Sumitomo Rubber Industries

Sumitomo Rubber Industries, known globally for its Dunlop and Falken tire brands, is at the forefront of automotive innovation. From new mobility solutions to autonomous vehicles, the company’s goal is to make driving safer and more efficient. One persistent challenge they set out to address is under-inflated tires, which reduce fuel efficiency, impair performance, and can lead to dangerous blowouts due to heat buildup.

With 28% of vehicles on the road estimated to have at least one under-inflated tire, the opportunity to improve safety and performance through IoT technology was clear. A remote monitoring solution could not only improve safety for drivers but also reduce maintenance burdens for fleet operators and rental car companies.

The Challenge: Bridging the Gap Between Tire Expertise and Connected Technology

Sumitomo had deep knowledge of tire performance but little experience in cloud data utilization or telecommunications. They needed a partner to help them bring an advanced tire monitoring solution online while ensuring secure, reliable connectivity.

The system also needed to work in real time across a wide variety of vehicles, delivering actionable data to maintenance teams and fleet managers without requiring in-person inspections at every stop.

The Solution: Connected Tire Insights with Soracom Air and Soracom Canal

To bring their Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) to life, Sumitomo equipped vehicles with IoT sensors capable of tracking tire pressure, temperature, and location. This data is sent via in-vehicle communication systems to the cloud, where it can be accessed on PCs, tablets, and smartphones in real time.

Public testing with commercial and rental fleets demonstrated significant efficiency gains. Maintenance teams could check tire conditions remotely instead of spending hours on manual inspections.

“The service utilizing sensors and cloud computing is a new concept for our customers,” said Mr. Teramoto, one of the project’s engineers. “Through the testing process, we were able to outline how maintenance teams’ workload had been reduced through concrete numerical values. At times, we discovered values that we had not anticipated in advance.”

Sumitomo selected Soracom for its reliable connectivity and robust security. Using Soracom Air, TPMS devices connect to cellular networks with consistent performance. Data security is ensured through Soracom Canal, which provides a private, direct connection between Sumitomo’s AWS-based cloud and the Soracom platform. This setup keeps fleet data off the public internet and allows Sumitomo to control which devices can access its virtual private cloud.

The Outcome: Smarter Maintenance, Safer Roads

Data from TPMS deployments with leased vehicles and Budget rental cars has enabled the creation of algorithms capable of detecting slow leaks and small punctures that would otherwise be missed during visual inspections. These insights help fleets extend tire life, prevent accidents, and improve customer relationships.

“Even though they may not have the speed of a venture company, companies with a large enough fleet can gather their own data and use it to improve their operations,” said Teramoto. “I would like to use the data to further improve our on-site capabilities.”

The TPMS is now part of Sumitomo’s Smart Tire initiative, aimed at placing Dunlop and Falken tires at the center of future automotive innovation, from connected and autonomous vehicles to electric mobility solutions.