Bridgestone launched a new gate based tyre pressure monitoring system (TPMS) at the 2019 Brisbane Truck Show, designed to enhance and strengthen its Total Tyre Management model. The new gate tyre pressure monitoring technology is being introduced to the Australian and New Zealand market, offering return-to-depot applications, such as metro delivery, refuse, construction and bus fleets, more regular and efficient pressure checks, in turn reducing the risk of tyre related break downs.
The gate technology uses an external sensor mounted on each wheel position’s valve, each with a unique identifier to measure tyre pressure and temperature. As the vehicle passes between the magnetometer activated gates, the data is received and uploaded to a cloud-based reporting system twice a day. The system also features logic to immediately notify depot or fleet managers to critical alerts, such as a low pressure value or unusually high temperature, via email or SMS.
As the hardware is all standalone, installation of the system is simple and cost effective, with no need to remove existing tyres to implement the technology.
According to Bridgestone Australia & New Zealand Managing Director, Stephen Roche, the launch of the gate TPMS technology demonstrates how Bridgestone is committed to providing business solutions that complement our strong product line up.
“The introduction of Bridgestone’s gate technology is a major advancement for the industry and will allow us to bolster our fleet offerings,” said Roche. “The technology is designed to alert fleet operators of potential issues before they become a problem, and streamlines what was previously a manual task in the yard.
“Bridgestone’s strong and trusted reputation has been built on providing quality tyres, and continues to be strengthened by our commitment to building on our service offering. Our true value to customers comes through a solutions oriented approach, marrying the most appropriate products with the right level of service.”
The installation of the gate TPMS allows operators to automatically check tyre pressure when a vehicle enters or leaves the yard, increasing the number of checks, providing more frequent and up to date data.
Bridgestone National Commercial and Solutions Business Manager, Jon Tamblyn, understands how crucial it is to keep fleets on the road, and estimates the technology will provide a 70 per cent reduction in tyre related failures.
“Slow leaks are difficult to detect, and often they are not picked up until it is too late,” said Tamblyn. “It only takes a few days for a slow leak to become a critical issue, or worse, result in a catastrophic failure.
“Fleet operators understand the importance and cost-per-kilometre benefits of running at the optimal pressure, and through the regular, automated checks our gate technology is designed to deliver, operators will be able to ensure their vehicles are at the correct pressure when they leave the depot.”
Bridgestone has invested significantly in its commercial solutions offering over the past few years, with the implementation of its locally developed B Mobile platform digitising and streamlining the traditional workflow for service technicians, and the continual evolution of the Total Tyre Management approach.
The new gate tyre pressure monitoring system is an extension of Bridgestone’s investment to the industry, complementing Total Tyre Management. The data collected through the technology will also be integrated into the B Mobile platform, with low pressure warnings creating action items in fleets within the system.
