HIGH PROFILE
Q The RIMEX wheels business as you say was the foundation of the company in the 1970s – can you expand on the market position and value offering of your custom wheel and rim products in mining?
We have mining truck and loader OEMs that we work with for factory fitment, but the majority of our sales come from the aftermarket. We also work with OEM dealers who often specify our solutions at the request of their end users insisting our products be available to them when buying new trucks- loyal RIMEX customers push hard to ensure they get the best performing wheels on their equipment straight from the factory. Our wheels and rims business began with repairing and inspecting broken wheels from other manufacturers – which is what gave RIMEX such deep insight into what this market wanted and needed – and allowed us to find better ways to build those products so that they are safer and stronger. Our customer-focused approach then gave us insight into where we could take feedback from customers and implement suggested changes or improvements. Working so closely with the customer is what led to some of our leading solutions like our Integral Gutter Lock Ring( IGLR) and Double Gutter Service( DGS) Series of wheels and rims. Using this wheel combination, customers see great product performance and increased equipment availability.
Q So, what is your typical route to market? And what hours do wheels typically achieve before being changed?
Traditionally, RIMEX was always aftermarket focused, but as we talked about, the loyalty of the RIMEX customer led to us developing relationships with OEMs as well. Once a truck fleet is up and running, our solutions are ordered as required through whatever distribution network we have in place for that region. We have done a great job positioning RIMEX locations in strategic areas and then working directly with the end user or through key partners to ensure that our products are available in a timely manner and at the best price. But it’ s not as simple as a wheel is a wheel – there are major differences in the life of our products versus other manufacturers, and of course every mine site is different, so it’ s critical for us to be in tune with our customers and truly understand the environment in which the products will be operating. The wear and tear on tyres and wheels differs greatly depending on the equipment on which they are fitted, the material being mined, the conditions of the roads and many other external factors. From a lifespan perspective, there is no blanket number that covers every site. Where possible we work with our customers to implement an inspection and repair program
12 to identify and fix any product issues at early stages and to determine benchmark hours for budgeting and planning purposes. We have some customers where 50,000 hours has been identified as that key interval and others at 70,000 hours or more. There is no magic number that works for all sites. When comparing wheel life to average tyre life at a minesite a wheel will see multiple tyres installed and removed on it. Since the maintenance cycles are different, our products tend to be replaced when the appropriate hours dictate, this could align with a tyre change, maintenance on a final drive, or a midlife rebuild. Wheels could also be removed if a crack is identified during routine inspections or if there are signs of air loss in the tyre.
A 400 ton class Liebherr T 284 mining truck fitted with RIMEX wheels
Q How is the health of the wheels monitored?
Wheels are typically tracked at large operations using a variety of asset management programs, so customers have a view of the hours each wheel has run at any given time. They use this for maintenance planning and budgeting purposes. Additionally, wheels are visually inspected during tyre changes, air checks, and general truck maintenance. Regular cleaning is also carried out on trucks which is another opportunity to check the wheels. Some sites actually sandblast and repaint wheel components to help extend their life or for storage purposes. Where customers have a non-destructive testing program, we work with them through that process to determine a good‘ end of life’ point for our wheel. If wheels are sent to us with high hours for repair, it will be a discussion with the customer on whether it is worth putting more money into that work versus wheel replacement. All our wheels are serialised and fitted with an ID tag, so we know when the wheel was made, what other work has been done to it, and at what locations.
Q Can you expand more on the value proposition from the DGS and IGLR solutions?
We always describe the Double Gutter Service( DGS) series as revolutionary, and we really believe that to be the case. The DGS is a 7-piece wheel / rim assembly with two bead bands, two side rings, one two-piece lock ring and one standard lock ring. The DGS was developed as a position-sensitive outer dual on a haul truck that allows for the inside tire to be easily mounted / demounted without removing the outer wheel / rim base. It was originally designed for time savings but as it was
used more, the safety benefits became very clear as well. Tyre changes are completed in a fraction of the time and there are far less repetitive strain issues for technicians. We are also keeping technicians out of hazard areas so inherently allowing them to work safer. RIMEX DGS wheels can also be installed to haul truck outer dual positions while still using standard wheels on the fronts and inner dual wheel positions. The Integral Gutter Lock Ring( IGLR) was actually developed after the DGS and designed to work in conjunction with the DGS on haul trucks. IGLR wheels are a 6-piece configuration and are installed on the front and inner dual positions. They allow a tyre to be removed from the front position with components still installed( side rings and bead bands) which can then be moved to any position across the rears or put into the spare pile with components pre-mounted and ready for the next install. IGLR wheels are also used on loaders and customers find great benefit in removing the tyres with the components installed, installing a new pre-
International Mining | JANUARY 2026