Sumitomo Rubber starts demo project for tire failure prediction

Kobe, Japan – Sumitomo Rubber Industries (SRI) and Japanese logistics group Logisteed have began a demonstration experiment aimed at improving truck operating rates.

As part of the one-year project, Logisteed will embed SRI’s tire pressure and temperature management services in its digital platform ‘smart & safety connect vehicle’ (SSCV).

The process is part of SRI’s broader goal of developing a “breakdown prediction solution service” covering all aspects of maintenance, vehicle procurement and related activities, SRI said 4 July.

Within the project, the partners will track acceleration, location, load weight and tire wear before and after vehicle departure.

Markers, it said, will include: frequency of puncture occurrences, slow punctures; and changes to fuel efficiency and tire life delivered by air-pressure management.

Providing context for the project, Logisteed said Japan’s ‘labour standard act’ has been extended to the transportation industry since April.

The regulation, said the group, poses restrictions on overtime work for truck drivers, leading to a shortage of trucks on the road.

The new project is part of the group’s measures to enhance transport capacity by improving efficiency, increasing driver safety and preventing operational stoppages.