KTL develops non-destructive system for tire deflation tests

Chicago, Illinois - US testing & measurement equipment supplier Koala Technologies LLC (KTL) has developed a 'non-destructive,tire-deflating testing tool'.

Called Te.Sense Bloom, it allows controlled, rapid deflation of tires, as opposed to traditional processes which involve driving a vehicle over objects to destructively puncture the tires.

The device, said a 12 March release from Chicago-based KTL, uses “a controllable central air ejector valve with a volume and flow capacity” that simulates a sudden tire pressure loss event.

The use of air valves for tire testing, it noted, provides automotive testers and engineers with a “repeatable set-up method... and simple connectivity with data acquisition systems.”

According to KTL, the device eliminates many of the recurring costs and waste associated with multiple destruction of tires and sometimes vehicles.

The system, it added, can trigger a rapid tire deflation event from inside the vehicle or remotely, further expanding test scenario possibilities.

The device is suitable for testing tire inflation pressures up to 100psi and speeds up to 140 km/hr, and captures “precise, real-time tire inflation pressure data” for further analysis.

The first US-specification kit has been delivered to the Transportation Research Center in Ohio for initial evaluations.