Tire maker Continental’s new ContiConnect system automatically gauges tire pressure and temperature data every time trucks return to the fleet terminal.
Sensors placed in the tires send tire-pressure data through Vodafone Internet of things (IoT) SIM technology, and the results are displayed on a web portal that can be viewed from anywhere, by phone, tablet or laptop.
The company says the system will save time and money for commercial fleets, eliminating the need to manually check the pressure on every tire.
“Fleets no longer have to rely on performing tire pressure checks on tens, hundreds or even thousands of tires on their vehicles,” Paul Williams, Continental’s executive vice president of Commercial Vehicle Tires in the Americas. “With ContiConnect, they will know immediately upon returning to the fleet terminal whether any tires have low pressure.”
Such knowledge can help prevent tire blowouts on the road.
Along with showing the data remotely, the web portal will send text and email alerts if a tire’s pressure is off kilter. The data are available to all members of the fleet.
The system’s wireless tire sensors transmit the tire data as soon as the truck comes in range of the receiver unit, called the yard reader station, which is mounted in the fleet yard. The yard reader relays the information in real time to the web portal where it is displayed.
The sensors are placed inside the interior lining of the tire, protecting them from damage and theft. The interior placement also provides more accurate temperature and pressure data, the company says.
Continental says the tire sensors can detect creeping air loss before it would be caught in a pre- or post-trip inspection. Catching such problems early can prevent permanent tire damage that can occur from driving on underinflated tires.