GKN Wheels, part of GKN – a supplier of wheels for off-highway vehicles, has signed a product development and manufacturing agreement with Rimtec, a provider of replacement wheels and tyre accessories, as part of a move to break into the global mining wheels market. Working in partnership with Rimtec, GKN Wheels will manufacture large steel wheels with diameters ranging from 49 inches to 63 in at its plant in Liuzhou, China.

David Eastham, Sales and Marketing Director at GKN Wheels, commented: “This is a very significant move for GKN Wheels as it is our first partnership agreement in the mining sector and specifically in the after-sales market. We will of course, continue to supply wheels to the earthmoving and mining industries, where we have been working successfully for many years with OEM customers including CAT, Komatsu and Volvo.

“With the support of Rimtec’s excellent sales and service network, which has links with mining customers throughout the southern hemisphere, GKN Wheels is delighted to be producing steel wheels for a marketplace that demands the highest possible standards of quality and durability.”

Ethan Winterborn, Manager of Rimtec, commented: “To be aligned with such a professional and progressive organisation such as GKN is a huge step forward for Rimtec. The synergies that exist between our two companies are significant. GKN has been working with major OEMs for many years including the big players in the large steel wheel markets and we look forward to our involvement in making GKN a recognised and trusted name in the large earthmover wheel market.”

GKN Wheels, part of the GKN OffHighway division, has seven global manufacturing plants in the UK, USA, Denmark, Italy and China. It designs, manufactures and distributes wheels to end users and OEMs. In addition to its manufacturing capability, GKN Wheels owns and operates some advanced testing facilities used in off-highway wheel design.