Purdue Uni develops technique for inspecting new tyres

West Lafayette, Indiana -- Mechanical engineers at Indiana's Purdue University say they have developed a system that uses sensors and mathematical models to detect defects in newly manufactured tyres better than conventional inspections, promising to help industry meet more stringent federal tyre-durability requirements.

Purdue said the diagnostic technique works by analysing vibration waves passing through a tyre to detect damage that leads to cracks in the bead area, where the tyre connects to the steel rim of the wheel. A crack will sometimes form in the bead area and spread entirely around the tyre, causing the tyre to lose air or otherwise fail, said Douglas Adams, an associate professor of mechanical engineering who developed the system with doctoral student Timothy Johnson.

Johnson will present a research paper about the diagnostic technique on April 6 during the Society of Automotive Engineers' 2006 World Congress in Detroit. Adams will give a talk on April 7 focusing on developing better mathematical models and simulations.

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Press release (Lengthy) from Purdue