MAINTENANCE
Tyres play a significant role in the effective operation of a mining site. The load
on a truck will naturally affect the tyre pressure.
Managing a large, complex mining
operation is a huge undertaking, and
paying attention to every single aspect to
ensure the smooth running thereof often
hampers management in the execution
of their normal day-to-day duties. Tyre
condition monitoring, together with its
maintenance and management, is one of
those aspects of operational management
that could become a tedious function
and one that could lead to delays and
unnecessary downtime.
Outsourcing the function could be a real
value-add to operational efficiency. Appointing
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JANUARY 2018
tyre experts to take care of assets, some
of which come at a premium of more than
USD50 000 each, benefits any mining outfit,
especially when head office is on a cost-
reduction drive.
Deon Wehmeyer, sales and operations
manager responsible for the Mpumalanga
area of Kal Tire, sums it up when he says
that people working with tyres should have
a passion for what they do. This passion, of
course, is often lacking in the workshops,
underground tunnels, and pits where rims as
well as side and lock rings are stripped and
replaced daily.