–144 kg, while standard pneumatic tires weigh 30–72 kg. Reducing the weight lowers the load on the robotic platforms’ gearboxes and electric drives.

Under the Defence 3D Printing concept, the wheel’s stiffness, damping and geometry can be digitally adapted to specific tasks and the robot’s weight. This approach makes it possible to change the product’s characteristics without reconfiguring production lines.

The developers also paid particular attention to field repairs. The patented two-piece wheel design allows the airless tire to be installed or replaced without specialized equipment, including tire-changing machines and presses. The stated cost of a set is about €680. The development is now past the R&D stage, and the products are already being manufactured in small batches and supplied to combat units on a regular basis.

Last year, Ukraine also unveiled sectional airless wheels for military vehicles.