M itchell Technical Systems' TyreGuard deflation warning system includes sensors which
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replace the tyre valve caps. Each sensor contains a mechanical pressure switch and a transmitter which sends a signal to a dashboard-mounted display if the pressure drops by more than 10% below the cold operating level.An audible warning alerts the driver to the potential problem; the display tells him which tyre is affected_ This information, together with the time, is stored by a microprocessor and can be recalled by the fleet manager back at base. This ensures
that the driver takes appropriate action when the alarm is raised.
TyreGuard is coded to each individual truck so the warning can not be triggered by another transmitter. Not all fleets have trailers dedicated to particular tractors but it is easy to recode the receiver to a particular trailer. The transmitters are powered by watch-type batteries which are designed to last for two years, and as they only weigh 30g there should not be any need to rebalance the wheels.
"Some devices we've seen weigh up to 2lbs, have to be bolted into the hub and cost £300 a wheel," says director John Mitchell.
It costs £744 plus fitting to equip a 4x2 tractor and tri-axle trailer but volume discounts are available. Installation by a competent technician takes about an hour; the system is guaranteed for two years Mitchell Technical has appointed two distributors; Motec Industries in Worksop and Thomas Vehicle Efficiency (TVE) in Congleton. Although both distributors are based in the north of England, the system can be fitted countrywide.
As part of the development process TyreGuard was fitted to an artic used by Hendrickson Inc (Mitchell's parent company) to test air suspension systems. The vehicle completed 250 circuits of the MIRA proving ground's "rough test" track over 10 days. "Tyreguard proved capable of functioning throughout and after this test, which was in fact twice as long as we originally intended," says Mitchell.
Operators of low-loaders have expressed particular interest in the system, he adds. At present we're sorting out a package for a trailer with 56 tyres. Remember that if one tyre fails on a heavily-laden low-loader all the other qTes may start popping because of the weight transference—then you've really got a problem."
E by Steve Banner