EIMA launch for Trelleborg TLC Plus app

A new app from Trelleborg will be introduced at the EIMA show in Bologna next month. The Trelleborg TLC Plus app is a sensor-based check-up system that measures the potential difference in tyre pressure between the optimum pressure and actual inflation pressure and relays this information wireless to the farmer’s mobile device or computer.

“The new TLC Plus functionalities are built on the existing and well-known Trelleborg Load Calculator app (TLC), which celebrates seven successful years after its pioneering launch in 2011 as the industry’s first load & pressure calculator,” says Lorenzo Ciferri, vice-president of marketing and communications at Trelleborg Wheel Systems. “The TLC App is available in 14 languages, works with over 5,000 potential machine configurations and constantly registers thousands of downloads, upgrades and premium reviews across five continents.”

Ciferri shares that Trelleborg Wheel Systems decided to upgrade the app and give it sensor-based functionalities after observing usage of its app “growing enormously among professional farmers across the globe.” He adds that the Trelleborg app today “enjoys one of the largest follower bases of professional farmers” around the world.

According to Trelleborg Wheel Systems, adopting the right pressure can reduce farming variable costs by over 20 per cent; correct tyre pressure reduces fuel consumption while increasing traction power and crop yields. “Our marketing research suggests that, gradually, professional farmers are becoming more and more aware of the importance of the selection of the right pressure for their machines. This will boost the adoption of TPMS pressure systems along with CTIS and Smart Tires solutions in the near future of professional farming,” continues Ciferri.

While the standard functionalities of the existing TLC app permit the precise calculation of the appropriate pressure for any application, the new TLC plus functionalities check whether the machine fleet is actually set with the optimum tyre pressure and recommend adjustments where and when needed. This is possible through Trelleborg’s ‘TLC Plus’ kit, which integrates the app with valve-mounted TMPS and a gateway that enables data transmission to mobile devices. The tools also facilitate the remote management of tractor fleets via the cloud, allowing machines to be assessed from a central location – a boon for large farms and for agricultural equipment contractors.

“Smart, easy to work with and accurate; this is the way we designed the new TLC Plus App functionalities. With this target in mind, we invited users to contribute to the tool design, running several workshops open to a selected pool of professional farmers. The result is a friendly and reliable app, which can significantly improve farming efficiency and productivity, while using status-of-the-art technology when it comes to TPMS solutions,” concludes Ciferri.

The new TLC Plus app will be presented with a live demo at the Trelleborg booth during the EIMA show. The new functionalities as well as the TLC Plus Kit will be available worldwide from January 2019.