Cycloid Co., a Cranberry Township company that produces on-board vehicle tire inflation systems, has attracted an investment by Goodyear Tire and Rubber Co. of Akron, Ohio.
The deal, in which Goodyear has taken a minority interest in Cycloid, is intended to commercialize continuous tire pressure monitoring and maintenance systems developed by Cycloid for passenger cars, light trucks, vans and sport utility vehicles.
Goodyear gets licensing, distribution and marketing arrangements, while Cycloid can benefit from Goodyear’s OEM relationships, global distribution capabilities and its related research and technology in similar products.
Cycloid, founded by inventor Grant Renier, initially developed and continues to market the technology for heavy-duty trucks and trailers.
The system uses a self-contained inertia compressor mounted at the center of the wheel that uses the wheel’s rotation to power the pump and maintain constant tire pressure. The technology is on several truck fleets and is under evaluation by several OEM manufacturers.
We wonder … could they use it to keep that blimp up there?
Ray Marano
