HON.L Regulatory News (HON)

3 Nov 2006 07:00

Transense Technologies PLC03 November 2006 Transense Technologies plc ("Transense") Statement re agreement Michelin launches commercial vehicle Tyre Pressure Monitoring System "TPMS" After several years of intensive research & development Michelin, the world'slargest tyre manufacturer, and Honeywell, one of the world's leading automotivetechnology suppliers, announced in the US yesterday the launch of the eTire IIbattery-less TPMS for commercial vehicles. The eTire II system is based onTransense's surface acoustic wave ("SAW") technology, which Michelin licensed in2001 for in- and on-tyre applications. Jim Perry, Chief Executive of Transense, said last night, "I am delighted toreport that a product incorporating our SAW technology has reached commercialproduction. The agreement between Michelin and Honeywell to produce abatteryless TPMS has been a great success and the product was launched in the USby Michelin and Honeywell yesterday for use in commercial vehicle tyres made byMichelin. "We signed a licence agreement with Michelin in 2001 to work exclusively withtheir engineers to develop a system that would fit in or onto their commercialvehicle tyres and measure both pressure and temperature. In 2003 we signed anagreement with Honeywell to bring our SAW sensors into commercial production andto develop the electronics to interrogate them without using a battery in thetyre. All existing competing TPMS in production use batteries, which are eitheron the wheel or on the back of the valve. "It has taken us many years to perfect the use of SAW technology for TPMSapplications and I am very proud that our engineers, working alongside Michelinand Honeywell, have achieved it. Although Transense holds the worldwide corepatents for the technology it has taken the support of two major globalautomotive suppliers to commercialise our invention." Michelin announced: MICHELIN LEAPS FORWARD IN TIRE ELECTRONICS GREENVILLE, S.C. (Nov. 2, 2006) -- Michelin North America is offering a sneakpeek into the future of tire electronics. Five years after the introduction ofthe first of its kind eTire pressure and asset monitoring system, Michelin isshowing off the eTire II second-generation sensor patch. "Pressure maintenance and tire tracking continue to make the top of the wishlist of most fleet maintenance managers," said Marc Laferriere, vice presidentof marketing for Michelin Americas Truck Tires. "The ability to offer accurate,temperature-compensated, automatic pressure measurement is what we are seekingto attain." Temperature compensation allows the eTire II system to identifyvehicles with slow leaks as they re-enter the service terminal. The highertemperatures of the tire could otherwise hide such slow leaks. The eTire IIsystem enables the maintenance manager to avoid the dreaded morning flats thatcan disrupt operations. Developed by Michelin Americas Research and Development Center (M.A.R.C.) andHoneywell Sensing & Control under a joint development agreement, the eTire IIsystem includes the sensor patch that is applied to the interior of the tire'ssidewall, a Hand-Held reader that can interrogate the patch via magneticcoupling, a Drive-By reader that retrieves the sensor information automaticallyand the BibTrackTM Internet-based tracking software that allows the fleet tomonitor its tire assets from multiple terminals. The Hand-Held reader has been redesigned and ergonomically improved whencompared to the previous generation device. The Drive-By reader has alsoevolved and is now more powerful and more robust than the eTire version. Thesensor patch, which now weighs less than half an ounce, contains two maincomponents, an RFID module and a battery-free pressure/temperature sensor. Thisotherwise simple looking device packs an impressive amount of new technologybased on Surface Acoustic Wave (SAW) offering the following benefits: 1. It is battery-free and wireless. It consumes no power and there are no batteries to run low, leak or expire. This means less cost, higher reliability and less maintenance. 2. The SAW sensor is small and lightweight. At only 11 grams and a thickness equivalent to only a few sheets of paper, fleet owners don't need to worry about the sensor causing tire imbalance. 3. It is reliable and fast. Measuring pressure and temperature from inside the tire improves the accuracy of the reading when the tire is hot. "The work done by our Research Center and Honeywell is very impressive. We arenow ready to start limited production and test for market acceptance," saidLaferriere. The eTire II system is designed and optimized for urban andregional fleets that can fully benefit from its Drive-By automationcapabilities. Michelin (www.michelin.com) designs, manufactures and sells tires for every typeof vehicle, including airplanes, automobiles, bicycles, earthmovers, farmequipment, heavy-duty trucks, motorcycles and the space shuttle. The companyalso publishes travel guides, maps and atlases covering Europe, Asia, Africa andNorth America. Headquartered in Greenville, S.C., Michelin North America employs22,270 and operates 19 major manufacturing plants in 17 locations. For more information, visit www.michelinmedia.com or contact: Herb Johnson Tom Duke Michelin North America, Inc. Jackson-Dawson office: 1 864 458 6088 office: 1 864 272 3016 cell: 1 864 414 5748 cell: 1 864 430 9412 email: herb.Johnson@us.michelin.com email: tom.duke@jdsouth.com Honeywell SAW Sensor Technology in Tires (Background) Overview Honeywell Sensing & Control has developed a pressure sensor for use in the newMichelin eTireII monitoring system. The sensor incorporates wireless andbattery-free surface acoustic wave (SAW) technology that helps truck fleetmanagers monitor tire pressure for improved fuel efficiency, and extended tirelife, thereby reducing major fleet operating costs. What is SAW Technology SAW technology - licensed from Transense Technologies plc of the United Kingdom- is a passive technology that reflects a radio signal from a sensor back to aremote reader. In a tire application, this signal is proportional to thepressure and temperature inside the tire. Sensing temperature is a criticalfactor because it helps reduce false tire pressure readings. Honeywell SAW Sensors in Tires The Honeywell SAW sensors are encapsulated in a thin, 11-gram (0.024 lbs.)rubber patch that mounts inside the tire. The patch holds two main components:the temperature and pressure-sensing element that is housed in a button-likeenclosure, and a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag and antenna. A drive-by system or a handheld device remotely reads the tire pressure,temperature and identification signals from inside the tire. This data can bedownloaded to a computer to generate maintenance and asset management reportsand service alerts. SAW Technology in Tires Benefits Using SAW technology in tire applications has four key benefits: 1. It is battery-free and wireless. It consumes no power and there are no batteries to run low, leak or expire. This means less cost, enhanced reliability and less maintenance. 2. The SAW sensor is small and lightweight. At only 11 grams and a thickness equivalent to only a few sheets of paper, fleet owners don't need to worry about the sensor causing tire imbalance. 3. Enhanced reliability and speed. Measuring pressure and temperature from inside the tire improves the accuracy of the reading. Traditional tire pressure gauges can be imprecise and labour intensive to read and computerize. 4. It improves fuel economy and tire life. Additional SAW Technology Applications SAW technology is not new. It has been used for several years in the RF filtersfound in cell phones. It also is used in sensors to detect the presence ofpoisonous gasses. Honeywell is researching new ways to utilize this technology in other sensingapplications that can benefit from wireless and battery-free operation,including torque systems for engines, transmissions and drivelines. For more information on Honeywell SAW technology, please visit: http://content.honeywell.com/sensing/solutions/markets/aobmrkt/torque-sales-sheet-v10.pdf 3 November 2006 For further information please contact: Transense Technologies plc James Perry 01869 238 380 This information is provided by RNS The company news service from the London Stock Exchange