K-PRESSURE™

  

K-PRESSURE™: the new generation tyre pressure monitoring systems

On average a tyre spontaneously loses 0.2 bar (3psi) every 3 months (source: Tyre Industry) which means that 100% of tyres experience a 20% pressure loss 4 times during their lifetime (based on an average tyre lifetime of 2 years, and its nominal pressure being 2.0 bar/).  According to NOP Automotive UK tyres under inflated by 20% can:

• Increase tyre wear by 25%
• Reduce tyre life by 30%
• Increase fuel consumption by 3%

Under inflated tyres create more resistance when your car is moving, which means your engine has to work harder, so more fuel is used and more CO2 emissions are produced. You will also experience reduced performance and control of your vehicle.

Tyre pressures therefore need to be checked - adjust your tyre pressures regularly and also before long journeys.  An effective way of automatically seeing if your tyre pressures are low is by using a tyre pressure monitoring system.

However tyre pressure monitoring systems provided by the car manufacturers are not always your best bet. These systems evaluate tyre pressure relative to the other tyres on the vehicle. So, if all four tyres were subjected to the same irregularity, nothing would be detected. The Pirelli system, on the other hand, monitors each tyre individually, providing the most accurate and efficient detection system.

Pirelli's K-PRESSURE™ is built around a sensor system that is fitted to the tyre's valve. Inserted into the valve cap, the mechanism can be used for both conventional tyres and Run Flat, and measures the eventual pressure changes in real time (different caps, dependant on the reference value). It then communicates any changes in one of three different ways:

• Optic : optical signal on the valve cap (white: OK - red: alarm) (AVAILABLE NOW!);
• AcousticBlue : signal via wireless link to the mobile phone (not yet available);
• Acoustic :signal via the onboard electronic management system (not yet available).

Apart from the AcousticBlue system, which immediately identifies the problem tyre, all other versions provide acoustic and visual messages, which identify the wheel fitted with the problem tyre

Check out the advantages of all three grades of the K-PRESSURE™ system:

• Non-invasive : all fitted to the outside of the rim/tyre
• Minimum weight : from 3.5 to 6 grams: minimal risk of imbalance
• Standard rim : an (ETRTO) valve is sufficient
• Plug and play : immediate fit: no adjustment required
• Maximum accuracy : auto-compensation for different external temperatures and pressures
• Maximum life : the battery inside the cap provides 5,000 hours of autonomy
• Economy: K-PRESSURE™ has been developed as a family of modular products in order to optimise costs. The various versions are decidedly competitive in their pricing compared to the systems currently on the market and set a new standard in terms of price/benefit to the user, as is the case with K-PRESSURE™ Optic.