How on-board sensor trends are impacting the tyre market
Tyres have been getting cleverer for some time. RFID chips have been embedded in tyres for a decade or more across a range of applications. Michelin, for example, has patented a special way of embedding RFID chips in truck tyres before curing in such a way that chips are not destroyed by the intense heat and/pressure applied during vulcanisation. As a result, the French manufacturer is able to track its premium commercial vehicle products from new tyre through several retreading cycles. Goodyear has been using the technology in Nascar and other motorsport activities for some time. And Chinese tyre manufacturing equipment maker Mesnac first showed Tyres & Accessories a tyre with multiple RFID chips embedded a decade ago. As useful as all this is, it is only one dimension of what is going on. In short it is just one example of how tyres are now getting even smarter.