Tire tracking standard released

SOUTHFIELD, Mich. (Feb. 22)—The Automotive Industry Action Group, a standards-setting body for the industry, has released its tire and wheel label and radio frequency identification standard. In July, the group released the interim, labeling portion of the standard, enabling car and tire makers to begin using a bar-code label for tracking tires and wheels. The final standard includes protocol for RFID tags that are molded into the tire, enabling data capture and encryption. The tags will allow tire and auto makers to assign each tire a unique serial code and tie it to a vehicle's identification number, greatly reducing the scope of future recalls. Although the new standard uses specific language concerning tires, it could be applied to an individual vehicle component for tracking purposes, the AIAG said. Intermec Technologies Corp., a key participant in developing the standard, already offers RFID tags and readers.