Underinflation, the enemy of commercial truck tires, has been estimated by the Technology and Maintenance Council to cause nine out of 10 tire failures, as well as faster tire wear and reduced fuel economy. Continental Tire the Americas, LLC revealed its first product that directly addresses this crucial component of tire maintenance.

ContiPressureCheck is a new, advanced tire pressure monitoring system specifically designed for commercial vehicles. The system constantly monitors the pressure and temperature of each tire on the vehicle in order to provide real-time, on-demand tire status information and to warn the driver of tire-related problems before they become a critical concern, said Clif Armstrong, CTA’s director of commercial vehicle tire marketing for the Americas.

“ContiPressureCheck is a unique product that brings together all Continental’s expertise in tires, inflation, in-cab displays, sensors and monitoring technologies for a direct system that not only provides advanced, accurate pressure data, but also addresses fleet concerns about fuel economy and operating cost reductions,” Armstrong said.

How it works
ContiPressureCheck integrates its sensors, communication system, and data processor into a single module that is housed inside a rubber container and glued to the inner surface of the tire. The sensors continuously monitor both air pressure and the tire’s temperature, and send data wirelessly to the truck’s electronic control unit (ECU). This processes the data, saves warnings and sends them directly to a display in the driver’s cab. The driver can immediately take corrective action and avoid a breakdown before it happens.

The ContiPressureCheck advantages
ContiPressureCheck has two major advantages for commercial truck drivers over other systems, Armstrong said. First, it is the only system on the market to account for the tire’s temperature at its most optimal point inside the tire, which eliminates interference from other outside elements. The system then compensates for the temperature in the inflation data.

“Since a tire’s contained air pressure naturally increases as a vehicle moves, it can be difficult to tell if a hot tire is underinflated. Without some form of temperature compensation, a hot tire that is underinflated might appear to be fine, because the contained air pressure is at or above its cold inflation pressure,” Armstrong said.

“With ContiPressureCheck, which is tire mounted, we measure both tire pressure and temperature, in order to give the most accurate reading. This feature alerts drivers to underinflation issues even in the case of slow leaks, which are difficult to detect in a system that is not compensated. ”

ContiPressureCheck’s construction takes into account years of research into tire pressure monitoring systems, and provides a robust and reliable system – the second advantage of the product, Armstrong added.

“Because the ContiPressureCheck system sensors are placed inside the tire, they are less prone to breakage or accidental damage. This construction also avoids measurement errors due to brake heating,” he said. “The system can be easily installed when tires are replaced or even before the new vehicle is delivered from the manufacturer.”

Benefits
The benefits of using ContiPressureCheck extend well beyond the longevity of the system and the accuracy of its data. Looking at all the factors that impact a commercial fleet’s costs, Armstrong said ContiPressureCheck addresses several issues that impact fleet operations.

“First is fuel economy. As fuel costs increase, it becomes more and more vital for fleets to manage every drop of diesel. The U.S. Department of Transportation recently reported that in a two-year test, use of a tire pressure monitoring system decreased fuel consumption by 1.4 percent. That alone can pay for the cost of a tire pressure monitoring system, and also reduces emissions,” Armstrong said.

“The benefits don’t stop there. Proper tire inflation also reduces tire wear and the incidence of breakdowns. All of these factors help keep trucks operating longer and more continuously on the road, and thus reducing operating costs for fleets.”