Continental’s ContiConnect System Checks Tire Inflation From Monitoring Station
ATLANTA — Continental Tire has introduced a system that checks inflation levels in a truck’s tires as it passes an external monitoring station, with data transmitted from sensors integrated into the tires that require no electronics to be installed on the truck, the company said.
The system, called ContiConnect, is designed for “anybody who is coming and going through a terminal on a regular basis,” said Paul Williams, executive vice president for the company’s North American tire operations. This could include, he said, transit or school buses, dump trucks and more.
Sensors installed in the inner lining of the tire measure tire temperature and inflation. Mounting the sensors in the tire rather than on the rim helps prevent false readings due to heat being generated by the truck’s braking system, Williams said. The system does not require a telematics system on the truck, he noted.
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As trucks enter a fleet yard, terminal or other location where the company’s “yard reader” data station is installed, the station picks up readings from the sensors and transmits them to the ContiConnect web portal via a cellular network. The data from there can be read by a maintenance manager or other company representative, who can take corrective action that might prevent a tire failure on the road, Williams said.
ContiConnect system by John Sommers II for TT
The system issues low pressure alerts and tracks data over time, and permits users to view reports and analytics for all tires equipped with sensors. The platform also features customizable text and email notifications, so the fleet personnel can receive immediate alerts when low tire pressure or high tire temperature is recorded.
“You have to get the data outside of the truck to someone who cares,” he said.
Select tire models are available direct from the factory with sensors installed. Sensors can also be installed into a fleet’s existing tires, Continental said. The sensors can also be installed in retreads, Williams added.
Continental also offers its ContiPressureCheck system for fleets interested in seeing real-time tire data via a telematics system. This system offers data integration with multiple telematics providers, including Zonar, which is majority owned by Continental, as well as PeopleNet. This integration allows tire data to be seen in both the providers’ in-cab displays and back-end portals, Continental said.
