The company has now launched the laser marking of unique and permanent quick response codes.
One of the latest developments in QR codes has now been unveiled in Cologne, Germany, at the TIRE Technology Expo, where 4JET Technologies GmbH showed its laser marking process that allows the quick response codes to be permanently added to the wall of tires, making them scannable for the length of the product’s life.
These unique 2D barcodes are laser etched onto the wall of the tire, making them easy to scan.
According to the company, once the QR codes have been marked onto the tires, the majority of smartphone camera apps are then able to scan the barcodes. The engraving is called the SCANNECT solution at 4JET, and it uses lasers for adding the quick response codes to the sidewalls of the tires. The engraving produces a high contrast to ensure that the 2D barcodes will be easy for a device to read.
There are a number of different purposes that have been proposed for these tire QR codes.
According to the 4JET, some of the potential uses for this product are to:
• Provide a direct link to the CRM database (which is web based), making it possible for manufacturers to be able to identify the end customers of their products and to then share targeted marketing campaigns with them.
• Provide OE tire manufacturers with a means of ensuring traceability while minimizing the potential impact of recalls on their products.
• Allow better inventory organization, theft prevention, and usage tracking by commercial fleet managers.
• Offer end customers the ability to gain access to commercial and technical information about the specifications of their tire products, which makes it faster and easier to obtain proper replacements. This also makes it possible for customers to enter online marketplaces to actually use online marketplaces to purchase replacements or to sell their used tires.
The QR codes are engraved by laser at the tire factory itself, as well as during the assembly of the car or the wheel, or even at the point of sale. Those quick response codes are recessed into the tire’s surface so that they won’t be worn away, said the company.
