In that respect, tyre industry should continue to improve New Product Development (NPD) process to a different level by expanding R&D efforts. Consequently, innovative tyre technology and tyre knowledge will be extremely important to compete in the future, more than at any time in the past. As we all know, there are several key processes to design and to produce the right tyres to meet the customer requirements.

In the new tyre development process, duration is getting more crucial and all manufacturers are trying to shorten it by using modern simulation and modeling technics. TIC - Tyre Industry Consulting - and AccuPredict LLC believe in “Speed to market with right solutions and innovation.” In that respect, Virtual Technologies enable companies to launch world-class product faster and more cost effectively than ever. Therefore, we recommend using the Virtual technology which is essential to understand how all the various parts of the tyre interact and add up to whole. With modeling and simulation, you will foresee the full effects of cascading events as well as novel events that our mental models cannot even imagine.   

Tyre, as a component of a vehicle, can largely influence the performance of the vehicle. On the other hand, to design tyres with high quality and high-performance, not only the characteristics of tyres such as tread pattern, tyre structure, material, local stress and thermal properties are also important, but the running conditions such as the load of a vehicle, the road roughness, temperature changes are equally critical. Considering the rapid advancement in electric vehicle, tyre will be the major source of noise for the modern vehicles. European regulation on tyre pass-by (PB) noise has been restricted to be less than 72 dB (A) and set the future noise level at a limit of 68 dB(A) after 2025 (phase 3). Tyre models based on virtual technology provide a comprehensive evaluation of key aspects of tyres. To ensure that the tyres are designed with high quality and good durability, and also in compliance with regulation, simulating tyres and predicting the tyre performance under various conditions can largely improve the tyre develop efficiency. The following tyre simulation and modeling are a few examples to showcase the vast potential of the tyre virtual technology.

• Components of tyre simulation - creation of rim, carcass, ply, and belts, reinforcement modeling, tread pattern meshing method, element types, etc.
• Footprint and force/moment prediction – Quasi-static footprint prediction with normal force, lateral force, torsion, and camber; steady-state rolling with brake and acceleration, cornering, and camber, etc.

• Integration of tyre structure and tyre Noise, Vibration and Harshness (NVH) – pitch sequencing, tyre profile and structure, tread blocks, void area, non-skid depth, angle of groove, shape of footprint, local stress distribution and tyre uniformity can be investigated in combination with tyre impact noise, air-pumping noise and cavity noise to obtain the tyre radiation noise model for tyre design optimisation.
• Rolling resistance – Deformation analysis, radial stiffness (R deflection) prediction, tread pattern and side wall stiffness may be included to a finite element model for specific tyre designs and then simulate the energy loss under different tyre running conditions to obtain the optimal rolling resistance level.
• Thermal stress and fatigue analysis based on fluid dynamics - fluid-solid coupling simulation, creation and evaluation of detailed tread design, and dynamic meshes for tyre structure and rotating machinery fields will collectively provide precise understanding of the thermal distribution of given tyres. In particular, the analysis can predict the thermal stress of tyre molds accurately.

We do recommend applying Virtual analysis in design and development phases regarding; sizing, carcass line design, pattern design, footprint, tyre structure, materials, running conditions, durability, rolling resistance, noise and others.

TIC-Tyre Industry Consulting and AccuPredict LLC Subject Matter Experts (SME) have vast hands on experiences for above topics and ready to support your activities. We provide specialised technical solutions for your challenges and we guarantee a high standard of professional-ethical principles that we have kept and developed for years.

In addition to those services, we also provide Simulation and Modeling Technical Courses that design to give your workforce the skills, mind set and competences. Our trainers guide participants through a learning journey featuring workshops, case studies and the latest educational technologies.

• www.ctyreindustry.com. Contact: halukkizilay@outlook.com
• www.accupredictllc.com. Contact junhan08@yahoo.com

 

 

Haluk Kizilay has built over 30 years an impressive career that spans everything from tyre design & development to strategic planning, marketing and business development with global leaders including Bridgestone Turkey and Cooper Tire & Rubber. In 2019, he established TIC (Tire Industry Consulting). Haluk is one of the authorised judges of EU Horizon 2020 work programme and one of the registered researchers of TUBITAK, the Scientific & Technological Research Council of Turkey. In this article he focuses how to enhance New Product Development (NPD) process.

…

Jun Han Ph.D. has more than 15 years of experience in solving mechanical problems related to structural sound and vibration, tyre NVH, Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD), thermal, and numerical modelling. His exceptional modeling work won him the Outstanding Contribution to Innovation Award in 2019. He was a Senior Engineer at Cooper Tire & Rubber Company (OH) and has served as the core technical support for Cooper Tire’s Global R&D centers in the US, China and Europe. His work in reducing total tyre pass-by noise won him the prestigious Chairman’s Award at Copper in 2016. In 2020, Jun Han established his own technology company AccuPredict LLC

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.