and an antenna to receive and transmit a signal, they explain. Th e tag contains the specifi c serial number for one specifi c object. To read the information encoded on a tag, a two-way radio transmitter-receiver, called an interrogator or reader, emits a signal to the tag using an antenna. Th e tag responds with the information written in its memory bank. Th e interrogator will then transmit the read results to an RFID computer program. PASSIVE AND ACTIVE RFID tags are essentially microchips attached to an antenna that act as a transponder that always listen for a radio signal sent by transceivers or RFID readers, explains Peggy J. Fisher, president, TireStamp. For tires, passive RFID tags – which don’t require batteries – are used. Th is type of tag is powered by the radio signal that wakes it up and requests an answer. When an RFID tag receives a certain radio query, it responds by transmitting back its unique ID code and any other information stored in it to the transceiver, she says. Since their transmission power is low, passive RFIDs are designed to actively communicate when they are within relatively close proximity of a passive RFID tag reader – between a few inches and a couple feet away. TireStamp (www.tirestamp.com) is a leading developer of Tire Pressure Monitoring Systems (TPMS) and an asset intelligence company that provides expertise on tires and their eff ects on fl eets’ operating costs, tire program management, asset management and other critical performance data to enable fl eet users to reduce tire and fuel costs and improve productivity. Th ere are also active RFID tags. Th ese have their own power source – typically a battery – and automatically transmit information to a reader at longer ranges than passive tags. IT’S ABOUT TRACKING “RFIDs provide a unique number, like a social security number, that identifi es the tire and enables the tire manufacturer to track it through the manufacturing process, inventory and shipping to its fi nal point of sale and end user,” TireStamp’s Fisher says. “Fleets can use RFIDs to track each tire’s history, which can be stored in the Cloud hosted by the tire manufacturer or in the fl eet’s maintenance management soft ware program. “Retreaders can use RFIDs to track the tire from pickup at the fl eet location through the retread process and delivery back to the fl eet. Th e fl eet’s or manufacturer’s soft ware can contain the number of times the tire has been retreaded, repairs it has received, its pressure and temperature history, mileage, tread depths and cause of failure so that fl eets are able to determine when a tire has reached the end of its lifespan and should be replaced. “On a macro level,” continues Fisher, “fl eets can analyze all the data in the database to determine the best tires and retreads to run in their operations, as well as make other informed decisions regarding the number of times to retread, age limits on retreading if any, detect problems with particular tires and if improvements in tire maintenance should be made.” Michelin is using RFID technology to track performance of individual tires, effi ciencies in supply chain and inventory so it can manage and Heavy Duty | RFID tags can be installed either on the interior or exterior of a tire using adhesives or heat. Photo courtesy of Michelin predict tire life, says Maxine Osborne, director, Michelin Services Operations, Michelin Americas Truck Tires (www.michelintruck.com). Michelin (www.michelinman.com) designs, manufactures and sells tires for every type of vehicle, including airplanes, automobiles, bicycles, earthmovers, farm equipment, heavy duty trucks and motorcycles. BENEFITS CENTER on the ability to assign data against a unique identifier. RFID tags have been engineered to withstand the retread process and have proved reliable enough to go through it numerous times. Photo courtesy of Michelin Advances in radio frequency identifi cation (RFID) technology have the potential to transform truck tire management for both fl eets and tire manufacturers. Placing RFID microchips in or on a tire can provide a treasure trove of intelligence that can be easily captured, including tire tracking, tire pressure, number of retreads and tread depth wear. Moreover, this data is electronically readable, which reduces the errors and workload in collecting it. Photo courtesy of Volvo Trucks North America Online Exclusive To learn about the evolution of truckstops, which can be traced back to the Pony Express mail delivery service and the stagecoach lines which brought passengers, freight and mail west, visit: VehicleServicePros.com/12203565 Continued Page 16 VehicleServicePros.com ❚ JUNE 2016 ❚ FLEET MAINTENANCE 15
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