Car Tires with Embedded RFID Tags
The Future of Connected Car Tires
In 2012, Michelin began the RFID tagging of production tires for both trucks and buses, and in 2019 RFID tagging was extended to passenger car tires. Michelin's goal is to equip all manufactured car tires with an RFID tag by 2025 and to standardize RFID use in tire manufacturing. The creation of GDSO and Tire Information Service 2022 will create a standardization organization and standardized access to tire databases through the cloud. Christophe Duc, RFID Initiative Leader, Michelin, explains the progress of RFID tagging in tire manufacturing.
INTERVIEW WITH CHRISTOPHE DUC
1. Mr. Duc, what are the tire ecosystem objectives in establishing the GDSO?
The overall goal is to digitize the tire industry with RFID. For this reason, international standards for the RFID tagging of tires are required. The GDSO is an international non-profit organization jointly founded by Bridgestone, Continental, Goodyear, Michelin and Pirelli to set global data standards based on Unique Item Identifier for RFID use in tire manufacturing and to expand it.
Contributing to this is, for example, the Tire Information Service, where all standardized tire information will be digitally accessible to stakeholders. The exchange of information will be promoted in order to achieve benefits for the entire automotive industry.
2. What is the current trend on RFID technology adoption within automotive OEMs?
OEMs are increasingly using RFID and requesting RFID-tagged tires. Volvo, for example, delivers all new cars with RFID-tagged tires. Michelin is also receiving numerous project requests from OEMs to equip vehicles scheduled for launch in 2024–2025 with RFID tagged tires.
These are clear signs that leading automotive manufacturers have recognized the benefits and potential applications of RFID, and that the trend toward expanded RFID use in tire manufacturing and in the automotive industry continues. Sales and logistics partners as well as other stakeholders in the automotive market are also showing great interest in the technology and have started to cooperate with tire manufacturers.
More information can be found on the Michelin RFID website and in a downloadable brochure by Michelin.
3. Which are the key use cases for RFID in tires in the automotive industry?
RFID is generally used for efficient inventory management, optimized logistics, and the accurate allocation of tires to rims. Some partners go beyond this and use RFID for quality and compliance management in the automotive value chain. The identification numbers of RFID-tagged tires, for example, are linked to the vehicle identification number.
This guarantees that the correct tires are mounted on every vehicle produced. In the automotive industry, OEMs are required to adhere to strict quality specifications and regional standards, which can be more easily monitored and met with the use of RFID. In addition, it is possible to quickly identify and replace affected tires in the event of a recall.
4. What new or future use cases are currently being tested?
RFID-tagged tires are increasingly being used in vehicle development. The tires used in OEM tests are documented, and the right tire for the vehicle in question is determined before they are launched on the market. Additionally, RFID enables many specific after sales use cases like the summer/winter switch and predictive maintenance offers, among others. At the end of life, RFID will be a core enabler in tire sorting, reusing, retreading and recycling. These applications are currently being tested in collaboration with partners.
5. What benefits does the Tire Information Service offer for these use cases?
The Tire Information Service is designed to provide tire information, such as brand, type and dimensions, to all stakeholders in the automotive value chain worldwide. Each tire is accurately tracked and identified using RFID. Depending on the application, reading takes place via RFID gates or handhelds, or when passing stationary RFID readers. Security authentication ensures that only partner companies can access the data. The Tire Information Service provides standardized access to data from each tire manufacturer database.
6. What patents does Michelin hold in the area of RFID-tagged tires?
After several years of research, Michelin holds patents on RFID UHF tire tags, the semi-finished product, the manufacturing process, and the integration process into the tire.
7. How is Michelin promoting and ensuring the market adoption?
In 2022, Michelin had licensed packages covering 4 families: The tire tag, the semi-finished product, the manufacturing process, and integration in the tire. Michelin has decided, in the spirit of promoting and accelerating the RFID adoption, that any tire manufacturer could buy the socalled “Michelin approved tag” through selected tag manufacturers, clear of any Michelin tag IP question, and confidentially.
8. How does Michelin plan to expand the RFID deployment in tires?
The key to expanded deployment of RFID in tires is to build a comprehensive partner ecosystem. OEMs, suppliers and distributors in the automotive industry have been quick to respond and to embrace RFID. In order to foster the market adoption and make RFID a real standard, the cooperation and the co-working with the the ecosystem is key. This network must be expanded to include new partners.
These include companies that are active as RFID integrators, in logistics, automation, tooling, standardization or machine control. These partners are necessary to simplify the integration of RFID in the automotive industry and to fully leverage the benefits of the technology. This strategic ecosystem approach has been shared during recent key events like the TireTechnology Expo, Autopromotec & Hannover Messe along with GDSO, ATEQ, CIPAM, Hana, Siemens, Snap-On and more.