Tag Archives: Mining tyres

Michelin completes 49 in tyre portfolio with XD MINEWORKS

Equipment maintenance, Mining consumables, Mining equipment, Mining safety, Mining services, , , , ,

Michelin North America has introduced a new 49 in (1,245 mm) tyre for 100 ton (91 t) mining and quarry dump trucks that, it says, addresses the aggressive everyday needs of operators in North America.

The MICHELIN® XD MINEWORKS 27.00R49 is specifically designed for dependable performance, the company says.

Sarah Robinson, Michelin North America’s B2B Mining Marketing Manager, said: “Michelin has a strong heritage when it comes to supporting mines, quarries and contractors. Developed by a team of global experts, the MICHELIN XD MINEWORKS tyre is built with high-quality innovations that customers know and trust.”

MICHELIN XD MINEWORKS tyres are designed with a new tread pattern and tread depth to deliver even wear on hard soil and a worry-free product experience, according to Michelin. They use the latest mining tyre design principles, which means the incorporation of advanced casing and high-wear resistance compound technologies for surface mining tyres to handle heavy loads at lower pressure. They are designed as a good balance between tonne-kilometres/h and wear resistance, Michelin says.

Thanks to tough cables and innovative architecture, the MICHELIN XD MINEWORKS tyre allows operators to run with less pressure than competitor tyres for the same load. This feature, in particular, can deliver big benefits for the operator and the equipment, Michelin says.

The non-directional, 66 mm tread (designed for minimal rotation) minimises stone retention, while the tyre has the same Michelin manufacturing warranty as all of its mining tyres.

With the introduction of the 2-star MICHELIN XD MINEWORKS, Michelin offers a complete 49 in tyre portfolio. This also includes the 3-star MICHELIN XDR® 3 tyre that maximises productivity and tyre life and the 3-star MICHELIN XDGRIP tyre that is for the most challenging loose surface conditions.

MAXAM Mining Group releases new MS412 27.00R49 tyre

Equipment maintenance, Mining consumables, Mining services, , , , ,

MAXAM Mining Group says it continues to innovate, adding the all-new MS412 27.00R49 tyre to its open-pit mining, quarry and OTR program.

Designed to meet the demanding conditions at mine sites globally, the MS412 is the result of cutting-edge engineering and groundbreaking compounding technology, the company claims.

The tyre features a high net-to-gross tread pattern for low wear rates that increase tyre life, while MAXAM’s engineers have strategically placed stone ejectors on the tyres to provide maximum protection from drilling – which can lead to the cause of premature tyre removal and out of service conditions.

Engineered with tread grooves that allow for “exceptional traction and heat dissipation”, the MS412 delivers excellent traction in a variety of haul road conditions, MAXAM says.

To enable high speed operation with minimum heat build-up, MAXAM says it has optimised the MS412’s base compound, thereby maximising productivity for mining operations across the globe.

“Featuring a strong all-steel casing to reduce cuts and punctures, the all-new MS412 is engineered with increased casing durability to dominate severe hauling conditions,” it said.

“As an innovative group, with years of expertise in the mining industry, MAXAM’s engineering team has designed the MS412 with a high lug-to-void ratio for improved wear and impact protection, providing mine sites increased protection and wear on haulage tyres. Similar to all large mining haulage tyres in MAXAM’s program, the MS412 has deep tread grooves to provide cooler running tread and longer tyre life.”

Delivering a premium E4 haulage tyre to the industry, the MAXAM MS412 provides exceptional performance, minimum cost-per-hour and a high net-to-gross pattern for maximum tread wear, the company says.

The MS412 is available in one size, but multiple tread compounds, including the ultra-cut resistant compound that was recently released by MAXAM.

MAXAM Tire launches new group focused on open-pit mining

Equipment maintenance, Mining consumables, Mining services, , , ,

MAXAM Tire says it has created a dedicated global team focused on the open-pit mining market called MAXAM MINING GROUP (MMG).

The MMG team is made up of multiple members across continents responsible for serving regional market demands. Each member of the team is an industry leading expert dedicated to providing the best customer experience along with superior business solutions, the company said.

“As mining applications and machinery continue to evolve, our R&D group focuses on the utilisation of leading technology to improve safety, product performance and repeatable quality,” MAXAM Tire said. “By leveraging extensive research and testing in multiple mine locations around the world, our engineering team develops site-specific tyre compounding along with the next generation casing designs to exceed site requirements for overall performance improvement.”

To meet MAXAM’s engineering team’s advanced innovations, MAXAM has invested heavily in a state-of-the-art manufacturing and quality process, with all mining products produced with multi-staged, custom designed building equipment, it said. “This new technology allows for consistent construction and minimal disruption of the casing during the curing process,” MAXAM Tire said.

“Utilising advanced shearography technology, all MAXAM mining products are screened for internal defects as part of the standard inspection. In addition, extensive ultrasonic gauge testing is completed before product is approved for distribution. “

Matt Johnson has been appointed as Vice President of the MMG. He said: “We pride ourselves in delivering solutions with the lowest cost per hour/tonne, and provide long-term, mutually beneficial business relationships with our customers and our partnerships that only begins at the placement of MAXAM products.”

Michelin goes up a size with XDR 3 surface mine haul truck tyre

Equipment maintenance, Mining consumables, Mining equipment, Mining services, , , , ,

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.

Solidium invests in Nokian Tyres as production growth starts to kick in

Equipment maintenance, Mining consumables, Mining equipment, , , , , , ,

Finland-based Solidium Oy has confirmed the acquisition of 5.1% of Nokian Tyres for approximately €205 million ($233 million).

The shares have been acquired from the market over the last few months, the company said. Following the share purchases, Nokian Tyres represents around 3% of Solidium’s equity investments, totalling some €8.1 billion. Solidium is a holding company wholly owned by the State of Finland and a minority owner in “nationally important” listed companies.

Solidium’s CEO, Antti Mäkinen, said Nokian Tyres had successfully executed its niche strategy in the global tyre market over a long period.

“The company has promising growth opportunities at its hand owing to the greenfield investment in its third production factory, which is being built in Dayton, USA, and the investment to increase production capacity in its factory in Nokia, Finland.

“Due to these reasons, we believe Nokian Tyres has excellent foundation to create value for its shareholders. In addition, the investment done by Solidium strengthens and stabilises Finnish ownership in the company.”

In addition to providing tyres for commercial vehicles, Nokian’s Heavy Tyres division provides specialist tyres that minimise unscheduled maintenance breaks and maximise productivity in mining and tunnelling operations.

Bridgestone to display world’s largest mining truck tyre at Bauma

Equipment maintenance, Mining consumables, Mining equipment, Mining events, Mining services, , , , , , , , , , ,

Bridgestone says it will present a selection of its premium and innovative range of tyres, industrial products and targeted solutions developed specially for the mining and construction industries at the upcoming Bauma fair in Munich, Germany.

The company is renowned for producing premium quality tyres for everything from bicycles to aircraft, including the world’s largest mining trucks. One of these 4-m-tall tyres, the largest in the world, will be on display at the Bridgestone stand on April 8-14. It will be joined by a number of other tyres, including brand-new products:

  • VSDL Loader tyre 33/65R29 – the first wheeled-loader tyre to combine the benefits of the super-wide-base 65 series with the deep Bridgestone VSDL tread pattern. “It delivers a new level of dynamic stability and low ground pressure, while retaining the resistance to cuts and damage,” Bridgestone said, and;
  • VLTS ADT tyre – Only recently launched, this tyre was specifically developed for the 60 t ADT from Volvo Construction Equipment. “The tread is even deeper than the VLT E3 tyre, delivering truly incredible traction as well as the strength and reliability Bridgestone is famous for,” the company said.

Other tyres to be displayed will represent the highly varied range of tyres Bridgestone provides for construction machinery and construction vehicles, building-material machines, mining machines, and other construction equipment, Bridgestone said.

Bridgestone’s stand will present rubber tracks, pads, hydraulic hose, cabin and engine mounts, in addition to having technology on show that falls under the Firestone brand.

This included:

  • Firestone Airmount – This air spring is adjustable. This allows users to meet the demands of loads that range in weight by hundreds or thousands of kilos, and to maintain a level surface even as loads shift. They offer excellent vibration isolation;
  • Firestone Marsh Mellow – Marsh Mellow fabric-reinforced rubber cylinders are virtually indestructible, according to the company, do not need to be inflated with air and still protect systems from the effects of structurally transmitted vibrations. They are perfectly suited for use on equipment such as vibrating screens, acting as passive isolators at a standard beyond that of steel springs.

Bridgestone has also developed digital solutions that maximise the potential of these products, making the most of the digital technology that is being increasingly integrated into vehicles and machinery to increase productivity, decrease downtime, maximise operational potential and minimise the risks to personal safety. Part of the Total Tyre Care approach, two specific solutions will be presented at BAUMA:

  • Tirematics TPMS – The first tyre pressure monitoring system to focus primarily on fleet pressure measurements for individual machines. It stops vehicles from running on under-inflated tyres, a trend that almost all fleets are guilty of. Automated pressure checks identify what work is needed without the interruptions and downtime that result from physical checks or damage to under-inflated tyres;
  • FleetPulse – A mobile and web application designed to help fleet customers maximise the health and performance of vehicles, while improving uptime and reducing total cost of ownership and digitising operations. At the same time, FleetPulse helps in reaching the high compliance and safety standards required in the industrial world.

FleetPulse consists of vehicle checklists that the driver performs, tyre-pressure measurements performed by Tirematics technology and scheduling to resolve defects, as arranged by the Fleet or Maintenance Manager.

The data FleetPulse gathers is consolidated to offer insights into the operation of a fleet, ranging from validation of maintenance/repairs to data extraction to ensure compliance.

Transense iTrack II mining tyre monitoring system coming to Nordgold’s Bissa

Equipment maintenance, Mine operation news, Mining consumables, Mining equipment, Mining services, Precious metals, , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Transense Technologies’ Translogik division has won a contract, through its Ghana partner WATS (West African Tyre Services), to supply 41 iTrack II mining tyre monitoring systems for haul trucks at Nordgold’s Bissa mine in Burkina Faso.

These systems are to be supplied on a rental and service basis via WATS, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Rana Motors & Metal Works Engineering Co. Transense said: “This method allows mining companies to benefit from the productivity gains and overhead savings provided by using the system without any of the associated capital cost while providing Translogik with a recurring revenue stream.”

The iTrack II system provides fast, accurate, reliable real-time data on the condition of the tyres, combined with live tracking of vehicle location and status, according to Transense. “The company’s 24/7 control room monitors the pressures and temperatures live, and this information can, for example, be used to ensure tyres do not exceed critical heat thresholds, detect incorrect load distributions, predict suspension failures, eliminate manual tyre pressure checks and much more.”

All of these benefits increase health and safety as well as reducing maintenance and downtime, which maximises the hours a truck is working (on-road truck working hours), which directly correlates to an increase in production, according to Transense. Existing iTrack users have reported increases in tyre life of up to 30% and fuel savings of up to 3%, the company said.

Vibi Chandra, Director, Sales & Services Director, OTR Tyres, WATS, said: “The considerable advantages that Nordgold have seen at their sister mine, SOMITA (Taparko), where we installed iTrack in May 2018, have persuaded Nordgold to adopt the system at Bissa.

“As we have previously stated, West Africa is a region with dozens of mines and hundreds of haul trucks and it is our intention to introduce our new enhanced service, including iTrack, to our existing portfolio of mines as well as other mines across the region.”

Graham Storey, CEO of Transense, said: “We are very pleased to have added another Nordgold-owned mine in West Africa to our growing list of iTrack users. WATS are a well-established and highly regarded tyre service provider in West Africa and with their depth of contacts we are hopeful of an accelerated rate of adoption moving forward.”

Bissa, which was launched in January 2013, produced 195,700 oz of gold in 2017.

Magna MA04+ radial tyres make the cut in South Africa coal mine

Coal technology, Equipment maintenance, Mining consumables, Mining equipment, Mining services, , , , , ,

Magna Tyres has continued its good form in the Africa mining sector, securing the custom of another big mining contractor that has employed its 27.00R49 Magna MA04+ radial tyres on Terex rigid dump trucks working at a coal mine in South Africa.

These tyres are available in various compounds including standard, cut- and heat resistant.

In October, one of the largest mining contractors in the world operating in Africa’s largest coal mine selected 40.00R57 Magna MA04+C Giant tyres for its Cat 793D rigid dump trucks.

“Due to Magna’s proven track record regarding premium quality Giant tyres, this customer has decided to work with Magna and now benefits from increased productivity and reduced operating costs per hour,” Magna said, adding that the customer first used the Magna MB440 Bias but eventually chose the MA04+ radial tyres.

“The all-steel radial constructed tyres especially designed for coal applications are extremely suitable to the serve conditions in which they are used,” the company said. “The deep aggressive E4 pattern and excellent resistance to sidewall damages makes this Giant tyre extremely durable. The customer is very pleased with the overall performance of the premium quality tyres.”

Magna MA04+ is designed and constructed based on the latest Magna radial tyre technology. The casing reduces heat building inside the tyre, resulting in lower fuel consumption, higher efficiency, optimised operator comfort and prolonged service life, according to the company. Additionally, the tyre offers outstanding puncture resistance compared to less-durable cross-ply tyres, leading to a low cost price per hour, it said.

Hedweld’s Trilift TH15000 Workshop Tyre Handler ticks the boxes for BMA’s Saraji coal mine

Coal technology, Equipment maintenance, Mine operation news, Mining equipment, Steel and iron ore, , , , , , , , ,

BHP Billiton Mitsubishi Alliance (BMA) has been on the lookout for a safer way of changing tyres at its Saraji coal mine in Queensland, Australia, and it thinks it has found a solution in the form of Hedweld’s Trilift® TH15000 Workshop Tyre Handler.

Across the mining industry, there have been many incidents, injuries and even fatalities when people handle heavy vehicle earth moving tyres, BMA says.

With tyre assemblies weighing up to 15 t, the team at BMA’s Saraji mine looked at ways to reduce the potential exposure and risk to tyre fitters when working in and around tyres.

Jarrod Layton, Superintendent Mods & Ops Projects in the Saraji Engineering team, said prior to a recent tyre replacement, a commitment was made to the site leadership team to challenge the existing mind set around tyre handlers for heavy earth moving equipment.

“A key part of this project was changing our way of thinking around tyre handling. We spent a lot of time engaging our teams and looking for opportunities to increase not only the safety and productivity of our processes, but also the culture that surrounds these types of activities,” Layton said.

“The team investigated a range of options and consulted the market, where they found Hedweld’s TH 15000 Tyre Handler – a device which removes tyre fitters from the direct line of fire and safely secures the tyre in place during changes,” BMA said. “The device also features a jib arm to support the weight of the rattle gun that is required to remove the wheel nuts.”

Using Bluetooth technology, the device is remote controlled to give the operator improved visibility when aligning the device with the tyre and removes the need for any manual handling of the product, according to BMA.

“As the size of mining equipment grows, traditional methods for handling tyres become more hazardous and time consuming,” Layton said.

“Traditionally, tyres are moved by equipment such as loaders and forklifts and requires at least two fitters to operate. These items however, have limitations due to their size, manoeuvrability and safety. A number of incidents occur within the mining industry every year involving tyre handling.”

The device also allows all bays in the workshop to be better used, as well as reducing the number of people required for tyre handling. In turn, this allows for a higher availability of the wheeled tyre fleets, BMA says.

Layton said: “While the safety and productivity benefits are clear, the cultural change has also been fantastic to see. The workforce can see that we’re investing in making their jobs safer and easier to do every day – they see that we’re willing to invest and try new equipment and train them in order to deliver safer results.”

Hedweld said the Trilift TH15000 Workshop Tyre Handler has been designed to provide a maintenance tool for the safe removal and installation of tyres from a range of earthmoving and plant equipment. It has been developed to be used in a workshop environment and its compact design poses minimal impact on the normal operations of a mining workshop, according to the company.

“This fully self-contained diesel/hydraulic powered, remote controlled unit will handle tyres and rims up to 15,000 kg. In addition the TH15000 can handle tyres ranging in size from 27.00 R49 to 59/80 R63,” Hedweld says.

Magna tyres find their way to Africa’s largest coal mine

Coal technology, Energy minerals, Equipment maintenance, Mine operation news, Mining consumables, Mining equipment, Steel and iron ore, , , ,

One of the largest mining contractors in the world operating in Africa’s largest coal mine has selected 40.00R57 Magna MA04+C Giant tyres for its Cat 793D rigid dump trucks.

Magna says outstanding tyres are essential for the transport of huge amounts of coal to cover the total haul distance from the pit to the dump area without any downtime or failures and its own tyres fit that bill.

Magna’s proven track record regarding premium quality giant tyres was enough to convince the client, according to the company. The contractors is now benefitting from increased productivity and reduced operating costs as a result of the tyre selection, Magna added.

“The all-steel radial constructed tyres especially designed for coal applications are extremely suitable for the severe conditions in which they are used. The deep aggressive E4 tread pattern and excellent resistance to sidewall damages makes this Giant tyre extremely durable,” Magna said.

As part of Magna’s added value, a site visit to the coal mine including an application analysis and quality check on current running MA04+ tyres was organised. This check showed an “impressive toughness and efficiency” which will result in a reduction in costs per hour to operate the trucks, according to Magna.

In addition, recommendations on compounds for other dump trucks from the contractor’s mining fleet have been given in order to provide the client with the best suitable Giant Magna tyres in the near future.