Automated Tyre launches SmartBay for workshop automation

Automated Tyre has emerged from stealth and introduced SmartBay, a robotic tyre-changing platform designed for use in a standard automotive service bay.

SmartBay carries out tyre changes, wheel balancing and vehicle inspections with limited human involvement. It is aimed at dealerships, tyre retailers and service centres that still rely heavily on manual workshop labour.

The platform combines robotics, computer vision and machine learning to handle differences between vehicles rather than following a fixed sequence for every job. It can work across most consumer vehicles and fit within a 12-foot service bay without preventing the space from being used for other servicing when needed.

Automated Tyre is targeting a longstanding bottleneck in vehicle maintenance. Tyre fitting remains labour intensive, while workshop operators face pressure from technician shortages, injury risks and tighter margins.

According to figures the company cited from the National Automotive Dealers Association, the sector is short of at least 37,000 new technicians each year as older workers retire and fewer younger staff enter the trade. For repair shops and dealerships, that has led to persistent recruitment costs, retraining needs and inconsistent service levels.

With SmartBay in use, one technician can oversee up to three service bays at once, according to the company. The platform can also cut the time required for a full tyre service by about half, to as little as 30 minutes, while increasing throughput per bay.

How it works

Once a vehicle is in position, the system begins an inspection, identifies tyre and wheel conditions, and collects diagnostic data. Robotic arms then remove and reinstall tyres and balance wheels, while the software calculates and applies wheel weights during the process.

The machine continues to collect and analyse data throughout the job, producing customer-facing reports and adjusting each step for efficiency. Its balancing tool also dispenses a precise amount of wheel-weight composite to improve consistency.

The launch comes as electric vehicles add another variable to the tyre market. Heavier battery-powered models are often cited as wearing through tyres faster than conventional vehicles, potentially increasing demand for tyre servicing across dealer and independent workshop networks.

"While the auto industry has made great strides with advanced technologies over recent decades, automotive service bays have seen little innovation to match," said Andy Chalofsky, chief executive of Automated Tyre.

"Most notably, electric vehicles wear through tires up to 30% faster. The proliferation of EVs creates significantly more tire service opportunities, but tire technician jobs are dirty, injury-prone, and difficult to fill. Our SmartBay platform gives modern shops a meaningful solution to turn a dangerous, manual chore into a high-tech, automated process that matches the sophistication of the vehicles being serviced."

Founding team

The company is led by co-founders Andy Chalofsky, Josh Chalofsky and Faron Schonfeld, whose backgrounds span tyre retailing, logistics, finance and operations.

Andy Chalofsky previously founded several tyre businesses, including Network Tyre, Traction Tyre, United Tyre and SimpleTyre, which was later acquired by DealerTyre. Josh Chalofsky also helped found SimpleTyre, where he served as chief operating officer and worked on logistics, fulfilment and partner integration. Schonfeld is chief financial officer at Automated Tyre and has also held roles at Trax Partners, Citadel and Accenture.

That mix of automotive and operational experience may matter as Automated Tyre moves from development to commercial deployment. Leasing options for SmartBay will be available, signalling a path to adoption that could lower the upfront barrier for workshops compared with outright equipment purchases.

The launch also places the company in a small but growing group of robotics businesses trying to automate tasks outside factory production lines. Automotive workshops are harder to standardise than manufacturing plants because vehicle dimensions, wheel types, wear patterns and service conditions can vary from one job to the next.

For service operators, the appeal of such systems will depend on whether they can handle that variability reliably while improving economics at the bay level. Automated Tyre argues that tyre service is frequent, physically demanding and relatively standardised compared with more complex repairs, making it a practical starting point for workshop automation.

SmartBay is intended to shift shops away from technician-led tyre service towards a system that can inspect, remove, reinstall and balance tyres in a single workflow within an existing bay footprint.