Mining tires face the toughest conditions
ock and rubber are synonymous with mining because there are very few machines used in today’s mines that don’t rely on either tires or rubber tracks to keep material moving.
From deep underground at the face, to down in an open pit mine beneath a clear blue sky, machines used to drill, load and haul ore to the surface face rugged conditions every day and without the support of equally rugged tires (and tracks); most machines would not be able to perform.
In fact, the majority of today’s mining machines would be stopped in their tracks, so to speak, and would leave mine owners and operators with production slowdowns resulting in costly delays.
One company that recognizes the importance of reliable equipment and its impact on profits and losses is Yokohama Tire (Canada) Inc, and the role its high-performance tires play in many mines across Canada.
Established in 1917, Yokohama Rubber has continued to expand its business scope, making its presence known in North America and today the company has more than 30 subsidiaries and affiliates around the world with over 19,000 employees and $7 billion (Cdn) in annual revenue.
In other words, the company is huge and here in Canada, Yokohama Tire (Canada) Ltd. has been contributing to the bottom line since 1983 through the sale and distribution of tires from centres in Laval, Quebec, Brampton, Ontario and Langley, British Columbia.
As mentioned, Yokohama has been importing and distributing tires in Canada for more than 30 years and now ranks eight in the world in new tire sales behind frontrunner Bridgestone, followed in descending order by Michelin, Goodyear, Continental, Pirelli, Sumitomo and Hankook.
Like all tire manufacturers, Yokohama depends on research and development to stay competitive. Comprehensive R&D activities cover materials development, product design, testing and evaluation, while manufacturing of its various tires is handled by 22 manufacturing plants around the world.
Products range from conventional automotive tires, to those designed for high-speed racing, to large and rugged tires for on and off-road trucks, to tires designed for the massive machines required to operate in mines.
Ben Duyzer, a Senior OTR (Off The Road) Specialist at Yokohama Tire (Canada) Inc, in Langley, B.C., says, “Tires are one of the more widely used products found in society today and without them, much of the industrialized world would grind to a halt.
“Mining, in particular, depends on tires that are almost ‘bullet proof,’ so to speak, because of the payloads and rough conditions they face every day. No other tires get such a harsh beating on a day-to-day basis and because of that, mine tires are expected to be stronger and perform longer.”
But as Duyzer said, mining is a tough test for any tire and as all mine owners and machine operators know, sidewall tears and straight punctures are almost inevitable on mine sites and keeping the supply chain at the ready is also a critical part of our distribution team.
Duyzer says the warehouse is stocked with tires of all sizes at all times and with a regular flow of them arriving in containers from Japan on a weekly basis, supplying mines in Canada is not a problem.
In fact, Duyzer is proud to say that with our dealer network across the country, tires can be delivered almost the next day to many mines in Canada.
Distribution and service, says Duyzer, are critical to the tire business especially when serving customers in the mining industry who often keep their mac
ock and rubber are synonymous with mining because there are very few machines used in today’s mines that don’t rely on either tires or rubber tracks to keep material moving.
From deep underground at the face, to down in an open pit mine beneath a clear blue sky, machines used to drill, load and haul ore to the surface face rugged conditions every day and without the support of equally rugged tires (and tracks); most machines would not be able to perform.
In fact, the majority of today’s mining machines would be stopped in their tracks, so to speak, and would leave mine owners and operators with production slowdowns resulting in costly delays.
One company that recognizes the importance of reliable equipment and its impact on profits and losses is Yokohama Tire (Canada) Inc, and the role its high-performance tires play in many mines across Canada.
Established in 1917, Yokohama Rubber has continued to expand its business scope, making its presence known in North America and today the company has more than 30 subsidiaries and affiliates around the world with over 19,000 employees and $7 billion (Cdn) in annual revenue.
In other words, the company is huge and here in Canada, Yokohama Tire (Canada) Ltd. has been contributing to the bottom line since 1983 through the sale and distribution of tires from centres in Laval, Quebec, Brampton, Ontario and Langley, British Columbia.
As mentioned, Yokohama has been importing and distributing tires in Canada for more than 30 years and now ranks eight in the world in new tire sales behind frontrunner Bridgestone, followed in descending order by Michelin, Goodyear, Continental, Pirelli, Sumitomo and Hankook.
Like all tire manufacturers, Yokohama depends on research and development to stay competitive. Comprehensive R&D activities cover materials development, product design, testing and evaluation, while manufacturing of its various tires is handled by 22 manufacturing plants around the world.
Products range from conventional automotive tires, to those designed for high-speed racing, to large and rugged tires for on and off-road trucks, to tires designed for the massive machines required to operate in mines.
Ben Duyzer, a Senior OTR (Off The Road) Specialist at Yokohama Tire (Canada) Inc, in Langley, B.C., says, “Tires are one of the more widely used products found in society today and without them, much of the industrialized world would grind to a halt.
“Mining, in particular, depends on tires that are almost ‘bullet proof,’ so to speak, because of the payloads and rough conditions they face every day. No other tires get such a harsh beating on a day-to-day basis and because of that, mine tires are expected to be stronger and perform longer.”
But as Duyzer said, mining is a tough test for any tire and as all mine owners and machine operators know, sidewall tears and straight punctures are almost inevitable on mine sites and keeping the supply chain at the ready is also a critical part of our distribution team.
Duyzer says the warehouse is stocked with tires of all sizes at all times and with a regular flow of them arriving in containers from Japan on a weekly basis, supplying mines in Canada is not a problem.
In fact, Duyzer is proud to say that with our dealer network across the country, tires can be delivered almost the next day to many mines in Canada.
Distribution and service, says Duyzer, are critical to the tire business especially when serving customers in the mining industry who often keep their machines operating 24/7, and with different operators who treat the machines with varying degrees of care and consideration.
It doesn’t matter how strong we make our tires, or how people treat them, Mother Nature is stronger and always throws new challenges our way to come up with a product that can withstand heat and cold, water and rock, and everything else in between.
“We think we’re doing a pretty good job for the miners of Canada but there’s always something new on the drawing board at Yokohama and we’re accepting the challenge of exploring new territories, just like the miners do,” says Ben Duyzer.
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