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Continental Unveils Digital Asset-Monitoring System
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ORLANDO, Fla. — Continental Tires introduced ContiConnect Live, a digital, cloud-based system to assist trucking fleets with real-time tire monitoring on Feb. 26.
The Fort Mill, S.C., manufacturer introduced its system at the Technology & Maintenance Council Annual Meeting and Transportation Technology Exhibition.
Continental said sensors are embedded in the sidewall of the tires and, using RFID technology, information can be sent in real time to a telematics unit or Bluetooth dongle and driver app. The data is transmitted to the ContiConnect web portal, where the information can be viewed on a computer or mobile device. The sensors are brand agnostic and available from the factory in new tires. The sensors usually last four years.
“At Continental, we believe that in the B2B space we are shifting to a digitalization model where connected products and services are the key to fleet efficiency and profitability,” said Shaun Uys, Continental North America vice president of marketing.
“Our intelligent digital solutions are the future of tire management, and allow us to partner with the fleet and the tire dealer to adapt to specific customer needs and not an ‘off-the-shelf’ product. This is exactly what fleets are seeking today.”
The company said this information can be used for real-time truck and trailer monitoring or stand-alone monitoring.
In introducing this technology, Continental cited TMC data that shows that properly inflated tires benefit from a 15% longer tread life, 20% longer casing life and 1% increase in fuel efficiency. TMC’s Tire and Wheel Study Group says properly inflated tires can reduce tire-related costs by $600-800 annually per vehicle, and an emergency road service event can exceed $1,000 and result in up to four hours of downtime.
Continental said the sensor’s tire monitoring functionality includes:
- Pressure and temperature.
- Mileage estimation.
- Battery estimation.
- Bluetooth connectivity.
For longhaul and regional applications, this system will be available by the end of March, and Continental said the sensors are ideal for fleets that do not return to a central location frequently, providing GPS asset tracking to improve fuel efficiency, extend tire life, reduce labor costs equated with manual tire inspections, detect missing or stolen tires and reduce tire failure.
This fall, it will introduce the ContiConnect Live stand-alone product for trailers.
The company said this battery-powered device solution allows unhooked trailers to be monitored in real time 24/7 for up to a month with GPS location, mileage estimation, tire pressure and temperature data.
Tire issues can be addressed without waiting for the trailer to return to the depot. Stolen or missing tires can be detected when the sensors are read, and their location determined.
Also at TMC 2023, Continental introduced its two new regional-use, Generation 5 truck tires for original equipment and replacement market for fleets.
The Conti HSR5 is an all-position tire, and the Conti HDR 5 is a drive tire. Both were developed at Continental’s R&D centers in Hanover, Germany, and Uvalde, Texas. The tires will be available in the North American market in the last quarter.
“Our Continental Generation 5 tires set a new bar in performance for our customers. When a tire is enabled with Continental digital technology such as Gen II sensor and RFID tag, the tire becomes an object for life with complete tracking for maintenance, retreading and transparency for fleet managers,” Uys said. “In fact, Ford has selected the Conti HSR 5 and HDR 5 tires in the 19.5-inch size as the OE fitments for its new 2023 Ford F450 and F550.”
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Continental said the Conti HSR 5 was developed specifically for Classes 4 and 5 and engineered with new tread compounds that deliver improved rolling resistance and durability. The tire is available in size 225/70R22.5 load range G, at 16/32-inch tread depth.
The company said its Conti HDR 5 tire incorporates 3D matrix siping for improved traction and tire wear. It uses open shoulder grooves to help deliver traction without compromising tread life, while the new tread compounds have been used with the objective of improving rolling resistance and durability. The tire is available in size 225/70R22.5, load range G, at 18/32-inch tread depth.
Both tires have the Three Peak Mountain Snow Flake (3PMSF) certification, are sensor-ready and can be retreaded. The Conti HSR 5 and Conti HDR 5 are replacing the Conti Hybrid HS3 and Conti Hybrid HD3 tire offerings. Some of the Generation 5 tires will have RFID capabilities enabling a fleet to know the make and model, serial number, unique identification number and size of the tire. This technology helps fleets improve tire asset management and tracking the tire’s life cycle.
The company also introduced its Conti Scandinavia HD3 regional drive tire for use in extreme weather conditions. It will be available in the U.S. and Canada in the second quarter.
