Bartec Auto ID Acquires Smartronics Tyre Management Business

Bartec Auto ID Ltd has acquired the tyre management business of Smartronics Ltd and is now supplying Michelin with the Smart-fleet system, used to manage Michelin’s “pence per kilometre” mileage contracts on over 10,000 buses in the UK. Bartec Auto ID Ltd already produces tyre pressure monitoring systems for the automotive industry, with an array of blue chip clients including Ford, Renault, Volvo, Land Rover, Jaguar and many others. The latest acquisition is designed to enable Bartec to extend its scope to provide an enhanced service for managing fleet tyre maintenance across the commercial car, truck, bus and coach markets, according to the company.

Bartec says it will retain the Smartronics brand, which currently comprises the Smart -fleet system, designed to record tyre condition and tyre changes. Smart-fleet uses a portable electronic device which identifies each vehicle via a unique Radio Frequency ID tag (RFID) and records accurate tyre data through a web based reporting suite.

The Smartronics range will now be extended to include Bartec’s Professional Tyre Management System (PROTYMS) which monitors tyre pressure as well as tread using a handheld tool, entirely compatible with wireless technology. It also incorporates voice prompted operator instructions, photographic recording of damaged tyres and an in-built torch, thereby enabling the tyre inspector to work more efficiently and increasing productivity.

Talking about the acquisition, Bartec Auto ID’s managing director Colin Webb said: “We are very excited at the new opportunities for our business given this pooling of expertise, which will allow us to track all vehicle tyres from the point of manufacture. The Smart-fleet team brings extensive experience gained from implementing and managing tyre management contracts over the past few years which is complementary to Bartec’s own knowledge of the automotive manufacturing and dealer market. Work is already under way to produce a “best of breed” system combining both the Smart -fleet and Protyms systems”.