SmarTire Systems Inc. says it tapped DuPont Automotive and high-performance characteristics of DuPont Zytel HTN PPA and Zytel HTN PPA SuperStructural resins for a lightweight and durable casing for SmarTire’s externally-mounted tire pressure monitoring system used as part of the SmartWave system for commercial trucks.
The SmartWave external valve stem-mounted TPMS uses two Zytel HTN PPA resins, and marks DuPont’s first use of laser welding to assemble dissimilar products in North America, according to the company. The nonpermeable seal created by laser-welding is intended to provide all-weather protection for the sensor, while the Zytel HTN PPA surround is built to be heat-resistant and durable.
The SmartWave external valve stem-mounted TPMS uses Zytel HTN PPA SuperStructural resin for the housing and Zytel HTN PPA for the cap. “Protecting the SmartWave electronic sensors inside the housing is paramount, and the best way to create a nonpermeable seal that withstands the rigors of external road conditions is through laser welding,” says Dan Jones, assembly manager for Troy, Mich.-based DuPont Automotive. “Our laser-welding leadership and competency in Asia Pacific really helped ensure we create a permanent joint in this inaugural project despite the dissimilarities of the two materials.”
DuPont saysZytel HTN PPA SuperStructural resins offer the rigidity and durability, plus impact and heat resistance, required to meet heavy tire spin loads, intense pressure levels that can reach 200 PSI and heat in the brake assembly area that can reach 200 degrees Celsius.
The SmartWave external TPMS is due to be released to the market in 2008 and offers installation benefits for retrofit applications. “Our customers have asked for an external TPMS that can effectively provide performance cost data, is convenient to retrofit and is durable enough to withstand the harsh conditions that commercial trucks face,” says Shawn Lammers, vice president of engineering for SmarTire Systems. “The reply? SmarTire’s external TPMS.”
Two of the top three commercial truck market’s financial concerns surround fuel economy and tire costs, both of which a tire pressure monitoring system can help manage. By integrating with the vehicles’ existing J1939 communications network, the system can relay vital information to the driver through a variety of display mechanisms and communicate information remotely to a central routing depot through telematics systems.
Due to the size of the unit, the available surface area and the cost of the labeling process, as well as exposure to outside elements, the units all are laser-etched with barcode and text information. SmarTire says this will ensure that the units continue to carry all of their necessary information for tracking and information purposes.
