After six years of development and testing, Michelin North America, has introduced the MICHELIN® XDR® 3 surface mine haul tyre in size 27.00R49.

Addressing the productivity and endurance issues found in today’s surface mines, the XDR3 – developed for a range of rigid dump trucks with payload capacity up to 400 tons (363 t) – is designed with new compounds and a revolutionary new tread pattern that helps provide exceptional tyre life, the company said.

“The use of corrosion-isolating cables in the tyre architecture is a significant upgrade in situations where this equipment is always moving as it is operated for up to 23 h/d in extreme terrain,” the company added.

These innovations allow customers to select the benefit that best fits their needs, according to the company. Customers can choose not to increase speed or load and expect a 10% increase in tyre life. Or, customers could choose either to increase speed by 10% or increase load by 10% and achieve the same tyre life as the previous generation. “This flexibility allows Michelin to better support customer needs and goals,” the company said.

Jake Thompson, Michelin North America’s B2B Mining Marketing Manager, said: “Michelin’s most popular tyre has been tested on multiple truck brands and is designed for punishing environments where the goal is safety and performance.

“Michelin responds to customer needs by providing long-lasting, innovative products that solve their most demanding business challenges in the specific environments where they operate.”

The MICHELIN XDR3 is designed for operator safety: the tread pattern provides excellent load distribution across the contact patch, lowers contact pressure and reduces wear rate, according to the company. In addition, the tread pattern is designed for better endurance, thanks to “revolutionary heat dissipation”. This helps prevent tyre overheating, which can result in failure and, in turn, jeopardize operator safety.

“The XDR3 is MEMS-ready and helps reduce rim slip through a new flat-bead wire, which is designed to strengthen the clamping force on the wheel and increase its contact surface with the rim,” the company said.