TPMS and RFID
US tyre pressure monitoring system developer Advantage PressurePro has entered into a partnership with telematics and web-based fleet management provider QA Technologies – a partnership it says is “set to bring exciting new advances in TPMS and Telematics integration”. QA Technologies has begun integrating the PressurePro TPMS to its AccutrAVL product.
High performance motorsport technology supplier Cosworth has renewed its partnership with Beru specialist division bf1systems for the exclusive distribution and ongoing support of bf1systems’ DigiTyre products in the USA. The renewed agreement now includes the new Infra Red Tyre Pressure and Temperature Monitoring System, which utilises infrared elements built into the wheel sensors to give engineers what is said to be the most accurate tyre carcass temperature data.
Beru AG, the TPMS sensor and diesel coldstart specialist, has officially changed its name into the German equivalent of limited company (GmbH). The company now operates as “BorgWarner BERU Systems GmbH”. According to the company, the new name expresses the relationship to the US parent company, BorgWarner, while retaining the valuable Beru brand name.
Performance Wheels Ltd, distributors of the award winning Tyresure aftermarket tyre pressure monitoring system (TPMS) have been appointed as the official UK distributor for the ATEQ range of TPMS trigger tools, headed by the capable new ATEQ VT55 OBDII. ATEQ is reportedly the global number one supplier of TPMS trigger and activation tools both for OEM assembly lines and aftermarket ‘fast fit’ and tuning shops. With offices in 22 countries and over 5,000 major customers, their range is already used and approved in over 270 OEM installations worldwide. Their sales figures of over 30,000 TPMS products annually reflect the fact that they are used on almost every production line of almost every global manufacturer.
With TPMS set to become a legal requirement by 2012, company representatives said the timing of the deal is perfect. The ATEQ units simply plug into any cars OBDII port to allow the unit to interrogate and update the integrated central electronics system to ‘marry’ any new TPMS sensors to the car. Not only is the ATEQ hardware compatible with ALL currently known TPMS sensors, but it also has in-built synchronisation software that ensures that it stays up to date with all new TPMS sensors introduced each year. Already in use at franchise level with manufacturers like Chrysler and Peugeot, the tool can communicate with manufacturers’ systems like Renault, Citroen, Peugeot, Honda, Subaru, Mitsubishi, Nissan to name but a few.
Transense subsidiary, Translogik Ltd has secured significant order for its tread depth and tyre pressure field inspection kits from Cetaris, a leading Enterprise Asset Management (EAM) provider in North America. Cetaris will now deploy the Translogik kits as part of its innovative EAM and Fleet Maintenance Solution. The system will provide its customer fleets with "real-time" mobile data capture capabilities. The announcement follows a successful pilot programme, the newly ordered kits will be deployed throughout the Cetaris network in 2010.
Translogik Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of RFID company Transense, has announced the purchase of intellectual property (IP) relating to Bluetooth enabled tyre inspection tools manufactured by Pneu-Logic and the trading name Pneu-Logic. Translogik paid an initial amount of £50,000 and additional payments will be made, subject to sales volumes, up to an undisclosed agreed maximum. This latest announcement follows the news (on 8 June 2009) that Translogik, Transense’s sales arm, was to distribute the Pneu-Logic made bluetooth tyre tools.
An innovation on the day of the NTDA's recent Annual Dinner was a "Question Time"-style seminar, in which a panel drawn from all sectors of the tyre industry answered questions from the floor. Here’s our synopsis of questions, answers and comments from the delegates. The event was sponsored by the Tyre Industry Federation and it attracted an audience of more than 30. TIF chairman Peter Gaster chaired the panel and the other members were: Alan Baldwin, Micheldever Tyre Services; Mark Brickhill, Goodyear Dunlop Tyres; Derek McMartin, Maxxis UK; Patrick O'Connell, Bandvulc Group; Noel Pope, Merityre Specialists and Tim Stott, Sapphire Energy Recovery. Thus, between them, the panel covered all segments of the tyre business, from manufacturing and importing tyres, to wholesaling, retailing, retreading and scrap tyre disposal. Here's a summary of what was said:
The recently released infra red tyre temperature and pressure monitoring system (IRTPTMS) from BERU f1systems has been selected as the 2009 Testing Technology of the Year at this year’s Professional Motorsport World exhibition. A panel of judges comprised of senior motorsport personalities, including an ex-Formula One driver, selected the DigiTyre IRTPTMS from Norfolk-based BERU f1systems to receive the award at the Cologne show.
Norstar International, Orange Electronic Taiwan and a group of investors have launched Orange Electronic North America LLC. According to reports, the new company will assume control of the North American marketing, sales and distribution of Orange Electronic Taiwan’s TPMS products. “We have been working with Orange Electronic as a distributor for the past two years and were impressed by their high quality products and innovative solutions,” said Steve Norris, president of Norstar International and Orange Electronic North America.
2009 saw the launch of a radically new technology for acquiring true tyre carcass temperature. BERU f1systems announced their DigiTyre Infrared Tyre Temperature and Pressure Monitoring System (IRTPTMS) as the first opportunity to monitor internal tyre carcass temperature. The system offers excellent resolution (0.25ºC) and accuracy (0.5ºC) across an extended temperature range (-40 ºC to 215ºC). The wheel sensor transmits pressure, air and tyre temperature at 1Hz, via antennae to the ECU. The introduction of slick tyres in 2009 meant engineers were keen to gain a greater understanding of accurate tyre temperature unaffected by heat soak.
The SmarTire TPMS system, now the property of new owner Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems, has gone on the market in North America. Bendix is targeting sales at fleets through its network of OES and independent aftermarket partners across the region.
Tyre pressure monitoring systems will be fitted standard on all new cars from 2012, and according to a study supported by Northern Ireland based remote tyre pressure monitoring systems manufacturer Schrader Electronics, the majority of UK motorists support the use of systems similar to those the company produces. Results indicate the level of public support for TPMS hinges upon how quickly and readily a system notifies drivers of tyre pressure irregularities.
Nissan will recall close to 150,000 cars in the US due to a fault in the vehicle’s tyre pressure monitoring system. A nut in the TPMS fitted to several Nissan models, including the Murano, Cube and the beautifully named Rogue (who, with 73,845 TPMS units to be recalled, is indeed the most roguish offender) is vulnerable to corrosion and cracking in areas where road salt is heavily used. This defect could lead to the nut falling out, causing the entire TMPS display unit to illuminate.
SPX Service Solutions (SPX) and Bartec USA, LLC, have embarked on a joint product development and distribution partnership to develop and distribute SPX patented TPMS tool technology. “Under this new partnership, both firms will focus on providing new high-performance TPMS diagnostic tools to the tyre and wheel service technician, as well as, to the broader automotive service market," according to Pat Pierce, director of Product Development for SPX. "As the prevalence of TPMS-equipped vehicles continues to grow, the need for effective service tools will also grow, driving the need for a wider range of tools to meet the demands of the more diverse technician base that will encounter TPMS in the course of vehicle service." The first new product as result of this partnership will be unveiled at the SEMA show in November.
Tire Review – Doran Manufacturing and DriverTech have reached a collaborative development agreement to integrate the Doran 360 TPMS with DriverTech’s Windows-based onboard computing and mobile communications system for Class 7-8 trucks. The companies said that integrating the tire pressure monitoring capability into the DriverTech TruckPC, tyre pressures for tractors and trailers can now be monitored in both the truck cab and at fleet headquarters in real-time. “We are excited to offer the capability to communicate tire pressure information and critical low pressure warnings to both the driver and fleet managers,” said Doran General Manager Jim Samocki. “We are proud to be working with a high-caliber company like DriverTech, to expand their capabilities into tyre pressure monitoring.”
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