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Goodyear Engineer “Wrote the Book” on Intelligent Tyres

WHEN BRITISH PUBLISHER SMITHERS RAPRA PRESS WAS LOOKING TO ADD A CHAPTER ON “INTELLIGENT TYRES” TO ITS SECOND VOLUME OF THE RUBBER TECHNOLOGISTS HANDBOOK, THEY KNEW EXACTLY WHO TO CALL – GOODYEAR’S PRINCIPAL ENGINEER BRIAN LOGAN.

That’s because Logan, who works at Goodyear’s Akron Innovation Centre, USA, has 40 years of experience in the rubber industry and is considered an expert in his field.

“An intelligent tyre is one that gives you information that’s valuable,” Logan explained.

“It senses information about itself and its conditions, which can then be reported back to the driver.”

Tyres become “intelligent” when they are equipped with radio frequency identification (RFID) devices or sensors that detect specific conditions like temperature or pressure.

Goodyear has used RFID technology in its NASCAR radial racing tyres for the past four seasons. In this process, an RFID chip is implanted in the sidewall of each tyre.

This chip stores specific tyre identification data, which can be read by scanning the unique RFID tag.

Through the use of RFID technology, Goodyear can accurately monitor the thousands of tyres it provides for NASCAR races.

But NASCAR isn’t the only industry benefiting from intelligent tyre technology. In Latin America, commercial trucking fleets are testing Goodyear’s Tyre IQ technology to track their tyres and monitor conditions like pressure, mileage and wear. In Africa, OTR (Off The Road) mining trucks are also beginning to utilise the technology for similar reasons.

The process used is similar to that in NASCAR tyres, but instead of implanting RFID tags in the sidewall, the chips are inserted into a small “patch” which is fixed to the inside of each tyre.

With the advances being made in the field of intelligent tyre technology, Logan predicts there may come a day when all tyres will feature monitoring devices.

“The future’s bright for electronics in tyres,” Logan said. “It’s only as technology improves that it will become a part of everyday life.”

Logan authored chapter two of the Rubber Technologists Handbook, Volume 2, entitled “Intelligent Tyres.” The book is a companion to Volume 1, and each chapter was written by experts in their respective fields. The book discusses some of the most recent developments in the area of rubber technology.

Tags: BRIAN LOGAN, INTELLIGENT TYRES, NASCAR tyres, RFID technology