An RFID tag itself contains very little data – a unique identifi cation number and perhaps a couple other items, such as make, model and size of tire, Bridgestone Commercial Group’s director of strategic business development, Jason Roanhouse says. The majority of the data is collected remotely and assigned to the identifi cation number. RFID tags can be installed at manufacture or through post cure processes, he says. Tags can be installed either on the interior or the exterior of the tire using adhesives or heat, adds Maxine Osborne, director, Michelin Services Operations, Michelin Americas Truck Tires. Standard handheld devices or stationary antennae may be used to write small amounts of data to the tag for identifi cation purposes with encryption. Once the data is written to the tag, the tag is locked and cannot be modifi ed. RFID tags also can be installed in the aftermarket, says the president of TireStamp, Peggy J. Fisher, and notes that the TMC has a recommended practice (RP) on this: RP 247, Tire Radio Frequency Identifi cation (RFID) Device Guidelines (Passive Tags) for Medium and Heavy Duty Truck Tires. This RP provides guidelines on exactly how fl eets should install RFID tags in truck tires. “RFIDs are enclosed in rubber repair patches and bonded to the innerliner or outside of the tire between the bead and the lower sidewall near the DOT code,” she says. “Repair materials companies now offer RFID units that can be installed in minutes to the tire sidewall without buffi ng the surface.” There is a small amount of space available on an RFID tag designated User Memory Data Storage, explains Fisher. “This fi eld is designed to contain a small amount of additional information required to manage the tire as an asset. It could contain common records, such as the DOT code or the fl eet’s branded serial number. “All other information should be contained in a database to which the tire identifi cation number is linked.” | Heavy Duty Where they go and what they store ONLINE WE’RE ALWAYS ON. VEHICLESERVICEPROS.COM EQUIPMENT • PARTS • TECH TIPS • VIDEOS • WHITE PAPERS • AND MUCH MORE ENHANCE YOUR EXPERIENCE BY REGISTERING AT VEHICLESERVICEPROS.COM/REGISTER
FleetMaintenance_June_2016
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