One of the highest costs in the maintenance budget is tires. Unreliable service life, environmental and logisitical challenges are just some of the issues faced by fleet managers. Tires are a critical wear item with high consequence failure. They pose a significant risk to all personnel within the vicinity of a tired mining vehicle. Loaded trucks with blown out tires are a very serious matter. Tire explosions and fires are a reality and risk which we must manage in mining. Managing and monitoring pressure and heat helps reduce exposure to risk however tire incidents are unpredictable in nature. It is a question of when/how often not if in most every large mining operation.

Damage from road hazards, severe conditions & heavy loads are common and take a toll on tire life. Many factors contribute to premature tire wear and their inherent criticality require a large safety margin. Consumption of tires can vary dramatically from month to month. Keeping sufficient stock is critical as there are only a few global manufacturers of wheels for large mining trucks & loaders. They are typically over-dimension loads requiring costly logistics both to acquire and dispose of a high volume of tires.

We deal with the aforementioned issues with appropriate staffing, skills and resources. Often the maintenance and care is contracted as part of a large service & procurement deal. We do very well at managing tires over the years as mines climb the maintenance maturity grid and pyramid of excellence. The problem is the pinnacle of the grid has been reached in many cases, and any further efforts would not have significant effect or benefit.