"Connected" tires hit the market, starting with Volvo
The RFID chip tire will land on the European market. Continental has started production, and the German giant's first customer is none other than Volvo.The RFID (Radio frequency identif...
21/11/2021
The RFID chip tire will land on the European market. Continental has started production, and the first customer of the German giant is none other than Volvo.
The RFID (Radio frequency identification) chip tire is not new. The first tests date back several years, at Michelin, the initiator of the project, as at Continental, but none has yet trodden the asphalt by being installed as standard on a production vehicle. For Bibendum, it was a matter of launching this technology initially in the truck sector before tackling the particular vehicle.
Continental has just announced that it has started production of EcoContact 6 tires with an RFID chip during the fall. They will be installed as original equipment at Volvo, which will thus be one of the very first manufacturers in Europe to have this technology.
RFID, what for?Technically, an RFID chip is a very basic and inexpensive item. But installing it in a tire raised many technological challenges, especially since all the major manufacturers had to agree on how to read the chip in order to standardize the process at an industrial level. Result: the chip will be readable at a distance of 15 cm, and not "in contact", as with treatment by smartphone.
The RFID chip will follow the entire life of the tire, from manufacturing... to recycling. In any case, this is what the manufacturers hope for. This small radio element will help workshops both during assembly and during the treatment of worn tyres. Indeed, it will contain elements related to wear, use, lifespan...
At first glance, the benefits of the RFID tire are aimed above all at fleet managers, who will thus be able to monitor the fittings of vehicles in a fleet more effectively. But applying the technology to individuals could also make it possible to better deal with second-life tires, either by recycling or retreading, while having a better look at used tyres.
"The information appearing on the RFID tag integrated into the tire is read by a device which facilitates machine mounting of the tire on the rim while respecting the quality assurance requirements, complete Continental. The assembled wheel can thus be traced throughout throughout the manufacturing process and the logistics stages, right up to its assembly on the vehicle.This set of procedures makes it possible to ensure the level of quality required throughout the logistics chain, up to the assembly site and pave the way for cooperation in the future production conditions with Industry 4.0", summarizes Continental.
For manufacturers, this also and above all represents a new market: that of connected tire service. Michelin is already counting on more than 2 billion per year in revenue, or about 10% of the brand's activity.