French tyre maker Michelin and Japan’s Murata Manufacturing Co have tied up in a licensing agreement. This agreement will allow for the integration of RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) tyre tags into automotive tyres, helping to further advance tyre management, sustainability, security, and traceability until the end of life within the transportation and wider automotive industry.
Michelin and Murata have enjoyed a successful working relationship for many years. This partnership has contributed to advancing RFID tag technology in tyres. Thanks to this new agreement, Murata will be able to produce generation 4 RFID tyre tags. Through this agreement, Murata will also have the possibility of offering the integration of RFID Tag in tyres, patented by Michelin.
In the future, tyre manufacturers around the world will have access to this solution scheduled to enter mass production, which is slated to commence after January 2025.
For 80 years now, Murata has been a leading company in the electronics market. With a major component for innovation and technology, Murata contributes to the improvement of society. With emerging environmental and societal challenges, Murata is investing more and more in the interconnectivity and traceability of products, giving life to the objects around us, particularly through RFID technology.
In the future, more and more objects will be connected, in order to better trace their origins and recycling. Europe is already implementing the ESPR (Eco-design for Sustainable Products Regulation) improving the circularity of products, each of them will be issued a digital product passport (DPP) allowing their life cycle to be traced.
This will also affect tyres which must contain an RFID, an essential component to obtain a DPP. This RFID, in addition to guaranteeing compatibility with new European standards, will make it possible to improve all logistical aspects affecting the tyre and automobile industry and mobility more generally.
In addition to offering innovative RFID tyre tags, Murata says it is committed to helping tyre manufacturers evaluate and implement these tags into their products. Murata can provide tailored solutions that improve tyre traceability and management for various applications, encompassing high-performance motorsport, passenger vehicles, and networks for global transport.
Additionally, to facilitate uniform adoption of RFID technology within the tyre industry, Murata adds it will continue to provide tyre manufacturers with access to solutions based on Murata’s RFID software, id-Bridge.