1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154
155
156
157
158
159
160
161
162
163
164
165
166
167
168
169
170
171
172
173
174
175
176
177
178
179
180
181
182
183
184
185
186
187
188
189
190
191
192
193
194
195
196 
Check pressure and treads by computer
Page 20
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
• Abingdon-based RL Automotive and lmagemap of the US have teamed up to produce a hand-held tyre analyser system for monitoring tread and pressure.
The Digiscan TreadScanner, reads the entire contour while the tyre is on the vehicle, and displays the tread's cross-section, using specialist software, on either a laptop or hand-held computer.
The scan takes about five seconds with a reading every half millimetre across the tread. Data is transmitted through a cable to any computer, including a palmtop, with an RS232 port, where it can be viewed, then exported to an Excel-style spreadsheet for further analysis. Digiscan weighs 1.5kg, is 700mm long and operates via a single button.
It uses a low energy laser powered by re-chargeable batteries in the handle; one charge is said to do more than 250 scans. Ri_ Automotive has a prototype for demonstrations and expects production versions to become available by the summer at a cost of just under £1,000 depending on the software package.
• Contact: Mark Longdon on 01235835959.