MINING TYRES
environmental operating permit has been
approved, construction has begun, and its
thermal conversion tyre recycling facility near
Antofagasta will soon open. Chile has just
enacted its legislation, which takes effect in
2021. Soon, this 20,000 m 2 plant will have the
capacity to recycle 20 t of tyres each day.
ranging from grader products to 65
Series L5 programs. Recent top-level
endorsement for the MAXAM brand has
come from a new Original Equipment
fitting partnership with Caterpillar. A
joint approved press release specified:
“Caterpillar Inc. has validated and
approved the MAXAM MS302 L3 tyre for
use on specific Cat ® Medium Wheel
Loaders. Additional MAXAM MS302 tyre
sizes have also been validated and
approved for future factory fitment on
additional Cat ® Medium Wheel Loaders.”
MAXAM expanding its operations
and reach
MAXAM Tire says it is continuing to grow “an
undeniable reputation” for what it calls superior
Giant Off-The-Road (GOTR) tyres that are
specifically designed to enhance large scale
mining operations. With offices strategically
placed around the world, and the head office in
Danvers, Massachusetts, MAXAM, the specialty
tyre division of leading Chinese tyre
manufacturer Sailun Group Inc, says it is well
positioned to respond to global demand
With a strong focus on application, MAXAM
says its approach to tyre design and
manufacturing is customer-orientated; staying
true to the company mission of being a business
solution provider. “In addition, a recent
investment into a growing team of highly skilled
product engineers and increased state-of-the-art
tyre manufacturing capacity, MAXAM was able to
expand upon its strong portfolio of high-quality
mining tyres.”
Current utilisation of large MAXAM radial tyres
in open pit and underground mines is steadily
increasing as mines in North America, Russia,
Indonesia, Papua New Guinea and Australia have
introduced MAXAM tyres to their machines.
“With this rapid global expansion, the MAXAM
team is committed to developing the mining
group as a long-term strategic priority and
expanding the mining programs range/pattern
performance capabilities.”
This expansion will be both design and
research driven, utilising data collected based on
the global partnerships developed since the first
tyres were delivered. “The MAXAM team utilises
cutting-edge compound development, innovative
in-house testing, advanced computer modeling
and application simulation to continue to
generate mining program expansion, portfolio
growth and new product development.”
“MAXAM has displayed a proven commitment
to the mining tyre sector by investing into its
advanced Product Engineering and Research
Development teams, as well as investing
substantial capital into continuous improvement
for the tyre manufacturing operations. In
addition, MAXAM has substantially increased
output capacity by 300% to match forecasted
uplift in demand.”
MAXAM currently produces radial GOTR tyres
in 49 in, 51 in, 57 in and 63 in rim sizes, with
“excellent traction in haul road conditions,
54 International Mining | JULY 2019
MAXAM tyres on a Caterpillar 785 mining truck Titan LSW tech grows in stature
optimised tread patterns and enhanced
compounding for improved performance.” It
offers the E4+ deep tread for longest tyre life, a
versatile tread design for flexibility in all terrain
applications from smooth to rocky. A wide square
footprint distributes load to minimise haul road Johni Francis, Global OTR Product Manager
at Titan International says the company is
continuing to get good test results from its Low
Sidewall Technology ® (LSW ® ) sizes in mining
applications, and has also seen success in
underground mining. “For instance, our
LSW18.00R34.5 is running on a Sandvik LH307
Scoop in an underground mining operation in
Canada. The LSW tyres have proven to improve
machine stability, while the lower profile of the
tyre has decreased the occurrence of sidewall
cuts they were experiencing. This has resulted in
less downtime due to decreased tyre damage.”
While additional LSW mining tyres have yet to
become available at the OEM level, they are
currently being evaluated in a variety of smaller
sizes – each exploring how the tyre and wheel can
work together to offer better performance versus a
standard assembly. “We have seen that in certain
applications, LSW will increase stability, decrease
potential for sidewall damage, and provide a
better cost per hour due to decreased downtime.”
Overall Titan says its OTR specialists work
closely with fleets often in conjunction with their
tyre dealer. “We work with them to establish a
strategic tyre management plan. Our goal is to
help them reduce their tyre expenses by making
sure they are selecting the right tyre for the job,
implementing proper tyre maintenance and
disturbance, while the reinforced bead, shoulder
and sidewall give increased cut resistance and a
heat resistant under tread helps reduce tyre
temperature. Multiple tread compound options
target specific site requirements.
“We are 100% committed and focused on the
development and growth of our GOTR program.
This year 2019 will see the creation of the
MAXAM Mining Group – a consolidation of
talented, skilled, business solution-led
individuals covering the key disciplines of
service, engineering, product development and
sales. This strategic intent is fully supported by
all within Sailun Group Inc and we are all very
excited at the potential and the opportunity.
MAXAM tyres are quickly becoming a global
brand of choice. Awareness of the brand is
growing, recommendations and referrals are
increasing, and excellent brand performance is
underpinning the brand fitment,” according to
Troy Kline, Global President, MAXAM Tire.
In addition to the line of GOTR, Maxam also
produces a wide range of radial OTR products
Titan LSW tyres on a Cat 994H wheel loader at a Canadian coal operation