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TECHNOLOGY
region of 5% of tyres were operating with critical levels of wear on the tread. A key aim of the installation of the system was to significantly improve these figures in order to improve safety and reliability, reduce fuel consumption, prevent breakdowns due to poor tyre conditions, optimise labour efficiency, and extend tyre life. Says Feldmann; “In November 2016, shortly after start-up, critical pressures were as high as 28.99% of the fleet, but this had reduced to 18.41% by March and now is running at only 4.59%, which is a massive difference.” According to Feldmann, similar results have been achieved in the area of tread depth management, thanks to the PNEUSCAN PRO module which calculates the tyre´s tread depth by applying a laser plane intersection procedure. This method not only provides tread depth information but also information on possible axial misalignment. Meanwhile, the electronic documentation of the tread depth values can be useful for tyre management purposes. For example, based on the tread depth history of the tyres, the stockpiling and demand of different tyre models can be planned.
Says Feldmann; “In November 2016 as many as 5.06% of the fleet’s tyres were running on tyres with critical tread depth, but the implementation of the PNEUSCAN system had an immediate impact. The difference in the figures was noticeable from Month 1, and by July 2017, we had reduced this figure to 0.86%.”
It is now over a year since the PNEUSCAN INGROUND system was installed, but now Feldmann is looking at the long-term benefits of the system.
“In the first year of operation, the equipment has remained operational with little maintenance demand, and as a result we have able to reduce the direct cost of labour dedicated to
the maintenance of tyres by as much as 70%, whilst continuing to guarantee a reliable tracking of the fleet. In the medium term, we hope to improve the mileage of our tyres by as much as 15-20%, as a result of maintaining the inflation pressure within an optimum range of operation. The time necessary to obtain the greatest benefit is estimated to be between 2 and 3 years.
“Return on investment is also impressive,” he adds. “Even if we were only to achieve a 5% improvement in the mileage of the tyres, the savings achieved, including those in maintenance personnel, mean we fully expect a recovery of our investment within two years.”
As far as the retread market is concerned, PNEUSCAN could serve as a valuable tool for retreaders looking to add fleet
management services to their services offerings. The system, which is available in either “inground” or “onground” options, would be especially suitable for retreaders who have a number of local fleet customers, including small or medium-sized fleets, who are able to measure their pressures and tread depths at the retreader’s facilities on a regular basis. Retreaders who already have their own truck servicing facilities or tyre retail outlets could benefit particularly from this equipment.
At the other end of the scale, larger retreaders who are managing large fleets on an in- house basis could also benefit from locating such equipment at customers’ premises.