January 2016
|
World Coal
|
41
Mike Brown, Kal Tire, UK,
provides an overview of the company’s True Tire Technology
.
T
he global mining industry
continues to evolve and create
challenges of greater scope and
complexity. In the face of such
challenges, the industry is turning to
real-time monitoring systems, which
continuously monitor the performance of
every piece of mining equipment. Tyres
limit mine throughput and, therefore,
tyre performance is one of the last key
areas of added value available to mine
haulage operations. The opportunity to
run earthmover tyres at their optimal
performance improves safety, minimises
costs and maximises productivity.
Tyre manufacturers place a
tonnes-kilometers-per-hour (tkm/hr)
rating on each tyre, and this represents
the maximum stress the tyre can be put
under without compromising its
integrity through excessive heat. Mine
personnel retrospectively calculate the
vehicles tkm/hr at the end of a shift; this
means that vehicles will rarely run at
safe, optimal productivity. The obvious
alternative is a real-time tyre monitoring
system, which displays the actual
temperature and pressure in a tyre.
True Tire Technology
Kal Tire’s Mining Tire Group has
released its redesigned TTT (True Tire
Technology): a tyre temperature and
pressure monitoring system that opens
up the opportunity for tyre optimisation.
This technology has been developed
over the past eleven years in conjunction
with tyre technicians and mine
managers to keep an entire fleet of
trucks operating at peak performance.
Completely wireless, it gives a range of
near real-time data proven to prolong
tyre life, increase fuel efficiency, enhance
safety and reduce operational costs. An
under-inflated tyre working under
heavy conditions can reach an
overheated state quickly. This can
severely reduce the life of the tyres and
increase the risk of disasters. Constant
monitoring helps eliminate problems
before they arise, saving mining
operations time and money.
Maintaining optimal tyre pressure
and temperature leads to several proven
factors, including:
n
Improved tyre life (tyres last longer
when run within their design
capacity).
n
Reduced tyre damage (correctly
inflated tyres are more resistant to
damage).
n
Improved fuel consumption (low
tyre pressures increase fuel burn).
n
Lower fixed costs, including
elimination of manual pressure
checks (a labour intensive necessity).
n
Improved productivity.
n
Less tyre related downtime.
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