Tyrata Inc. and Marubeni Corporation are collaborating in the distribution of Tyrata’s IntelliTread drive-over tread-depth reading system. Specifically, Marubeni will be introducing the technology to its customer base in Japan. Marubeni will begin selling units in Japan in the fourth quarter of 2020.
Roughly 18 months after Clive Seabrook joined Pro-Align, Tyres & Accessories caught up with the relatively new CEO in order to find out more about how the right equipment and services can add value to garage businesses, especially in the post-lockdown environment.
Challenging times need innovative solutions, so Pro Align responded to the pressures brought about by lockdown by seeing by choosing not to approach the circumstances as a commercial opportunity, but rather by responding to the customer instead:
Tread depth is essential to keep a vehicle in contact with the road in wet conditions and it remains a legal requirement, despite the introduction of a six-month exemption on MoT for Britain’s motorists. TyreSafe is reminding motorists that a tyre being driven below 1.6mm is illegal and if found by the police could result in a fine of up to £2,500 and three-points being added to a driver’s licence – per tyre.
Beissbarth Easy Tread automated tyre wear measurement equipment is now available in the UK, and exclusive distributor Everard says the unit can precisely measure tyre tread and detect uneven tread wear in a matter of seconds. It adds that Easy Tread’s ability to speedily evaluate tyre condition “enables the streamlining of mandatory vehicle health check practices while addressing road safety and providing upsell opportunities.”
US-based tyre sensor and data management company Tyrata, Inc. has expanded its patented IntelliTread tyre tread wear sensor platform to include a low-profile drive-over system. The IntelliTread Drive-Over-System (DOS) provides actionable data regarding tyre tread wear when a vehicle drives over the low-profile, speed bump-like unit. The IntelliTread Drive-Over-System is currently being implemented in pilot evaluations.
With schools soon to be back in session in the US, Cooper Tire’s Tread Wisely programme, a tyre and vehicle safety program for teens and young adults, is encouraging students to check their tyres as part of their back-to-school routine.
The debate over how much tread depth is sufficient and recommendable has been going on for years. While some tyre makers and motoring groups support changing the legal minimum tread depth to 3mm as a move towards greater peace of mind, Michelin has been a vocal advocate of not only keeping 1.6mm the legal minimum but of actually using tyres right down to this tread depth. It is also one of a growing number of parties calling for legislation that informs consumers how tyres perform when worn. Earlier this month, Michelin shared the latest developments in the quest for ‘Long Lasting Performance’.
Michelin has been a vocal advocate of whole life tyre performance for several years now. Its belief that tyres should perform safely until reaching the legal tread depth limit of 1.6mm is gaining traction, and Michelin is confident that, within the next few years, tyre labelling will provide greater insight into how wear affects performance, particularly in wet conditions. The tyre maker is currently reiterating its commitment to ‘Long Lasting Performance’ and sharing the latest efforts to better inform tyre buyers. Further details will be reported here on Tyrepress.com and in next month’s Tyres & Accessories magazine.
In the two and a half years since Nokian Tyres first invited motorists to drive into its SnapSkan machine and take photos of their tyres, a million cars have been through SnapSkan units in Finland and Norway. What Nokian has found upon reaching the seven-digit milestone in May is that a tenth of all drivers are taking a risk by driving on tyres with insufficient tread depth. The issue of insufficient tread depth is more pronounced for summer tyres, the tyre maker adds.
Sigmavision Ltd has announced that it has gained a major financial investment, which the company says will be used to “further accelerate the company’s rapid growth”. The funding comes from a consortium led by Mercia Fund Managers, which has invested “a significant undisclosed sum”, with the option of “substantial follow-on funding”.
During the summer months of June to August, the SnapSkan tyre scanning technology from Nokian Tyres measured the condition of tyres fitted to almost 200,000 cars in Finland’s largest cities. What these free tests showed is that up 13 per cent of all cars scanned were fitted with summer tyres that have what the tyre maker calls a “dangerously low tyre tread depth.”
Pirelli’s Middle East tyre retail operation has adopted Groove Grove technology as a way of improving its service offer.
According to local news reports, Groove Grove was created by Tire Profiles, a partner of MAHA Maschinenbau Haldenwang GmbH & Co., the German supplier of high-end garage and vehicle inspection equipment. Using the technology, motorists can get tyre-related information, including suspension, pressure, alignment, wear and tear and replacement recommendations. The technology also has the capability to calculate the tread depth of the major grooves on a tyre to a tenth of a millimetre.
The Spring Bank Holiday weekend is fast approaching and for most schools in England and Wales, it also means half term, signalling millions of drivers loading up their cars to get away for a week’s well-earned rest or a visit to family and friends. Around 30 per cent of Britons stayed in the UK for their holidays in 2017, and this figure is expected to be similar this year. The message from TyreSafe is – whether your car is packed for the day or the week, it’s vital to check your tyres before you leave to minimise the risk of a tyre-related incident.
Change is inevitable, but it’s important to time it right. Michelin claims its tyres deliver safe performance down to the legal tread depth limit of 1.6mm and considers changing tyres beforehand unnecessary, costly to motorists and fleets, and harmful to the environment. The tyre maker has heavily promoted this point of view in recent times, but its message isn’t finding an audience with everyone. In a statement issued today, GEM Motoring Assist recommends that motorists change their tyres earlier.
The argument against prematurely dismounting tyres voiced by Michelin here in the UK and in Europe has become a topic of conversation at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit this week. The tyre maker’s global initiative to promote consumer awareness was presented at the show yesterday by Michelin North America’s recently-appointed chairman and president, Scott Clark.
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