Goodyear Offers New Hose Tracking Technology

AKRON, Ohio, Dec. 2, 2005 -- To help industrial hose end- users, Goodyear Engineered Products is introducing an on-line tracking system that takes the guesswork out of hose maintenance.

Goodyear Hose Trakker Online monitors hose assemblies from pre- installation through the life of the product. The web-based tool is available only to Goodyear Star distributors and allows their customers to access hose assembly records, while sharing information with a click of a mouse.

According to Keith Collett, Goodyear's industrial hose marketing manager, Hose Trakker Online monitors inventories, product location, maintenance schedules and test history of industrial hose assemblies.

"The service provides Goodyear Star distributors and end-users with an innovative tool in an industry where performance and maintenance are critical," said Collett.

"This technology is one more example of Goodyear's commitment to providing customers with unparalleled levels of value-added services," he said. "Working with our Star network, we are helping to ensure consistent, reliable hose assembly performance."

Hose Trakker Online, jointly developed with Wetaskiwin, Alberta-based InfoChip Systems Inc., initially uses serial tags installed by Star distributors that identify hose assemblies. Next generation hoses will use radio frequency identification microchips that uniquely identify the product and further simplify the identification and tracking process.

Collett said Goodyear elected to work with InfoChip Systems because it is a proven industry leader of online industrial equipment tracking and systems testing.

"InfoChip Systems has provided Goodyear's Star network with an even greater level of maintenance and testing services for a variety of industries, including petro-chemical, military, construction and bulk transfer," said Collett. "End-users can have this new information management tool at their fingertips."

Goodyear's Star network includes 45 hose distributors in North America that make up more than 500 selling locations and 100 assembly operations.

Each Star distributor has been independently verified by UL (Underwriters Laboratories, Inc.) for meeting hose assembly standards established by NAHAD (Association for Hose and Accessories Distribution). Star distributors must be able to perform hydrostatic and conductivity testing on hose assemblies to ensure product quality.

Goodyear Engineered Products manufactures and markets engineered rubber products for industrial and automotive applications, including hoses, conveyor belts, power transmission products, molded products and air springs. For more information about Goodyear's Star distributor program, visit www.star.goodyear.com.