Kal Tire’s Australian business group has been selected for a five-year tyre management and maintenance services contract with the Roy Hill complex in Western Australia’s Pilbara region.

Technicians are scheduled to mobilise on 1 April, with about 30 staffers expected to work on-site at the open-pit iron ore mine that boasts one of the region’s largest fleets.

Kal Tire said its team will be bringing new tooling, technology and solutions for boosting tyre life, safety, productivity and ESG efforts. First, it will be using TOMS, its proactive tyre maintenance planning system that helps customers achieve goals for fleet use, tyre life and safety.

“Through TOMS, fleet planning teams gain a 360° view of tyre maintenance activity with near real-time reporting 24/7 and improve mean-time-between-service (MTBS) with automated, priority-based work orders,” the tyre maker said.

“Through Kal Tire’s partnership with Pitcrew.ai, TOMS will receive findings from autonomous inspection stations that detect signs of potential tyre damage such as separations—especially beneficial at a site like Roy Hill with challenging conditions such as high temperatures and the hazards of hard rock mining.”

The supplier will also have with it several exclusive tyre management tools developed at its Innovation Centre in Canada to improve safety and efficiency, including the Gravity Assist System, which supports the weight of 36-kg torque guns; a Ram Mount Tool, which securely holds the bead in place; and a Power Cart that allows technicians to stand at a safe distance to operate multiple hydraulic rams and bead breakers using high energy to separate the tyre from the rim.

It also will have the Magnet Clamp, which can remove a technician from harm’s way during tyre and wheel assembly installation and removal.

Finally, Roy Hill will also benefit from Kal Tire Australia’s repairs and Ultra Repair technology, which it said can send tyres with large injuries that would otherwise be scrapped, back into production to improve fleet use and give tyres a second life – and boost its ESG efforts.

Miles Rigney, managing director, Australia, Kal Tire’s Mining Tire Group, said its group previously provided service to the site from 2014 to 2019, and the company is happy to be back.

“Operating in a way that puts ESG at the forefront is very much a priority for our customers in Australia, so we’re proud to offer solutions at Roy Hill that enhance safety, sustainability and productivity,” said Rigney.

Roy Hill currently produces 62 Mtpa of iron ore for international markets, a number that its management is hoping to continue building upon.

Source: www.kaltiremining.com