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Kal Tire’s Mining Tire Group breaks from the mould

26th August 2016

  

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Just a few kilometres away from the dusty belly of an Alberta oil sands mine, in Canada, a Kal Tire Mining Tire Group team member is breaking the bead of an ultra-class tyre on a Komatsu 930E haul truck, holding the ram securely in place with the first tool of its kind: a ram mount tool.

Instead of using tools not designed for dismounting procedures, the ram mount tool secures the ram in place when technicians are breaking the bead. It is safer. It is more efficient. And it was developed and patented by Kal Tire.

“The ram mount tool is making a big difference for field technicians and, yet, it’s so simple, we think, ‘Why didn’t we have this before?’” says Kal Tire Mining Tire Group VP for Latin America operations Pedro Pacheco, who is also responsible for tyre management innovation across the organisation.

Kal Tire is better known for supplying and servicing tyres at mine sites around the world, but the company has always had an eye on mining tyre management innovation. If there is a better way to do things, team members roll up their sleeves and get their hands dirty to figure it out.

“We’ve been in the mining tyre business for more than 40 years. We’ve been on surface [and] underground mines, oil and gas, to gold and copper. We’ve got a lot of knowledge and experience we can use to build tools that are going to improve safety, productivity [and] value,” says Pacheco.

“For a long time, we provided our expertise to suppliers to develop solutions, but we’ve realised by developing more tools ourselves, as well as collaborating with suppliers when it makes sense, we’re increasing our unique service offerings and giving value to customers,” says Pacheco.

In fact, late in 2015, the Kal Tire Innovation Centre opened in British Columbia, Canada, to encourage the pursuit of new technology, tools and processes.

The ram mount tool, released and patented with designs for the CAT 797 and the Komatsu 930E this year, is just one of several technologies to come from the Innovation Centre and change the way mining tyre technicians do their job. Another is the zeroG® arm. It is a horizontal mechanical arm that allows technicians to safely and weightlessly manoeuvre tools and parts.

To understand how much of an impact the zeroG® arm could have (it is still in the prototype phase), one has to understand how technicians currently mount OTR tyres – by fastening 70 or 80 lug nuts on their own and holding 60 lb torque guns for minutes on end, over and over.

“Certainly, the zeroG® arm is going to improve productivity for customers, but the idea came about because we wanted to improve safety. By supporting the weight of these tools, we knew we could reduce the strains and injuries technicians are exposed to,” says Pacheco.

Technicians simply mount the zeroG® to a bar or trolley, attach a range of industrial tools or parts and let the arm – 100% mechanical – do the work. In addition to reducing the fatigue, strain and pinched fingers common when mounting OTR tyres, the arm improves precision when using heavy tools.

Kal Tire has also developed a simple, yet innovative, way to operate bead breakers and ram mount tools: a service trolley. Capable of operating two bead breakers and/or rams in parallel operation, the service trolley is a mobile air and electrical hydraulic pump, with a large-enough reservoir to operate two systems or hoses.

The service trolley, already in use in Mexico, was designed to improve the safety and efficiency of using ram mount tools or bead breakers: technicians stand away from the truck area and operate the trolley with a remote control.

Two trolley types, one for pneumatic and one for electrical function, were developed so that field technicians can use the right function to suit their air supply and capacity.

“This is another tool that’s quite basic, but it’s making a big difference,” says Pacheco, adding that Kal Tire is focusing on a patent programme to demonstrate that the company is investing in and protecting innovation.

Perhaps one of the most talked about Kal Tire innovations of 2016 is Ultra Repair™, a product and a process exclusive to Kal Tire.

“We’ve all seen the scrap piles of tyres along fence lines at mine sites. We knew that we could get a good number of those tyres – even ultra-class tyres with large injuries – back into production if we just had the right patch,” says Kal Tire Australia MD Darren Flint, who is also responsible for the Mining Tire Group’s retread and repair services throughout global operations.

Kal Tire began offering section repairs more than 40 years ago. At that time, and for many years, patches for ultra-class tyres could only fix small injuries. Even then, they risked bulging and often lasted just a short time. By 2001, the company was determined to find a way to effectively repair large injuries on even the largest tyres. But the process is complex and, so, development took years as well as enormous funds and resources. In 2015, Ultra Repair™ was launched in Canada, where it was developed.

After identifying OTR tyres with large injuries, technicians insert the Ultra Repair™ patch, which restores the tyre’s original strength, integrity and performance – at a fraction of the cost of new tyres. Unlike other patches, Ultra Repair™ can fix large injuries on all tyre sizes and it stands up to extreme conditions without bulging.

“That was critical to us, that Ultra Repair™ would perform in the challenging environments many of our customers operate in,” says Flint.

Ultra Repair™ has been brought to customers in the UK, Africa, Chile, Colombia and Australia; by 2017, all Kal Tire retread and repair facilities will offer Ultra Repair™.

“We’re excited about how many ultra-class tyres we’re going to save from scrap piles,” says Flint. “These solutions stem from challenges we want to solve for our customers. We’re going to continue to innovate so we can drive safety, performance and value for mine operators.”

Hall 5 Stand B28

Edited by Creamer Media Reporter

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