Michelin connects tires via RFID
The RFID chips are intended to connect the wheels with the global ecosystem, i.e. with backend systems in the first place. This creates potential for innovation – in particular, the technology is expected to enable improved tire management throughout its life, starting from the factory until the end of the tire’s service life. The – actually obvious – function of tire pressure measurement is for the time being not planned, because it would require a dedicated sensor (per tire). At least it is conceivable for the tire manufacturer to process and display the tire condition on the dashboard based on the tire identification number and an algorithm yet to be developed. Such condition monitoring will become important, especially for increasingly automated vehicles, the manufacturer estimates.
By 2023, Michelin plans to equip every new passenger car tire with the networking technology. Michelin has already been supplying parts of its passenger car tires with chips since mid-2019. The advantage of RFID technology is that it is a cost-effective way to identify tires throughout their lifetime and is very robust compared to many other smart sensors.
Thanks to tire identification, the RFID chips will, for example, enable the ESP system to adapt to the respective tire characteristics in the future: A winter tire has different braking characteristics than a summer tire – these characteristics can thus influence the driving assistance system, which attempts to prevent the vehicle from skidding by applying the brakes in a targeted manner, thus ensuring control of the vehicle.
The RFID chip can also be used to determine information about the service life of the tire and components relating to various raw materials from which the tire was manufactured. By comparing the information, recycling processes can be optimized, as tires with similar rubber compounds, for example, can be identified more easily.
One advantage of RFID technology in the workshop is the avoidance of incorrect fitting when changing tires, as each tire carries an individual identifier and this, together with additional information such as the tire dimension, is then radioed to the vehicle’s electronics.
Car manufacturers also benefit from the fact that tire data can be read more easily. With the help of a transponder, errors in the production process can be tracked, such as an incorrect wheel-tire combination, and production figures and inventories can be reconciled in real time. A European vehicle manufacturer was the first to order passenger car tires with RFID chips from Michelin for original equipment.
Michelin already equips the majority of its truck tires sold with RFID transponders. By 2023, the proportion of truck tires equipped in this way is expected to rise to 100 percent.
More information: https://www.michelin.com/en/
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