Aggregates Manager Digital Magazine
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/619545
AGGREGATES MANAGER / January 2016 35 to identify design issues that affect tire performance. Technical teams are capable of running real-time haul road analysis, targeting real-time critical forces affect- ing tires in order to correlate haul road conditions to tire life. Spotech (Satellite Performance Optimization Technology) is one tool available to measure speed, lat- itudinal, longitudinal, and vertical g-force accelerations by using internal acceler- ometers to generate data for analysis to ensure issues are addressed before they become irreparable problems. A majority of quarry operations do not have a tire shop and dedicated main- tenance staff to monitor tire performance. In these situations, quarry operators rely upon OTR tire dealers to provide service and track tire performance. On average, a service call to remove and replace a haul truck tire averages around 4 to 5 hours. This means your truck loses this amount of time, if not longer, away from production. Some questions to ask when assessing OTR tire dealers include the following: • Where is the tire shop in relationship to the quarry? • Does the tire dealer have service trucks capable of safely handling OTR tires? • Are the service truck technicians and salespersons MSHA-certifi ed? • What kind of OTR training do the tech- nicians have? • Does the dealer have 24-hour service? • What kind of tire tracking and record- keeping does the dealer offer? • Does the dealer offer tire pressure monitoring on a regular basis? Weekly is recommended. • Does the dealer have certifi ed OTR sales representatives that are able to assess site conditions and make appro- priate tire recommendations suitable for your operations? A servicing tire dealer with well- trained and equipped sales and service personnel is an important asset to opti- mize your production and profi t. Another key element of a great tire management program is employee training and the establishment of best practices, including the following: • Training haul truck drivers to stay on the bench and avoid backing into debris will minimize rock cuts and sidewall damage. • Loader operators working the face should be vigilant in keeping the bench free of rock debris by cleaning between loads. • Center loading of haul trucks is another important consideration as it minimizes overloading of any one or pair of tires. • Haul truck operators should avoid Ideally, haul roads should be the width of three trucks, allowing for easy passing on the roadway. Notice the very tight turn and steep elevation of this haul road.