Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. has named Fujikura Ltd. of Tokyo, Japan, its preferred supplier of sensor microchips for low pressure monitoring systems.
The chips will be used in tire pressure monitoring systems being developed by the Akron, Ohio-based tiremaker and Siemens VDO Automotive Corp.
Earlier this week, Goodyear and Siemens announced the development of new software that alerts drivers with low pressure systems to psi losses.
"Goodyear and Fujikara have been developing these chips since the mid-1990s with great success," says Joe Gingo, Goodyear senior vice president for technology and global products planning.
Fujikara specializes in electronics technologies and components.
The TREAD (Transportation Recall Enhancement, Accountability and Documentation) Act requires that all new vehicles starting with the 2004 model year come equipped with a system to alert drivers to low air pressure in one or more tires.
