HF Group’s upcoming range of digital solutions will monitor several parameters in the curing process, like cycle times, movements of the machines etc. One of the exhibitors at the Tire Technology Expo, 2022 that was held in Hannover, Germany was HF Group. Dr Bernd Pape, Digital Solutions, HF Group, threw light on the company’s plans to develop a new product line that will enable its customers to digitally monitor tyre curing machines more effectively, the significance of sharing data and having trusted partnerships.

The global tyre industry is steering more towards digitisation to ensure precision and save production time. And in this effort, HF Group seems to be the frontrunner, banking on data warehousing to produce effective monitoring solutions for tyre curing.

“HF is known as a company constantly extending traditional machine solutions. However, we are very well aware of digitisation, and the solutions will change our previous way of doing business at a global level,” said Dr Bernd Pape, Digital Solutions, HF Group, while we interacted with him at the latest edition of the Tire Technology Expo held this year in Hannover, Germany.

“I joined HF last year in June to build up a new product segment. However, due to the pandemic, I had limited chances to visit customers or talk to potential partners for development, and this conference has been an optimum opportunity to perceive an overview of our industry,” Dr Pape mentioned while he talked about the expo.

Digital solutions
HF’s upcoming range of digital solutions will monitor several parameters in the curing process, like cycle times, movements of machines etc. It will then churn out the alarm messages of the machines and correlate them to identify discrepancies. The new-age solutions will monitor machine data at different stages and have communication modules that will share the data from the machine control software to the internet using IoT gateways.

Extra sensors will be placed on the machines to measure certain component parameters like pressure, temperature, energy consumption etc. Leveraging the combination of cycle time monitoring, alarm messages and specific measurements of the sensor technology, the data will be analysed to bring out in-depth information about the machines’ performance.

Answering whether the sensors are capable of identifying the problems, Dr Pape informed, “In order for them to work efficiently to identify problems, we need quite some data. And when we have that data, we can do two things – analyse that data and see if insights can be derived automatically, or work with experts to derive insights and then transfer the knowledge into the digital solutions. He further added, “The entire research and development process demands a lot of communication and learning together with pilot customers, too.”

It’s important to share data
Initially, HF plans to implement the solution in their own curing press and further develop solutions for other machines. “We may need cooperation from customers to better understand other machines or even the OEM of that specific machine. If you look into digital transformation, it’s all about partnership. And if you don’t share data, you will not be able to flourish. And so far, my gut has been that our industry still has room to improve. We can still learn from each other by sharing data. With every new machine, we will have a growing database and knowledge on how to improve production,” Dr Pape asserted.

Digital benefit
HF strives to keep the cycle time of a machine at a constant low level. The curing process for one tyre may take 14 minutes. With the solutions, it can be reduced by 10 to 20 seconds. This would add up for the customer to produce roughly between 500 and 1,500 tyres per press per year, informed Dr Pape. Moreover, the solutions will enhance machine availability by detecting warnings for errors or repair time.

Trusted partnerships
The new solutions will require huge amounts of data to effectively do its task, but protection of proprietary data is a major concern. Speaking in this context, Dr Pape cited, “Digital transformation is about partnership, and you need to share data. So, partnership is all about trust. You need an initial amount of trust to provide data. There is no way around that.”

“On the other hand, once you give me the data, it is on me to keep it carefully and not to share it,” he further averred and went on, “Because if I do not comply, then the alliance will be harmed. So, there is a great opportunity because we are a long-standing partner for the whole industry. Therefore, we have trusted partnerships and projects with a lot of customers.”

Explaining the timeline from implementation to resumption of services, the executive said, “Once we are up and running with this solution, we just need a couple of days to implement it. But for new machine types that have not been analysed before, a couple of weeks are needed. Once knowledge of the specific machine type, how to adjust the software and how to analyse and interpret the data is known, we can configure same machine types within days.”

Current monitoring landscape
According to the executive, currently technicians might face severe problems while monitoring the machines as the industry has witnessed a generation shift. Experienced technicians retire and new ones have to learn the entire process. With the automation of unloading and loading systems, which are getting more and more automated, there might be no operators available who can point out if the machines have any problems.

“If we get the data from the machine and analyse it, we can redirect technicians to the area that causes the problem, so that they are faster in remedying it. The data will also help us to predict problems in the near future,” Dr Pape pointed out.

Stepping into the Indian market
HF has expanded its footprint across the globe and wants to market its products worldwide. The company’s pilot customers are in the Americas, followed by Europe. It also plans to tap into the Asian market.

Speaking on its plans to enter India, Dr Pape cited, “The country has great companies and some of them might be interested in the solutions. For building up a new product segment in India, we have to know what kind of customers are interested. We will then start operations on a remote basis and develop further.”

Collaborations for the long term
HF Group has also collaborated with Possehl Analytics as its solutions partner, which will also allow it to build a network for digital solutions in the industry. On the reference side, HF refers them as their solutions partner, while Possehl Analytics refers HF as a good operations partner.

Change is the only constant
While the tyre industry itself isn’t one that changes every day, we know that digitisation will have a pivotal role in its growth, including the tyre curing process, making sure the final product is of high quality. At the same time, sharing data and making long-lasting partnerships will only make the process and final outcome more competent.

The integration of Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology into the tyre industry is gaining momentum, offering solutions for traceability, sustainability and lifecycle management. Beontag, in collaboration with Michelin, is spearheading this innovation by jointly designing specialised RFID tags that can withstand the harsh conditions tyres face, such as extreme heat and pressure. The tags store crucial data, enabling efficient recycling, retreading and warranty management. As the tyre industry evolves, RFID adoption is seen as essential for ensuring authenticity, improving asset management and supporting regulatory frameworks. However, challenges remain in scaling production and increasing industry awareness.

Punch card systems, barcodes, dog tags, biometric scanners etc. are all instruments that offer basic information about humans and commodities for identification, authentication, traceability and retrospection.

The tyre industry is similarly standing at a crossroad where the demand for traceability and retrospection is growing. Tyre manufacturers, retailers, retreaders and recyclers are showing a growing exuberance for digital footprints that can record, summarise and authenticate information related to each existing and new tyres throughout the commodities lifecycle.

And the simple solution catering to such demands is a radio frequency identification (RFID) tags. While the use of RFID tags is new within the global tyre market, these have found a stronghold across retail, logistics, manufacturing, healthcare etc.

The tag is changing the game of traceability within tyre markets as the adoption grows. Technological companies are collaborating with tyre manufacturers to develop tailor-made RFIDs.

International RFID and IoT expert Beontag is one such company that has developed RFID tags for the tyre industry. Divulging deep into the engineering mechanics of the tag, APAC Senior Sales Manager Evelyn Ong told Tyre Trends, “RFID technology used in tyres is significantly different from conventional RFID applications due to the harsh conditions tyres endure, such as high temperature, pressure and wear and tear. Unlike RFID tags used in retail or medical settings, tyre RFID tags must be engineered to survive extreme conditions. As a result, traditional RFID designs, which use PET labels and conductive paste for chip attachment, are unsuitable. Instead, tyre RFID tags rely on a mechanically robust and inductively coupled antenna structure.”

“Designing RFID for tyres required a completely new approach, and the current version (generation four) is believed to be durable enough to last the entire lifecycle of a tyre. This innovation aligns with initiatives like the European Digital Product Passport (DPP), which mandates that products must be identifiable throughout their life cycle. Although RFID chips themselves only store a unique identifier (similar to a FASTag or car license plate), all detailed data such as manufacturing date, plant origin, distribution history, usage, retreading details and material composition is stored in backend software systems. As the tyre moves through the supply chain, each stakeholder adds relevant data to the software based on the RFID, creating a comprehensive database that supports traceability and lifecycle management including recycling or retreading,” she added.

The company’s main RFID tag for the tyre industry includes a chip with memory, enabling it to store data and serve as a digital identifier for the physical tyre using radio waves. This transforms a traditional tyre into a digitally traceable product.

Beontag jointly designed this RFID tag with Michelin, exploring the benefits of embedding a chip in tyres for purposes like asset management and product authentication and was instrumental in driving standardisation across the industry. While Michelin is the first tyre manufacturer to roll out the new ‘smart tyres’ with Beontag technology, the manufacturer recently announced a partnership with Kumho Tire and aims to go into partnership with other brands in the near future.

DEMAND AND SUPPLY

The company recently participated in a global tyre exhibition and rationalised its participation with significant long-term potential of the tyre RFID market. “With over 30 billion tyres in circulation globally, the scale of the opportunity is enormous. Having worked in RFID for over 20 years, the technology excels in applications involving products that are physically similar and difficult to differentiate visually like tyres. This makes tyres an ideal use case for RFID,” said the official.

Ong explained that beyond the European Digital Product Passport regulation, a key driver for embedding RFID in tyres is the fundamental need for every product to have a unique identity, whether through a barcode, QR code or digital tag. In the tyre industry, this need has been especially pressing due to the limitations of traditional identification methods like hot stamping, which often wear off over time and result in a loss of traceability.

She noted that the absence of a durable, readable ID creates challenges in verifying authenticity, determining warranty status and tracing the tyre’s origin. For instance, without a reliable identifier, it becomes difficult to confirm whether a tyre is genuinely from Michelin or to retrieve key manufacturing details such as plant location, batch number or intended distribution path.

By embedding RFID tags with unique digital identities, the industry gains the ability to link every part of the tyre’s lifecycle across the value chain. This ensures consistent traceability, facilitates better inventory and warranty management and combats counterfeiting.

“We are actively engaging with the top 10 global tyre manufacturers in the transition towards RFID-enabled tyres. While the European market is leading adoption driven largely by regulatory frameworks, we are also working with tyres manufacturers across the Asia-Pacific region and beyond.

“Although OEMs like Michelin are beginning to integrate RFID tags, starting with high-end passenger tyres, there is a growing and immediate demand from the aftermarket. This secondary market includes fleet operators, leasing companies and pay-per-use models, where the need for tyre tracking is urgent. These businesses want to monitor retreading cycles, ensure asset recovery and verify ownership, especially to prevent tyre theft or unauthorised replacements,” she added.

According to Ong, some aftermarket players are even looking to embed RFID tags independently rather than waiting for OEMs to standardise the process, underscoring strong demand outside the traditional supply chain.

When asked about growth potential between the passenger and commercial segments, she indicated that although current OEM efforts are focused on high-end passenger tyres, interest from the commercial and aftermarket sectors is strong and could drive faster adoption due to practical and financial incentives.

Furthermore, RFID tags play a key role in sustainability by enabling traceability throughout a tyre’s lifecycle. It allows manufacturers to capture crucial data at the point of manufacture, which is essential for tracking and recycling. With RFID, recycling processes become more efficient because tyres can be easily sorted based on type, size and materials. This minimises waste, reduces sorting time and improves the overall effectiveness of recycling efforts.

HURDLES IN ADOPTION

The executive noted that there are unique challenges of designing an RFID tag for tyres given the nature of its operations. To address these hurdles, the company and Michelin jointly designed and extensively validated a specialised RFID tag consisting of a chip and an antenna, which is fully embedded within the tyre.

This tag is designed to be invisible from the outside and integrated into the tyre structure in a way that ensures durability without compromising performance. The antenna’s spring-like structure allows it to expand and contract along with the tyre’s movement without affecting its function.

Crucially, the connection between the chip module and spring antenna is linkless, using inductive coupling instead of mechanical connection. This inductive mechanism ensures reliability even under extreme conditions like high temperature, pressure and physical deformation.

Although the tag is not constantly read during vehicle operation, it must remain functional and readable during inspections or servicing.

Alluding to broader industry challenges towards adoption, Ong said, “Current challenges centre primarily around a lack of awareness and industrialisation of the production process in existing tyre production lines and factories. Unlike retail, where RFID is well-established, the tyre sector is still in the early stages of adoption. Because of this, there is a need to educate the market, build trust and demonstrate real-world use cases. Potential customers are hesitant to act as first movers and prefer to see proven implementations to reduce perceived risk. A hopeful future challenge would be demand outpacing production capacity. However, a more realistic and significant long-term challenge lies in technological evolution, particularly around IC size, performance development and adding more functionality through sensor information.”

INTEGRATING RFIDS

The RFID chip used in tyres stores a minimum of 96 bits of data, which aligns with the standard size modelled after barcodes. This size is sufficient to encode essential identifying information including a serialised number.

While barcodes only identify products at the SKU level, RFID allows each item to have a unique identifier, making it far more powerful for inventory management. At every stage in the tyre’s lifecycle, it is the responsibility of the user or stakeholder to read the RFID tag and input relevant data into the software system, linking it to the tag’s unique identifier.

One of the most compelling applications of tyre RFID is during the tyre’s second life – especially in retreading. In this stage, the retreader can embed a new RFID tag and effectively reset the tyre’s lifecycle. This allows the retreading company to claim and track the work they’ve done including how many times the tyre has been retreaded and when.

Fleet operators or regulators can use this data to verify authenticity, ensure compliance and manage safety.

At the end of the tyre’s life, especially during the recycling stage, RFID continues to offer value by recording the tyre’s complete journey. Recyclers can access a tyre’s full history by ensuring proper handling and reporting.

The key challenge in placing the RFID tag is ensuring its proper location and integration into the tyre’s structure. This process must be carefully controlled as the tag must not only be positioned in the optimal spot but also withstand the stresses and heat of the curing process. If the tag was placed improperly, it could potentially cause issues with its performance, especially in terms of readability after the tyre is fully cured and ready for use.

COMPETITION AND EVOLUTION

Besides Beontag, there are other companies operating within the tyre RFID space. Alluding to the distinction between them, Ong explained, “The main difference of our product lies in the patented POD design (POD = IC module/package). Our product utilises a special alloy for the antenna, which prevents deformation and ensures consistent diameter and gap size. Additionally, the chip packaging has been specifically designed to offer better protection, reducing the risk of damage and ensuring reliable readings.”

She explained that the company’s business case for RFID technology in the tyre industry is clear and it believes strongly in its potential. She emphasised the importance of spreading awareness about the technology, as Europe will be implementing the technology first, but other regions including APAC and the Americas will be catching up as the technology is proven in the coming years.

Swedish automotive software leader NIRA Dynamics AB and BANF Smart Tire System of South Korea have announced a new partnership aimed at significantly enhancing vehicle safety and predictive maintenance for commercial vehicles. The collaboration will see BANF integrate its high-frequency tyre sensors into NIRA's established software ecosystem.

This strategic alliance aims to disrupt Tyre Pressure Monitoring Systems (TPMS), providing commercial fleets and automakers with unprecedented real-time insights into tyre health and road safety. NIRA Dynamics, founded in 2001, is a global automotive software powerhouse with its technologies deployed in over 120 million vehicles worldwide, including an indirect TPMS (iTPMS) that has surpassed 110 million units sold.

Under the agreement, NIRA will incorporate BANF's triaxial tyre sensors into its Road Surface Information (RSI) and Wheel Safety Insights (WSI) platforms. These platforms already utilise existing vehicle sensor data and proprietary algorithms for functions like tyre grip estimation, tread wear analysis and loose wheel detection.

BANF's key innovation lies in its Smart Profiler system, which wirelessly powers internal tyre sensors directly from the vehicle battery, overcoming the challenge of continuous power and real-time data transmission from rotating tyres. This integration will significantly enhance NIRA's capabilities, particularly for monitoring commercial vehicle loads and dual-tyre setups, by providing sensor data at high sampling rates of 1kHz and 4kHz.

Otto Johansson, Head of Innovation at NIRA Dynamics, said, "This collaboration accelerates our vision of creating a comprehensive vehicle intelligence network. While our software solutions already process data from millions of vehicles, adding specialised hardware enables new use cases in predictive maintenance and ADAS applications."

NIRA's evolution from software-only tyre pressure monitoring to multi-layered safety systems is evident in its flagship Tyre Pressure Indicator (TPI) technology, which has eliminated the need for physical sensors in many applications, significantly reducing electronic waste. The company has also collaborated with automotive giants like Volkswagen Group on innovations such as Road Surface Alerts.

The partnership also addresses critical safety needs in commercial vehicles. NIRA's Loose Wheel Indicator (LWI), already deployed in Audi vehicles, will now be extended to heavy-duty vehicles through the BANF collaboration, aiming to mitigate the thousands of annual wheel detachment incidents reported.

For fleet operators, the integrated system promises substantial operational benefits. NIRA's Winter Road Insights product, which helps optimise road maintenance, combined with BANF's wear prediction algorithms, is expected to lead to reduced tyre replacement costs and improved fuel efficiency.

Ron Yoogun Lee, Head of Business Development, BANF, said, “Our goal is to enhance cost-effectiveness, save lives and preserve the environment by digitising tyres, which are the last analog domain in the mobility industry.”

Looking ahead, NIRA's technology roadmap includes developing ‘grip maps’ for SAE Level 2-3 autonomous vehicles and leveraging data from millions of vehicles to create AI models for predictive infrastructure maintenance, further solidifying its position at the forefront of automotive innovation.

AI-powered mobile data capture company Anyline has launched TireBuddy, a smartphone-based app designed to modernise tyre inspections in automotive service bays. The app replaces traditional, manual inspection methods with a standardised digital workflow that delivers consistent, data-backed results and clear customer reports.

TireBuddy offers technicians tools to detect tread depth issues, tyre age, alignment concerns and sidewall damage using AI-powered analysis and visual reporting – without the need for additional hardware. Reports can be instantly shared in digital or printed formats, helping to reduce manual entry errors and increase customer trust.

The launch comes ahead of National Tire Safety Week (30 June 30 – 4 July), positioning the app as a timely solution for shops preparing for the summer travel season.

Lukas Kinigadner, Co-Chief Executive Officer, Anyline, said, “TireBuddy is not only about faster inspections — it’s about more trustworthy ones. We’re helping garages and service centres replace subjective tyre checks with data-backed insights and visual reporting that both technicians and customers can rely on.”

Frederic Baroin, Global Head of Automotive Business at Anyline, said, “TireBuddy empowers technicians with real-time, reliable data that strengthens recommendations and builds customer confidence. We designed it to deliver clarity, not complexity, in every inspection.”

By enhancing inspection accuracy and transparency, Anyline said TireBuddy can also drive higher service approvals and boost shop revenue.

Indian tyre maker CEAT said it has purchased the country’s first Scania 460 G prime mover truck to strengthen its research and development operations as the company pushes to expand in overseas markets.

The Mumbai-based manufacturer described the acquisition as part of efforts to upgrade its commercial vehicle tyre testing capabilities to international standards, particularly for certification in Europe and the United States.

The Scania G460 produces 460 horsepower from its 12.7-litre engine and can handle a gross vehicle weight of 150,000 kilograms (330,693 pounds). The truck features Scania’s Super engine technology, which the Swedish manufacturer says improves fuel efficiency while cutting emissions.

CEAT officials stated that the new testing platform will help accelerate product development and reduce costs while meeting stricter global standards.

“This high-performance vehicle is not just a prime mover — it’s a strategic investment in our Commercial Vehicle Tyre Testing Infrastructure, aimed at elevating our research & development capabilities to meet global standards,” the company said in a statement.

The investment comes as Indian tyre companies grapple with volatile raw material prices while trying to capitalize on strong domestic demand from India’s growing automotive sector. Industry analysts say that manufacturers are under pressure to improve efficiency and expand internationally in order to maintain profitability.

CEAT joins other major Indian tyre makers in ramping up research capabilities as they compete for market share both domestically and abroad.

The company said the new truck will support vehicle dynamics testing and help reduce the time needed to bring new commercial tyre products to market.