december2021 - 10

Automated tire inspection systems
An emerging technology in the commercial vehicle maintenance space, these
rollover systems use cameras, sensors, and software to capture critical tire data
and relate that information to a fleet for actionable insight into tire status.
HUNTER ENGINEERING QUICK TREAD HEAVY-DUTY
The camera system takes images every time a
vehicle-ranging from large pickups to Class 8 tractor-trailers-passes
through; images can even reveal
DOT violations, such as missing mudflaps, which
helps to keep citations down and promote uptime.
In the ground, lasers read tire tread depth,
and multiple angles capture the inboard
side as well to provide wide inspection
coverage. Quick Tread Heavy-Duty can
read single tires at the front of the vehicle,
as well as duals or super singles.
Robust elemental protection allows
the equipment to operate through
exposure to dust, dirt, rain, and more.
On commercial tires, such as the recently
launched Cooper PRO Series Long Haul Steer 2,
the company implements a Wear Square, a visual
indicator on the shoulder ribs that starts as an
" A, " and becomes an " L " at half tread life, and an
exclamation mark when it needs to be replaced.
The difference between the markings on either
side of the tire also indicate alignment issues.
Misalignments can exacerbate wear.
Goodyear Tire and Rubber Co., which acquired
Cooper earlier this year, has a handheld digital
tire tool called Tire Optix, with one end to
measure tread depth while the other attaches to
the valve stem to check pressure. The data is sent
via Bluetooth to a mobile app, which tracks what
trucks have problem tires.
" We inspect about 2 million tires a year with
Tire Optix, and it's all about creating efficiencies
and accuracies during this tire inspection
process, " said Jamie Redmond, Goodyear customer
engagement specialist.
Hunter Engineering
The next solution:
UVEYE ARTEMIS
GOODYEAR CHECKPOINT
DRIVE-OVER-READER
Rollover monitoring
Like materials and repair parts, finding workers
has also been made difficult, which makes manual
inspections more difficult for certain fleets. And
TPMS isn't always the right fit for all fleets.
A new solution has emerged that is allowing
fleets to quickly gather tire data without the use
of onboard sensors or extra labor: automated tire
inspection systems.
Automated tire inspection systems are fixed
John Hitch | Fleet Maintenance
UVeye
In just seconds, this tire inspection system
features multiple layers of inspection technologies,
such as AI, machine learning, and
computer visioning, to help deliver actionable
insights for any damage or issues detected
on a vehicle's tires, including cuts, bulges, or
chunks missing from tire. The system also
detects misalignments and low tread depth.
This solution can be installed in-ground
or 2-3 " ramp-style aboveground, and
detects tire tread depth and pressure
as vehicles (Classes 1-8) and trailers
roll over the micro-transducers, lasers,
and cameras. Goodyear performs a site
assessment to decide where to put the
device, usually at a facility's inbound
security entrance or dedicated inspection
lane. Goodyear said CheckPoint can
reduce manual inspection time by 90%.
stations that detect pressure and tread status,
among other data, as the vehicle drives over or
through them. They offer multiple benefits to a
fleet and leveraging the benefits such systems
offer can aid fleets in prolonging tire life, avoiding
premature failures, and creating a set of actionable
data to help decision-making processes when it
comes to ordering and servicing tires.
Estes Express Lines, which has 74 shops, tested
the drive-through Automated Tire Safety Check
system from U.K.-based WheelRight Ltd. for six
months before getting a second. The WheelRight
system uses pressure-in-motion technology, along
with cameras, to measure tread and psi. The solution,
distributed by Snider Fleet Solutions in the
U.S., also delivers alerts, by tire position, when
measurements fall below configurable thresholds.
" It's ineffective to do this manually and get
WHEELRIGHT AUTOMATED TIRE SAFETY CHECK
Snider Fleet Solutions
The WheelRight drive over solution,
developed in the U.K., captures
vehicle I.D. and weight, along
with sidewall damage, tire tread,
temperature, and pressure data
in six seconds, flagging any issues.
The goal is to reduce emergency
road service events and CSA
violations. The drive-over technology
has been used stateside
by Estes Express Lines and also
Snider Tire, which distributes the
solution stateside and has an
ownership stake in the company.
accurate information, " said Michael Palmer, VP
of fleet services at Estes. " While we're still looking
at the results, in one location our tire costs
have dropped, especially from road calls. "
Goodyear had been using its solution, the
CheckPoint drive-over-reader, in Europe for several
years and is now making it available to lease
in North America.
Using micro-transducers, lasers, and cameras
to detect tread depth and pressure, CheckPoint
can be used for vehicles ranging from passenger
vehicles to Class 8 tractor-trailers, with options
for in-ground installation or 2-3 " ramp-style
aboveground option.
Austin Crayne, Goodyear business development
manager, reported one European fleet using
10 Fleet Maintenance | December 2021
december2021

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