Pit & Quarry, September 2016
TIRES Tire maintenance tips continued or wheels The constant inspection of a rim and tire helps to minimize and detect any issues in a timely manner and ensure they are dealt with before becoming major maintenance issues or going beyond the point of serviceability Haul road maintenance Maintaining the sites haul roads can help prevent tire punctures and other damage When designed and maintained properly haul roads can reduce negative impacts on tire life Site planners and haul road maintenance personnel should pay special attention to road surface conditions super elevations curve radii and speed in curves Hauling on steep grades will cause the load to shift toward the front or rear of the vehicle If hauling downhill while laden pay special attention to the pressures of the front tires and set them according to the operating conditions Mechanical vehicle maintenance When it comes to tire life optimization and avoiding downtime maintaining the vehicle is critically important Brakes struts rock knockers and alignment all need attention to function properly and not have an adverse effect on a vehicles tires Ensuring the vehicle is correctly aligned helps to prevent uneven wear on the steer axle tires It is also important to check the suspension regularly through a comprehensive strut maintenance program and to evaluate the rock ejectors for any potential problems Load management Load management is another crucial area because of the significant weights carried by the tires When a load is not centered it can often put too much weight on one corner of the vehicle causing an overload on that corners tires Overloading tires will lead to shorter tire life or to downtime Even if properly centered every load should stay within total gross vehicle weight compliance Support equipment The role of support equipment on a mine site should not be minimized or overlooked They are key pieces of equipment that play a vital role in keeping haul roads clear of rocks or other debris that could damage tires A motor grader or rubber tired dozer should be used on a regular basis not just for the haul roads but also for the loading and unloading areas to clean up any spillage P Q Information courtesy of Michelin Earthmover Tires 52 PIT QUARRY September 2016 pitandquarry com
You must have JavaScript enabled to view digital editions.
