TYRES 27/9/06 2:31 pm Page 3

TYRES

Tackling the shortage

Two years on and the tyre industry still is not able to keep up with demand

M
any of the manufacturers and
suppliers of large mining
machines are still working closely
with customers to manage through the tyre
shortage. Caterpillar, for example, is using
6 Sigma teams and working with its dealers.
Among the manufacturers themselves,
Michelin is expanding manufacturing in the
US to about 16,000 large tyres annually,
from about 11,000. A report in Time magazine
of September 11 also noted that
“Bridgestone is investing $155 million to
expand production 20% at three Japanese
plants over the next two years, although the
company anticipates that manufacturers won’t
be able to meet demand until at least 2011.”
Belshina, the tyre manufacturer in Belarus
has played an important role in taking up
some of the slack. The company was already
known as the main supplier of tyres for big tyres – Bridgestone, Goodyear, Michelin RUD-Erlau has supplied tyre protection and
machines made in Belarus, particularly Belaz and Yokohama – a truck or other mover on traction chains to mining and hard-rock quarrying
mining trucks. However, through the global slightly substandard tyres is a better machine companies throughout Australia, New Zealand and
tyre shortage Belshina has become known to than one parked with no tyres. the South Pacific region for more than 20 years.
mines all over the world. The company says RUD-Erlau, a specialist chain
it “is one of the largest production maker, reports some mines
enterprises in Europe, we produce “are hoarding tyres, output. Tyre maintenance firms are offering
over 180 tyre sizes for cars, some are fitting the all manner of fixes – from foam-fillers to
trucks, mining trucks, road- next best size, while repairs at $2,000 a cut.”
building machines, electrical others are running The company says “tyre protection chains
vehicles, tractors and farm treads down to (TPCs) will assure production commitments
machines. Over 90% of our minus 5%. Some and your peace of mind for years to come.”
tyres are radial. Belshina maintains operators are TPCs were first developed in the 1950s by
beneficial cooperation with partners forced to mothball the RUD-Erlau Group to meet the needs of
from 36 countries and we are expensive machines the wheel loader. Over the ensuing years, a
open for new partners as well.” and endure lost philosophy of on-going product development
While Belshina tyre quality is not has honed this derivative of the anti-skid
quite up to that of its major competitors in Tyre cutaway with RL insert. snow chain. RUD-Erlau says its TPCs are

26 International Mining OCTOBER 2006

TYRES 27/9/06 2:31 pm Page 4
“truly state-of-the-art, fit-for-purpose cost-
effective aids to mineral production.”
Where traction and maneuverability is a
problem, open-mesh TPCs grip the road
surface, ensuring sure-footed operation and
eliminating danger to personnel and property
and reducing driver fatigue. These TPCs
have proved their worth on wheel loaders,
dozers, motor graders and trucks in locations
ranging from logging to clayey underground
coal mine drifts and winter conditions at
high altitudes.
In relatively dry conditions TPCs offer
varying degrees of protection to match the
environment. Stockpiling operations may
require the light touch of RUD-Erlau’s
open-mesh ring system. While close-
meshed, case-hardened TPCs with full side
wall protection enable loaders of all sizes to
operate with greater tyre protection in the
most extreme mining conditions. In fact, the
protection is so effective that loaders
fitted with TPCs even run safely on hot slag.
While, until recently, TPCs were mainly
considered for conditions where poor
traction, high abrasion or tyre piercing rocks
were serious problems, RUD-Erlau says
“more and more operators are discovering
that fitting TPCs makes financial sense in a
much wider range of off-road mining
applications. A one-off investment in a set
of TPCs will extend the life of part-worn
tyres indefinitely. And the cost advantages
don’t stop there. Apart from scheduling a
couple of hours, every now and then, for
inspections and chain tensioning, loaders
and trucks will be fully available and deliver-
ing on schedule.”
In one example, a Caterpillar 988B loader
running on 36/65-33 DT tyres in a German
limestone mine was getting through a set
every 1,200 hours at a cost to the operator
of $37,615 per set or $31.35/h.
For an investment of $56,200 the company
fitted a set of RUD-Erlau FELS Royal X16 TPCs
which extended the tyre life to 12,000 hours
and reduced tyre costs to $3.13 per operating
hour. Factoring in a conservative chain life of
10,000 hours ($5.62/h) the total hourly cost
dropped to $8.75 – a saving of $22.60 (72%).
Productivity also showed significant improvements.
Loading rate increased by 16% from 550 to
630 t/h. Downtime dropped from 160 hours
per year (h/y) for tyre repairs to 36 h/y for
chain servicing, increasing loader availability
by 124 hours (78%).
Before fitting the chains the 988B’s annual
output had been 1.012 Mt. Following
10/06
installation of the TPCs
1.253 Mt was achieved If a tyre is damaged in some way,
– an increase of just it can often continue to be used
under 24%. with the RL in place.
With no two operations
the same it is important
to fit the right TPCs for
optimum efficiency so
the first step is to con-
tact a supplier like RUD-
Erlau, which has TPCs in
over 75 different countries
supported by an
international sales team
and a wide service
network. 400/80R15 X-Mine D2 and 350/65R15
X-Mine D2, all carrying the Michelin name.
… and underground The new sizes have already been put into
Companies like Hutchinson Industries are service at operations in West Virginia as well
also helping the industry face the problem as Australia.
head-on. Hutchinson has introduced the RL The harsh environment of an underground
rubber liner to help keep tyres running mine will never change – in fact, geologically,
longer and safer, according to company it has long been on a downward trend.
sales and marketing representative Chuck Because of that, Lotocki said the research
Lotocki. Originally brought to industry as a they do to make their products more efficient
solution for pneumatic tyres used in rigorous and long-lasting is ‘never-ending’. IM
conditions, the RL is now found throughout
the underground mining scene.
RL stands for Rubber Liner Inserts, which
are designed and produced to work with
any size of mine tyre, ranging from 4.80 x 8
up to and including 18.00R25 and 20.5R25.
RL liners can be used to give tyres added
life – if a tyre is damaged in some way, it
can often continue to be used with the RL in
place. According to Lotocki, it is also
reusable; once the tyre’s original tread is
exhausted, the RL can be removed and
transferred to another tyre of similar size.
The RL, which is able to act as a deflector
for a smoother ride, is safe for the driver as
well as those around him. “It is the safest
tyre run flat product to use in underground
mines – no toxic issues [and] no high-pressure
explosions from cuts or broken wheels,”
Lotocki says.
He continues, “The biggest challenge tyre
companies are facing is their ability to build
tyres that will fit on the equipment being
manufactured – it must be small enough to
still fit the machine and still have the carrying
capacity needed to carry the loads. The RL is
made to fit those tyres and the RL gives [the
machines] the capability to carry heavier
loads than designed.”
Hutchinson’s line continues to grow. From
its research and development efforts have
come the 17.5 X-Mine D2, 14.00R24 XKA,
OCTOBER 2006 International Mining 27