Page 16 - CTB N13 - 2016-01

CV SHOW PREVIEW
April 26 - 28th NEC BIRMINGHAM
Tyre Pressure Monitoring under CV Show Spotlight
The 2016 CV Show takes place at the NEC in Birmingham from 26-28 April, an as usual it will be attended by the majority of the major players in the tyre industr y.
One of the product sectors, which is expected to receive particular attention at this year’s event is that of truck and bus tyre pressure monitoring systems. will be on display at this year’s CV Show. Tyre manufacturers exhibiting at the show who will be highlighting their TPMS products include Bridgestone and Continental. Truck operators across Europe are adopting tyre pressure monitoring systems (TPMS) at an ever-increasing rate, although there is still no sign of legislation forcing them to do so. So says Hartwig Kühn, head of the global Conti Pressure Check (CPC) division at Continental Tyre Group.
The CPC system was introduced more than two years ago but truck operators initially showed little interest, admits Kühn, mainly because it was incompatible with various fleet management/telematics systems already in service. Now, following development work by Continental engineers, the RFID (radio frequency identification) signals transmitted by CPC tyre- mounted pressure sensors can be received and interpreted by independent telematics systems such as those from Astrata, MiX Telematics and Verilocation. Microlise and Blue Tree are expected to be added to the CPC-compatible list soon.
Kühn said, “It’s very important that the data from our system are properly displayed in the user interface of the third-party
telematics provider. We now have a validation tool. It’s software we provide to these guys once they’ve programmed ever ything to make sure that the messages are properly displayed in their systems.”
TPMS became a legal requirement on all new cars in the European Union in 2014. And from January 2015, a faulty or missing TPMS would mean MOT test failure for a car in the UK. But there is no EU or UK legislation requiring such systems on trucks and buses, and no sign of any in the pipeline.
The explanation for the recent surge in truck operator interest in TPMS lies in the equipment’s ability to lower operating costs. List prices for the modular CPC hardware range from about £370 for a three-axle tractor unit with the basic kit comprising sensors and in-cab display, to about £610 for a six- axle artic. Monthly charges for adding alerts to a fleet manager’s smartphone or computer vary from one telematics provider to another. But in every case, the CPC will pay for itself in 12 months or less, mainly through avoiding the fuel economy penalty of under-inflated tyres, maintains Kühn. Arthur Gregg, Continental Tyre Group UK Commercial Sales and Marketing Director, is looking forward to discussing tyre costs in general and TPMS in particular with fleet operators at the show.
“The CV Show is always a great opportunity to talk about our products and services to a wide and knowledgeable audience,” he says. “With growth still
difficult for many operators in challenging market conditions, our strategy is to provide fleets with solutions that drive efficiency and lower costs. Our
knowledge and expertise within the sector is outstanding and something we believe to be of great business benefit to our customers.”
CV Show –
Tyre Industry Exhibitors
Aeolus Tyre 5A10 Air-Seal Product 4D21 ATS Euromaster 4D10 Bandvulc Group 5H70 Bridgestone 5D30 Checkpoint 5J131 Commercial Tyre Business 3H97 Continental Tyres 5G110 Cormach SRL 4E111 Disc-Lock 4D50 Double Coin 5E110 Falken Tyres 4K71 GB Tyres UK Ltd 3B81 Giti Tyre 4G20 Hankook Tyre 5C60 Hofmann Megaplan 4E35 International Tyres 4H58 Kwik-Fit 4E30 Pirelli Tyres 4F64 Pro-Align 4D11 RH Claydon Ltd 4F50 RL Automotive 5J70 Safetytrim 3H83 Sailun Tyres 5F111 Sigmavison 4E59 The Tyre Equipment Company 4K36 TIA Wheels Ltd 4K89 TireCheck 4D130 Tyre Business Systems 4H91 Tyreline Commercial Wheels 4E119 TyrePal 4K50 Vacu-Lug/Westlake 4H120 Ventech Systems 4E121 WheelRight Ltd 5H130
16 Commercial Tyre Business