Continental Commercial Specialty Tires (CST) unveiled a new telematics solution at TOC: the ContiFlexBox. It complements the successful ContiPressureCheck™ tire pressure monitoring system, by collecting and deploying tire- and vehicle-referenced data, and forwarding it on to a central server. This new addition expands Continentals comprehensive product portfolio to include a telematics solution for the efficient management of vehicle fleets. The ContiFlexBox will be suitable for use in vehicles operating in a huge range of different industrial sectors. In particular port operations, where fast loading times and short downtimes times are vital, the new telematics system provides many advantages including minimizing costly tire and vehicle damage. The combined system, comprising of the ContiFlexBox and ContiPressureCheck™, will be available from 2016.
“Telematics rank among the growth drivers in port logistics. Efficient analysis and utilization of data enable fleet managers to optimize their processes and reduce their operating costs”, explains Julian Alexander, Business Line Manager Material Handling at Continental CST. “With our new combined package, the ContiFlexBox and ContiPressureCheck™, we will offer our customers a tailored system that synergizes the measurement of tire data with telematic capabilities to optimum effect, and ideally supplements our unique port tire portfolio.”
ContiFlexBox: the intelligent solution for all vehicle fleets
The ContiFlexBox is mounted in the driver’s cab of a vehicle, and powered via the engine’s ignition. The ContiPressureCheck™ tire pressure monitoring system provides automatic collection of data on tire pressure and temperature using sensors placed inside the tire. A GPS signal in the ContiFlexBox will enable additional vehicle-referenced data to be measured, like deployment duration and current location. Via WLAN, Bluetooth or GSM, all information can be transmitted to a central server for analysis and editing.
Fleet managers can then use the vehicle data collected to increase the efficiency of their fleet management operations. Data stored in the system is protected with individual access rights.
Efficient fleet management
From an individual vehicle to an entire fleet: with the new telematics solution, fleet managers, drivers and the maintenance team are kept continuously informed of relevant tire- and vehicle-referenced data. Provisions will also be made for forwarding the data to mobile terminals like tablets or mobile phones. This will allow drivers, technicians and fleet managers to be alerted by SMS or email when the air pressure has to be corrected. This reduces downtime since the risk of tire damage is minimized, and the workload involved in regular, time-intensive maintenance is lessened. As a result fleet operators are able to increase the efficiency of their fleets and significantly downsize their operating costs. At the same time, the environmental impact is reduced, thanks to lower CO2 emissions and a lengthier useful lifetime of the tires. Another advantage of the new telematics system, comprising of the ContiFlexBlox and ContiPressureCheck™, is the simple installation procedure, which will be handled by a team of experienced technicians, ensuring fast deployment and minimized downtime in daily operations. The tire pressure monitoring system is, moreover, compatible with tubeless tires from all manufacturers’ brands, and for vehicles of every size, rendering it exceptionally versatile – the latter also applies for the ContiFlexBox.