Globally the Duratough range is distributed via the Camoplast Solideal group of companies. Bearcat?s senior business development manager and OTR manager, Glen Wolfenden, says that through intensive local testing, engineering and development in Australia, the Duratough brand will enjoy a similar success rate to Bearcat?s other stores internationally, including Canada, Mexico, Poland and the Ukraine.
Three trials abroad ? in two quarrying applications and one mining application ? have underlined the importance of tyre maintenance and management and illustratedthe robustness of the Duratough brand.
CASE STUDY 1
The first trial tested the extra deep tread in loader tyres in a mining application.
In 2007, a set of four 23.5 R25 ETLDT2 cut resistant tyres were supplied to a mine with the intention to test their performance in a harsh application. An emphasis was placed on ensuring proper maintenance and tyre management. The result was that all four tyres achieved full tread life span and casing integrity with an average hour life of 6210 hours.
CASE STUDY 2
The second trial tested the standard tread depth in rigid dump truck tyres in a quarry application.
In 2007, six pieces of 24.00 R35 ETDT E4 tyres were tested on a Terex TR60 dump truck used in a quarry (cement) application. Through initial testing, further improvements were engineered, including optimised heat release and a star-shaped tread block to help maximise longer tread life. A heavy dead design was also implemented.
Evolution of the new Duratough ETDT2 has now been in testing with a result of six pieces achieving a minimum of 6500 hours. Three tyres on the rear are still in service with over 6500 hours. This improvement has increased the tonnes per kilometres per hour (tkph) rating from 410 to 432 tkph.
CASE STUDY 3
The third trial was a tyre evaluation test conducted at a granite quarry in the Ukraine. A Hitachi ZW-310 wheel loader was fitted with Duratough 26.5 R25 ETLT Super E3 tyres on the front axle. Working a 20-hour day, the tyres have achieved 6000 hours and will be removed with 11mm and 12mm tread remaining in order for recapping.
The main advance of the Duratough ETLT range is the extra ?above industry standard? tread depth, eg Duratough 43.5mm versus 34?37mm (the standard tread depths are based on standard E3/L3 specifications from industry data books).
Since this trial, the Duratough 26.5 R25 L5 (deep tread) tyres were fitted to the same Hitachi ZW-310 face loader with positive results. The L5 tyres are more capable of resisting damage from raw or sharp rock. In addition, tyre pressures were set at 650 kilopascals (kPa) on the front axle and 550kPa on the rear.
At the time of this story, the tyres had achieved 4032 hours with 68mm of tread remaining.
Duratough may provide a viable option for your quarry equipment and it is available through current tyre suppliers or service providers. Bearcat also welcomes the opportunity to discuss a cost per hour tyre supply trial with local companies.
Source: Bearcat Tyres
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