Michelin and Komatsu America Corp have announced a joint program to offer the MICHELIN® MEMS® 4 (Michelin Earthmover Management System) as a factory-installed option on select electric-drive trucks manufactured at the Komatsu facility in Peoria, Illinois.

The most widely used tyre-monitoring system in the world, according to Michelin, the MEMS system can be found in thousands of rigid dump trucks around the world.

Komatsu’s 930E-5 mining truck will be the first available model with MEMS4 as an option, with other models to follow, Michelin said. Komatsu will factory-install the MEMS4 transceiver, antennas and related harnesses, with MEMS4 integrated with the current existing electronic display panel. Michelin will coordinate installation of the sensors in the tyres at the customer’s site.

“In an effort to better serve our common customers, Michelin and Komatsu have signed the first OEM fitment agreement for MEMS4,” said Bruce Brackett, Senior Vice President, Michelin Global Mining business line. “The benefit for the mining customer is the integration of the tyre pressure monitoring system (TPMS) and the truck at the factory. With MEMS4, the customer receives a complete monitoring platform for tyres, site conditions and productivity gains as soon as the new equipment arrives at the site.”

Originally launched in 2006, the current MEMS4 version provides:

• Increased safety and tyre life;
• Reduced unscheduled downtime, tyre budgets and maintenance costs;
• Reduced fuel consumption and improve truck availability; and
• Savings on on-site pressure check labour.

Dan Funcannon, Vice President and General Manager, Komatsu Large Mining Truck Division, said: “As a leader in innovative technology, Komatsu and our partners develop the best technological solutions that enable our customers to improve safety, performance and reduce the cost per tonne.

“Integrating MEMS4 at the factory level ensures that the product is subjected to our rigorous quality process and provides a seamless experience for the customer.”

This factory-installed system captures real-time tyre temperatures, pressures and mapping for proactive fleet management, according to Michelin. Using GPS and accelerometers, a sensor installed in the tyre sends critical tyre-related data to alert operators online, via email or by SMS to laptops, tablets or smartphones. Each truck is geo-localised on a map in real time.

A data-capture tool and mobile-device connection transfers information via Ethernet or 3G to cloud storage, with data reported to dispatchers to provide tyre performance and anomalies.

Michelin said: “With MEMS4, downtime can be anticipated and avoided through detection of critical events. An inflation monitor compensates tyre-pressure limits for ambient temperature; therefore, when tyre temperatures change, operators can know immediately if there is an alert and change routes. Maintenance operations can be anticipated, and useless stops can be avoided.

Michelin will continue to offer MEMS4 as an aftermarket offering for trucks already in operation, it said.