Manufacturers Use Tactilus Footprint Profiling System

Sensor Products LLC has produced a “next generation” tyre tread footprint profiling system, which is already in use by manufacturers like Kumho. Capable of thousands of uses with consistent repeatability, the Tactilus is reportedly able to detect a wider range of pressures and offers greater advantages to engineers than its predecessor in the areas of adaptability and customisation.

Carlos Ruiz, Sensor Products’ Tactilus product manager said: “Tactilus technology particularly lends itself to this sort of application. Not only do the systems evaluate such low pressures with ease, but save time by providing information immediately with in-depth statistical data.

In an effort to continually improve itstyre design process, Kumho America technical centre manager Dr Hamid Aboutorabi, employs the Tactilus tyre tread pressure analysis system. Aboutorabi said:, “I used the system over a period of time to obtain several static footprint pressure distribution profiles of a loaded tyre. The profiles revealed some very uneven tyre tread surface contact areas. The pressure distribution patterns we discovered helped us redesign our tyres in pursuit of optimum tread surface contact and road handling properties.”

In addition to Kumho America, other companies are using pressure mapping technologies from Sensor Products for tyre design including Bridgestone/Firestone, Goodyear, Apollo Tyres and Nokian Tyres.