Bridgestone has announced the introduction of the company’s revolutionary MasterCore off-the-road (OTR) tyre line at a press conference in Tokyo. MasterCore tyres it says “are engineered for ultra-high durability with performance that can be customised to various mine sites and operations.” The MasterCore product line is launching initially with the largest 63 in mining tyres with additional patterns and sizes available to customers in 2021.

“After many years of global product development that produced advances in engineering, chemistry and material science, we are excited to introduce the MasterCore brand to mining customers all over the world,” said Tomohiro Kusano, Vice President and Senior Officer, Responsible for G-MAA (Mining, Aircraft, Agriculture) Solutions Business, Bridgestone Corporation. “Each mine site is unique and requires a custom tyre solution that enables operators to improve efficiency. Our MasterCore offering sets a new standard for off-the-road tyre performance as we strive to achieve Dan-Totsu – our vision to be a clear and absolute industry leader.”

As Bridgestone’s best-in-class mining tyre, “MasterCore is the foundation of the company’s mining solutions business. The tyre is engineered for ultra-high durability, based on a combination of unique technologies that include a new type of steel cord and other advanced materials, structure and process engineering.” Below are key features of MasterCore tyres:

• An industry first, MasterCore tyres are engineered with steel cord that features Metal Surface Coating Technology for improved adhesion between the rubber and steel cord, delivering better durability.
• MasterCore tyres utilise proprietary anti-rust steel cord developed and manufactured by Bridgestone for added moisture resistance that improves durability.
• Designed with new rubber compounds for improved crack propagation, MasterCore tyres have an enhanced casing for more dependable performance.
• MasterCore tyres have new patterns and features that reduce tyre operating temperature for better performance.

Mine operations vary by customer, mine site and haul route, which is why Bridgestone says it designed MasterCore tyres for customised performance. MasterCore tyres can be optimised for a number of performance attributes including faster speeds, increased payload and maximised uptime. Bridgestone began testing MasterCore tyres with select customers last year and says performance has exceeded customer expectations.

“Bridgestone is developing advanced mining solutions to meet customer needs and deliver social value. The company’s mining solutions offering includes Dan-Totsu (clear and absolute leader) products such as MasterCore, best-in-class service delivered by Bridgestone solutions engineers who are experts in mining tyres, mining solutions centers and the company’s iTrack solutions business. Bridgestone is leveraging its solutions business to improve resource productivity by combining the real and digital worlds to deliver integrated products, services and servicing networks that utilise tyre and mobility data.”

In addition, by continuously feeding back data and knowledge obtained by the company’s solutions offering, Bridgestone says it will further improve its product portfolio, expand its service offering and strengthen the company’s tyre wear and durability prediction technology. “This will enable Bridgestone to continue to provide even greater value to society and customers.”