Aggregates Manager Digital Magazine
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/94387
Goodyear The Goodyear RM (rock mining) OTR tire has been engineered to deliver optimal tread life, traction, and cut- and chunk- resistance. The company offers a variety of compounds for this tire to suit different conditions and applications. These include compounds for heat resistance, standard abrasion resistance, and ultra abrasion resistance. Non-directional, extra deep tread patterns enhance tread life, and interlocking stability blading helps optimize traction. Goodyear RM OTR Continental Tire A new on-/off-road compound with long-chain polymers in Continental Tire's HDC1 (heavy drive construc- tion) and HSC1 (heavy steer construc- tion) lineup increases resistance to chips, cuts, and chunks, and reduces the number and depth of cuts and tears for greater durability and longevity. "The long-chain polymer works bet- ter than short-chain polymers because Continental HDC they rely on each other and support each other," says Roger Stansbie, director of truck tire technologies, Continental Tire the Americas. "The smaller chains can more easily be separated and chip out as smaller units. We can dramatically increase the casing life and tread life by pre- venting the propagation of cuts to the belts." This also helps the tire survive with a suffi ciently healthy casing to make a good retread. Continental also increased the strength of the belts to help protect the casing. The steel cording is braided together in a confi guration that makes it hard for air or moisture to migrate through the tire after a cut. "With a more open cord, the air and moisture track along the belt in an air cavity and away from the initial damage," Stansbie says. "Before you know it, a substantial portion of the belt has cor- rosion. We can contain that propaga- tion with the 3+8 cord and by getting as much rubber between those gaps during the calendaring process in manufacturing, when the steel cording and rubber come together." Tread design also plays a role in preventing Continental's tires from rock damage, Stansbie says. The grooves between tread blocks are wide and tapered so rocks can wiggle free while stone bumpers, which are tiny rubber mounds at the base of the grooves, help prevent rocks and stones from wedging in fi rmly by ejecting them when the tread comes out of the footprint. Continental has brought this technology to several additional sizes of tires including a new HCS 445/50R22.5, new 17.5-inch trailer tires, a new General Grabber OD (off- road drive) tire in sizes 11R22.5 and 24.5, and a General Grabber OA (off- road all position) in size 315/80R22.5. THE TIRE SHORTAGE Demand is high but new factory capacity is on the way Although not as severe as the shortage in the middle of the last decade, there is yet another tire shortage going on, and operators need to take steps to make sure they have enough rubber to meet the demands of the road. It's clearly an issue, says Paul Hawkins, vice presi- dent of OTR sales at Titan. "What's different this time is that a lot of the quarry business in the United States depends on homebuilding and road construction, and those are muted right now compared to a few years ago. But the mining business is at even higher levels, so there are shortages in tires for mining trucks." "The OE business is doing very well, putting a lot of pressure on stock and inventory," says Tom Brennan, vice president of sales for retreading at Michelin. "I see the retreading market getting better this year. Not drastically better, but better. Last year and a bit before, casings were very hard to fi nd. They're still diffi cult, but not impossible." Prices for retreadable casings have also been marching upward. Roger Stansbie, director of truck tire technologies, Continental Tire the Americas, says he's even heard vendors quoting prices in the area of $130 a casing, although $70 to $80 per casing is more the top-end norm, he says. "In a construction application, anything you can do to prevent or retard the natural cutting of the tire casing, the better off you are," Stansbie says. Over the past six years, Michelin has more than doubled its earthmover tire output, says Sachin Desh- pande, press relations manager for Michelin Canada: "We saw the demand for earthmover tires increase by more than 20 percent between 2009 and 2011." In response, Michelin is spending $750 million to expand its earthmover tire capacity in South Carolina. Bridges- tone, likewise, is spending $1.3 billion on investments in tire plants in South Carolina, Tennessee, and Iowa; and recently announced a $19.5 million expansion at its Bloomington, Ill., OTR plant. AM AGGREGATES MANAGER DIGITAL EXCLUSIVE December 2012 31D maintenance | by Tom Jackson