'Drive-over' tyre pressure monitoring system

5th May 2015

Staff Reporter

0 0

Thamesdown Transport has become the latest user of an innovative new tyre pressure monitoring system developed in the UK by Oxford-based WheelRight. The system uses algorithms to process the data as the tyre rolls over it to calculate pressures, eliminating the need for manual checking. To check tyre pressures, Thamesdown’s maintenance team drive over a flush-mounted device embedded into the road that contains highly sensitive, yet robust sensors.

The WheelRight sensor is installed at the company’s Swindon depot (between the fuel bay and the bus wash) enabling pressures to be checked quickly and without the need for any additional equipment. Within seconds of driving over the monitoring strip, a series of calculations is carried out, with the real-time pressures being sent directly to the fleet manager, via text or email.

During a seven month trial at Thamesdown’s Swindon depot, the operator confirmed significant benefits from the WheelRight system. Taking into account the cost of tyre pressure checks, puncture avoidances as well as fuel and tyre savings, WheelRight estimates savings of approximately £33,000 per year, which does not include unquantifiable additional benefits such as improved safety, environmental impact and enhanced service that the adoption of the new tyre monitoring system has achieved. Running a fleet of 80 buses from its Swindon depot, Thamesdown has adopted the remote monitoring system due to its now proven ability to spot poorly inflated tyres and even identify slow punctures before they become a problem.

The WheelRight solution can be used by car fleets, HGV fleets and retail businesses to offer remote, accurate and state of the art tyre pressure monitoring that improves driver safety and fuel efficiency.