Rock will always beat Rubber.
It is a constant battle between the rubber of the OTR Tire and rock, the hostile terrain where the OTR tires will be used.
But the OTR Tire manufacturers will not be beaten! They will use every bit of guile they have – design improvements, new materials available – to come out ahead in this constant skirmish. Sriram Haran of Keepmining , a leading supplier of OTR tires to the Mining industry says, “The OTR Tire manufacturers strive to stay one step ahead of nature, to keep mining costs low and sustainable”
But this costs money. The R and D costs incurred by these manufacturers are considerable. But they have to deliver these OTR tires to the Mining industry at an affordable cost to keep operations viable for the mines. Tires form a large part of the Operations budget and a blown tire is dangerous and scary when it happens. It can stop operations in a flash.
Sriram says that offering these OTR Tires requires the knowledge of a tire professional, rather than just a salesman. When the customer shares more details of where and how the tires are used, it becomes easier to get them the correct OTR tires.
For OTR Tire manufacturers, the constant feedback from customers and new Tire technology is a prime driver in Tire development improvements.
As Sriram says “Some things stay the same. How to use the tires, maintain them, the checks to perform in the field, these do not change.”
It is the terrain that will keep throwing up surprises for the Miners and Tire Suppliers.
But hey, mining is not for the faint hearted!
Mining is a tough business that has improved considerably over the years. Improvements in safety, Mining equipment, geological interpretations of terrain, newer OTR Tires have all contributed to this.
In the next few posts we shall examine a few key aspects that will drive OTR Tire improvements. Stay tuned.
Until then, stay safe.
And let the rubber hit the rock, as we at Keepmining say!