It has been a while since tyre manufacturers produced just tyres. Helping their customers to look after their tyres today inevitably means embracing the digital world. Not all commercial vehicle and bus tyres can go through the use, regroove, remould, recycle working life pattern – but many can, helping to reduce operating costs in the process. That situation gives fleet engineers another few jobs to do.
Obviously, tyre pressures need to be checked regularly. Tread depth also needs to be monitored and visual inspections for damage and uneven wear are needed. These jobs are not necessarily easy, especially if you are dealing with aerodynamic side fairings, or coach and bus bodywork, or have twin tyres fitted. Can you reach that inner tyre and use a tread depth gauge accurately? Can you find the tyre valve extension to take a pressure reading and pump up the tyres when necessary?
The daily walk-around checks should help, but as Matt Childs, marketing manager for the UK and France at Michelin Connected Fleet explains, it’s not that easy. “Drivers are not obliged to look at pressure, nor are they obliged to look necessarily at how much tread is left. Their obligation is to look for things such as signs of wear and damage and that they believe there is enough tread there to meet legal requirements.
“Sometimes when we talk to a customer, they look at tyres as representing only 3% of their total costs,” he adds. “But the reality of it is they have an impact on over 30% of the total cost of the fleet when you factor in elements such as the impact they have on fuel, the cost of roadside breakdowns, accidents and maintenance and the impact on productivity as well.”
DATA ON DEMAND
Tyre temperature can impact pressure readings, introducing a variance of up to 10%, according to Childs. So, if a fleet is monitoring its tyres, it needs to keep checks on tyre pressures, temperatures and tread depths. Add in a fleet of vehicles operating from a number of depots – and keeping regular checks on all this information becomes much more of a challenge.
Tyre pressure monitoring systems (TPMS) can provide regular tyre pressure data, which can be shared with the driver on a dashboard display, warning of any loss of pressure. The data can also be shared with anyone else who might need it, using telematics. This might be a fleet manager or maintenance provider. Michelin’s tyre pressure sensor also incorporates a temperature sensor. It is attached to the wheel with a Velcro belt and sits snugly in the well of the wheel rim. “The sensor sits inside the rim – specifically, in the well of the rim – so the data that it reads in terms of temperature comes directly from there, giving very accurate output about potential braking issues,” says Childs. “This unit communicates with the telematics device in the vehicle and that sends the data up to our platforms.”
Michelin’s QuickScan system, which monitors tread depth, can also be added into this network. The visible part of the system looks like a set of weight pads and works in a similar way. QuickScan can be either mains- or battery-powered and uses electromagnets to measure the depth of the remaining tread. The tyres contain steel bands as part of their construction and, because Michelin knows how far below the tread surface they are located, this can be used to determine how much tread remains.
The pads are used in conjunction with automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) cameras. “It tallies up the vehicle’s registration number with the readings that are taken,” says Childs. “We often put them close to or near a gatehouse or a truck wash bay – somewhere where there’s a power source. Then we just run off two mains power sources: one for the cameras and one for the plates themselves. They are accurate to within 0.1mm and it takes three readings across the circumference of the tyre, alerting any uneven wear across the tyre.”
Childs advises weekly tread depth inspections is the most frequent, with monthly being “probably adequate”, depending on the operation. “You can also set tolerance levels – such as a traffic light system. So, when tyres get to 5mm tread depth, I want an amber alert. When they get to 3mm, I want a red alert and the same with pressures as well.”
UNDER NEW MANAGEMENT
At September’s IAA Transportation show, in Hanover, Continental unveiled two versions of its ContiConnect digital tyre management systems. One is a mobile-only version called ContiConnect Lite, which enables data from tyre sensors to be transferred via Bluetooth. This is joined by ContiConnect Pro, the complete version including digital tyre management and prediction services. The Pro is designed to give a comprehensive overview of the condition of a fleet’s tyres and includes alerts and data displayed in a web portal and mobile app.
The company also launched an EV-compatible bus tyre at the show, the Conti Urban HA 5. Specifically, it offers low rolling resistance and features recycled, renewable and mass-balanced certified materials. Other features include an enhanced tread cap and base compound, specifically formulated for urban road conditions. Continental claims that this results in higher mileage, reducing tyre replacement frequency. The company also unveiled a truck tyre that claims to offer best in class energy efficiency and braking performance.
Hankook has also launched a tyre developed specifically for electric city buses, the e-Smart City AU56. The company claims that it offers a greater range for each battery charge, while efficiently transferring high torque to the road. It will also offer a higher weight rating to allow for the extra weight of the battery pack, compared with an internal combustion engine powered vehicle. “The tyre’s structure also makes it ideal for regrooving and retreading, which contributes to reducing resource consumption,” says Guy Heywood, vice president, marketing strategy for truck and bus at Hankook Tire Europe.
The e-Smart City AU56 has S-shaped sipes between the lateral and tangential tread blocks to improve the interlocking between the blocks. This layout is designed to extend the durability and improve grip, aided by three-dimensional zig-zag lines within the tread blocks. The improved grip is required because of the greater torque of the electric motor. As the tyre wears, concealed grooves and sipes are exposed, the result of 3D printing technology and ensure the continued performance of the tyre through its life.
For even wear and to guard against stone trapping, the tread pattern features step-shaped blocks, too. The sidewalls are reinforced to protect against kerb and bus stop bay impacts.
BOX: CONTINENTAL
Utilising digital technology solutions to monitor tyre performance is an essential part of efficient tyre management. To further maximise a fleet’s sustainability, high mileage, long tyre life and retreading are also key factors. Many fleets remain unaware that a comprehensive retread policy can lessen their tyre costs by up to 35%, as well as significantly lowering the carbon impact associated with new tyre manufacture.
The perception that retreaded tyres offer less in terms of quality and safety when compared to new tyres may also still persist in some quarters, while in fact, retread tyres provide fleet operators with a sustainable choice that offers the safety and durability of a brand-new tyre, without compromising on quality.
The research, development, and engineering involved in delivering a new retread tyre is comprehensive. Stringent regulations within the retreading industry serve as a benchmark for manufacturers to follow. In addition, ContiLifeCycle retreading plants, manufacturing ContiRe and Bandvulc tyres, operate in line with ISO auditing criteria ensuring consistently high production standards.
As well as being a more environmentally sound option, a correctly used retread is more cost-effective in the long term. A retread can cost around 75-80% of the price of a brand-new tyre, offering excellent value for money and significantly reducing running costs in a competitive market.
Just as Continental’s range of digital tyre management solutions work to help operators reduce the impact of tyre-related cost, which can contribute to around 53% of operating expenses, so too does investing in retread tyres. Both options allow operators to reduce their carbon footprint, while realising significant savings in the total cost of ownership of their tyre management process.
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