This maxim applies as much to the rough and tough industries - minerals, aggregates, fossil fuels, demolition, recycling and forestry - as it does to the 'soft' service sector.
Where load and haul is a central component of your operation, optimizing plant availability is the key to success and this success depends on skilled staff and a rigorous maintenance schedule with particular attention to the tires.
A good plant manager will make certain that both staff and machines are well-protected. For, without a full set of sound tires, as without a skilled operator, a loader or a truck is just an expensive, idle lump of metal.
No two sites are quite the same so it is essential to invest in tires that promise optimum serviceability.
The big name manufacturers such as, Bridgestone, Goodyear, and Michelin will be able to advise you or you may prefer to consult an established independent supplier such as T&C Site Services, that has wide knowledge of many brands and which will be able to advise the most appropriate tire for your job.
The considerations that apply to automotive tires are amplified many times over when it comes to selecting earthmover tires.
Each condition or combination of conditions must be matched by the appropriate tire construction and tread.
● Is the site wet, clayey or icy?
● Is the running surface abrasive powder, shingle or flint?
● How long and steep are the haul roads?
● What weights are you shifting?
● Do you work in extreme temperatures?
Then there is tire wear and tear.
Manufacturers do their best to make their tires abrasion resistant and 'bullet-proof' but the very flexibility, that makes a tire function as it should, is precisely what make it vulnerable to sidewall piercing,
If a tire wall is damaged, quick action may save the day but, however not matter how good the repair is, the tire will have lost some of its original integrity.
While T&C Site Services prefers to sell tires, their technical guru, Derek Adams, agrees that there are instances where tire protection chains are essential.
Dealing with a blown tire or repairing a machine that has skidded off-road is no-one's idea of a happy day so it is hardly surprising that, where tires are subject to excessive abrasion, vulnerable to sudden-death piercing or, because of impaired traction, become difficult to handle, tire protection chains (TPC) are considered essential.
Nowadays, the consideration is no longer whether or not to fit tire chains, as to who's brand and which type.
There are around ten tire chain manufacturers world-wide.
In the Far East, relative newcomers with challenging names offer a limited range of cheap chains.
These can be attractive to operators who's tire specifications match what is available and who, given the unknown standards of metallurgy and welding, are ready and able to carry out their own installation, tensioning and repairs.
Following a series of acquisitions and consolidations, Europe boasts very few tire chain manufacturers - notable amongst these are Pewag and RUD-Erlau.
Of these, following the introduction of versatile, pneumatic-tired loaders in the early '50s, RUD-Erlau built on their snow chain technology to develop and evolve the earthmover TPC into the sophisticated product we see in action today
From that early innovation, in 60 years, RUD-Erlau has grown to command some 65% of the world market.
So, when it comes to selecting the appropriate chain it is useful to benchmark RUD-Erlau's range.
No matter how well made and maintained, tires can suffer from unacceptably heavy abrasion to the extent that, you can almost see the tires shrink as, day after day, the tread (and your investment) turns into dust.
Quartz, silica, dolomite, basalt, iron ore and diamondiferous deposits are just some of the causes of tire abrasion.
In these instances, a quality abrasion resistant chain, such as RUD-Erlau's RING-LINK system, is ideal for creating a barrier between your tires and the ground.
The density of the mesh required will depend on the exact nature of the work site.
In every case, the mesh should be self-cleaning and the links specially hardened to resist wear at the points where they interact with the connecting rings.
RUD-Erlau state that you should expect a well-fitted, quality abrasion-resistant chain to more than double the life of your tires and, in many case, you can save by using part worn tires.
If you are working flint, slate and shale-like rocks, loading scrap metal or demolition debris, no matter how well constructed the tires may be, sudden-death, side-wall piercing is always a risk.
One-minute your loader crowds into the rock fall, the next moment it is slumped, immobile and you are on the phone looking for a temporary fix or a replacement tire.
If yours is a small operation, this could put your entire production on costly standby
At best, repairs are a stop-gap.
Once the tire sidewall has been penetrated the steel cords may be damaged and no amount of fillers, patches or vulcanizing can restore the tire's original integrity.
In these situations, the only guarantee of long-term plant availability is to protect the tire from the outset.
In these environments, RUD-Erlau would recommend a close meshed chain that embraces the entire tire surface and deflects sharp edged rocks.
Ideal chains would be the RING RING system
At some sites, where the terrain is either slippery or at altitudes where trucks have to contend with icy haul roads, poor traction can be a major problem.
Wrestling to control a loaded truck with a mind of its own is exhausting for the operator, can reduce concentration and risk 'losing' the truck with all the collateral damage that may involve.
Where the tire treads cannot provide sufficient displacement to ensure adequate grip, often the solution lies in simple, open ring link chain such as RUD-Erlau's GARANT series.
Where additional grip is required, RUD-Erlau would probably recommend Terra-plus with studded links for extra 'bite'.
In the narrow galleries of underground mines, low profile loaders and haulers can face a combination of abrasion, sidewall damage and poor handling.
Advanced alloys and a proprietary hardening method has produced the lightweight, energy-saving X19 FELS TORO a chain that resists abrasion so effectively that RUD-Erlau confidently claim a 30% longer service life.
Steel making pushes machines to limits not experienced in most other industries.
Pot handlers carry ladles full of molten metal and wheeled loaders shift fiery slag for reprocessing.
Here, where tire protection chains have to absorb abrasive limestone ash and contend with extreme heat 24/7, unknown, unproven products are not an option.
These conditions require a robust chain such as RUD-Erlau's RING LOCKING system.
As technical advances have made them lighter, stronger and more durable, TPCs are no longer just an add-on.
When you factor in the experience, expertise and support that come with a quality TPC and, of course, the benefits of assured plant availability, the little extra you pay for a quality chain is be easily justified.
Studies have shown that TPCs are an investment that actually saves money.
Commercial confidentiality make it hard to get hold of reliable figures and these below are a little dated but this independent study from a European quarry should illustrate the benefits of TPCs and provide a basis for your own evaluation.
A set of TPCs will extend the life of your tires - new or part-worn - indefinitely.
And the cost advantages continue. Apart from scheduling a couple of hours, every now and then, for inspection and chain tensioning, your loaders and trucks should be fully available and delivering to order - giving you a competitive edge and satisfied customers.
Just as you need to be careful about your choice of tires and protection chain, so you should be discriminating in your choice of supplier.
Key considerations are:
● Availability: Does your supplier have the manufacturing muscle to deliver on time?
● Quality: Is the metallurgy, the welding and hardening verifiable to the highest standards?
● Range: Can the supplier supply chains to fit your tires and match your site conditions?
● Reputation: Is the manufacturer highly-regarded on the industry?
● Experience: How long has your supplier been manufacturing TPCs?
● Personnel: Do the metallurgists, designers, engineers have, long-time, hands-on in-depth experience of TPCs?
● Support: Does the supplier have a good network of offices to be there when you need them to provide you the needed after sales service and support?
● Value: Will your TPC investment pay for itself in terms of saving and productivity?
For further information and case studies you may contact:
RUD-Erlau
Contact Person: Francesco Di Giusto
Friedensinsel
73432 Aalen/Germany
Ph:+49 7361 595-3496
Fax:+49 7361 595-3214 Mobil: +49 (0)171 887 102
http://www.erlau.com/
francesco.digiusto@erlau.com T&C Site Services Ltd
Earthmover Tire Specialists
Contact Person: Derek Adams
Garner St
Stoke onTrent UK ST4 7BE
Ph:+44 (0)1 782 202 349
Fax:+44 (0)1 782 201 454
Mobil: +44 (0)7 967 653 423
http://www.erlau.com/
dadams@tcsiteservices.co.uk
No comments:
Post a Comment