Haldex has launched an updated tyre pressure monitoring system that is compliant with new R141 European regulations, which will come into force for all trailer systems in May 2024.
The Haldex TPMS 2.0 system consists of rim-mounted wheel sensors, wireless receiver and control unit, optional handheld digital tool, plus a smartphone app.
It is designed to continuously monitor tyre pressures and temperatures and alert operators of problems with low tyre pressures, in a simple and easy-to-use interface. It is compatible with the Haldex EB+ 4.0 EBS electronic braking system.
Tyres running at low pressure require more fuel to move and heat up because of internal friction. These conditions could, in an extreme case, lead to a blow-out.
Since tyre pressures decrease in proportion with falling temperatures, an unsophisticated TPMS could flag a false positive tyre pressure alert on very cold days. That is the reason why EU legislation, which came into force for new types of trucks and trailers in July 2022, requires that TPMS pressure readings are temperature-compensated.
There are other technical requirements in terms of data communication, incuding a new standardised data transmission format between a TPMS receiver unit and the trailer EBS system – which is via a wired CAN-Bus sensor. For that same reason, the Haldex TPMS 2.0 features a data gateway that will read signals from other brands of TPMS receivers.
Between the RCU and the wheels, individual wheel sensors send data over a wireless radio spectrum signal using a proprietary protocol. The RCU determines system status and receives the analogue signals, digitises them, and forwards them on.
As a minimum, the system must submit a warning if a tyre pressure drops below a certain threshold – by default 20 per cent, although it could be set at a lower fraction. If the truck is equipped accordingly, tyre pressures, warnings, alerts and system status can be displayed in the cab. Pressures measured are up to 10 bar.
TPMS 2.0 exceeds regulatory requirements by assigning each wheel a unique identifier. This nice-to-have feature helps make it easier to identify the problem tyre, which isn’t an easy task in case of a single slow puncture on an eight-axle, twin-wheel low-loader, for example.
To support the TPMS 2.0 functionality, Haldex provides three supplemental devices. First is a new handheld TPMS trigger tool, which wirelessly connects to wheel sensors to read tyre pressure, temperature, ID and battery status.
Second, a small diagnostic box works with Haldex’s own smartphone app to configure the system. Third, Haldex’s permanent, trailer-mounted display, EB+ Info Centre, which presents axle, suspension and brake diagnostic data, can display tyre information including pinpointing problems i.e. which axle, which side.
The Haldex TPMS 2.0 system works for up to five axles, 20 tyres and up to four spares. Although the regulation only requires wheels touching the ground to be measured, Haldex is going the extra mile to allow a spare tyre to be ready and waiting pre-configured, so that a service technician need not demount the tyre to fit the sensor.
Wheel sensors are powered by a non-replaceable battery rated for seven years’ operation. To conserve power, sensors transmit less frequently when the vehicle is stationary, only waking at wheel speeds in excess of 20km per hour.
On twin wheels, the sensors should be mounted 180-degrees apart. RCUs should be no more than 3m from wheel sensors, which means that on full trailers, two RCUs might be required. The system is set up and diagnosed using Haldex’s DIAG++ maintenance software.
In a further evolution of the system expected to launch early next year, the TPMS 2.0 RCU will be able to automatically identify new wheel sensors and their location, after new wheels have been installed, and the trailer is driven for a few metres. That plug-and-play system, pre-configured for a specific trailer type, will remove the need for a technician to manually enter the wheel sensor IDs into the system.
Haldex does not just comply with regulatory requirements, it exceeds them, improving the performance and road safety of its products for customers now and in the future.
Last month, SAF-Holland shared its FY24 results which underlined a resilient business model.
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