Trelleborg has debuted the ConnecTire smart wheel. The company says this is a sensor-based smart wheel that allows data sharing at multiple levels, thus reducing the risk of tire slippage on the rim. Farmers can use this technology to leverage the Internet of Things and make their operations faster and more efficient.
It is key for farmers to operate their equipment at the lowest safe pressure so that there is minimum impact on the top soil. They will also need to ensure maximum safety both for the human operator and the machine. Tyre pressure can change during operations based on a number of factors including ambient and soil temperatures, as well as the configuration of the machine and the intensity of the task that is performed.
ConnecTire keeps tabs on two key variables – tyre pressure and temperature – and this is continually conveyed back to the tractor and farm mainframes through Bluetooth and wireless connectivity. Operators can set their target tyre pressure and can then monitor how tyre pressure deviates from that target to take appropriate action. In the case that corrective action is needed, ConnecTire automatically sends an alert via its App, thus ensuring minimum disruption and maximum machine safety.
Commenting on the new technology, Piero Mancinelli, R&D Director at Trelleborg Wheel Systems said that ConnecTire is meant to ensure efficiency and sustainability as tyres are required to work intelligently and to be at the right pressure at all times. Many factors can affect the efficiency of a tyre including humidity, ambient temperature and soil conditions. The ability to track and control tyre pressure allows farmers to minimize inefficiencies. The alert via App capability is an essential feature of ConnecTire as changing conditions can call for prompt action in order to maintain maximum efficiency and prevent rim slippage. ConnecTire’s communications functions facilitates fingertip control.
In addition to tyre monitoring, ConnecTire has other features like an inbuilt GPS capability to identify the live position of the tractor. This can add to the safety of employees working alone and even safeguard the tyres and machine against risk of theft. Farm managers can use precision farming software to track the number of machine passes over every square centimetre of land, thus keeping soil compaction and erosion to minimum levels.
Mancinelli added “Repeatedly driving over the same ground at different stages of the crop cycle has a long term impact on yield. With ConnecTire, we saw an opportunity to help reduce this effect by providing the data that allows farms to identify at risk areas and mitigate this. Efficient use of land is essential and by reducing the number of machine passes, ConnecTire helps soil to rapidly recover fertility and yield potential.”
Trelleborg will be highlighting at the Agritechnica 2017 show which will be held from November 12 to 18 in Hannover, Germany.
Manju Mathew, an MBA in marketing, completed publisher training courses from the Oxford Brookes University and New York University. She started with marketing and PR roles before moving on to her current position as a full time writer. Currently living in Dubai, her life as an expat has sharpened her observation skills and flair for writing. She enjoys writing about luxury cars like Ferrari, Lamborghini, etc even if she can only dream of owning them.
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