MINING TYRES
Minera El Abra , a Chilean copper mine and subsidiary of Freeport-McMoRan , along with the tyre manufacturer Bridgestone , are starting the recycling process for tyres purchased by the mine over the past year at Kal Tire ' s thermal conversion facility in La Negra
environmental responsibility practices , also to collaborate with recycling companies and with the community , since apart from creating awareness , it could become a business model with by-products , giving them a new life ,” said the President of Minera El Abra , Boris Medina .
The joint work will make it possible to achieve the recycling of 75 % of scrapped tyres in the fifth year of implementation and 100 % in 2031 , this being an unprecedented and effective process to solve the accumulation of waste derived from mining operations .
“ We are proud to take the first of several steps that are aimed at caring for the environment , with the start of the tyre recycling law , long awaited by the mining industry . We are committed to people and everything that contributes to improving the quality of life ,” said Gonzalo Figueroa , Commercial Director of Bridgestone Mining Solutions .
For his part , Carlos Zuniga , General Manager of Kal Tire Chile , said that the company thanks Minera El Abra and Bridgestone , “ who have entrusted us with the responsibility of valuing the first NFU under the REP law . This milestone reinforces the already consolidated relationship of the last six years during which time Kal Tire has provided a comprehensive tyre service to Minera El Abra , together with supporting our work in developing an innovative , sustainable and safe solution that generates products with a lower carbon footprint , which will enter new production processes as raw materials .”
The pyrolysis process is aligned with the circular economy since in the future the byproducts obtained may be used in the manufacture of tyres or other related products . See detailed section on Kal Tire operations in Chile later in this article
Kal Tire – next level tyre service in Chile
In April 2023 , IM had the unique opportunity to tour the operations of Kal Tire ’ s Mining Tire Group in Chile , with both Carlos Zuniga , General Manager of Kal Tire Chile , and Mario Gomez , Kal Tire Chile Service Manager , along with a number of their colleagues . This included visits to its repair , training and service hub in the La Negra industrial area outside Antofagasta , as well as its ground-breaking thermal conversion facility close by – which is pioneering large mining tyre recycling worldwide . It is now managed by its joint venture with Japan ’ s Mitsui and will be the subject of a follow up article in IM ’ s August 2023 issue . Finally , it included a visit to Antofagasta
Minerals ( AMSA ) -owned Minera Centinela , one of Chile ’ s largest copper mining complexes , where Kal Tire Chile has a full service , repair and retread contract .
As of March 2023 , Kal Tire has more than 300 team members in Chile – of which many are tyre fitters . To give an idea of the scale of its operations in the country – it has numerous comprehensive service , repair and retread contracts of which Centinela is just one .
Looking at Centinela specifically , it is one of four AMSA mining complexes in Chile , along with Antucoya , Zaldivar and Los Pelambres , with Kal Tire also having a service and repair contract at Antucoya . At Centinela , Kal Tire began its first contract in 2015 so is now into its third contract with the mine . It has two main facilities – the largest one in the sulphides area and the second in the oxides area . They are located close to truck maintenance shops for ease of access to trucks when they come for routine maintenance and to allow liaison with the mine ’ s own maintenance teams – for example there are occasions where tyres have to be removed in the truck shop for better access to the truck engine or another part of the truck where there is a mechanical issue . The Kal Tire sites and some of the buildings are owned by the mine with some containerised offices and of course all the tyre handling and inspection equipment owned by Kal Tire . This is the normal procedure for these on-site tyre management contracts .
Adjacent to the office areas are the main tyre stockpiles , which includes a separate area for tyres marked for scrap , plus another area that has tyres awaiting transport to La Negra for repair , used tyres and new tyres in stock , and other tyres awaiting a check to assess if they are repairable or not – once a week a Kal Tire repair
Monaflex & tyre repairs
There was a time in the not too distant past when repairing OTR tyres was primarily a measure to combat supply versus demand imbalances . As the industry becomes more environmentally conscious , tyre repair extends beyond preservation of tyres . It offers notable environmental benefits by reducing waste , conserving natural resources , saving energy , lowering emissions , promoting a circular economy , and demonstrating corporate responsibility . By prioritising tyre repair over replacement , progressive miners contribute to a greener and more sustainable future while effectively managing their OTR tyre assets . During 2023 Monaflex says more organisations , in more territories , than ever before are using its tyre repair systems to achieve environmental aims together with the objective benefits of increased fleet productivity and reduced costs . It states : “ Monaflex tyre repair systems allow tyre maintenance teams to maximise individual tyre operating hours through quick & crucially , effective repairs to the crown , shoulder & sidewall of any tyre on the market . Superficial bead damage , sometimes incurred when moving tyres , is also routinely remedied to improve inventories and shut down another source of tyre wastage . The Monaflex focus is designing and manufacturing robust , durable equipment which is safe and simple to use on mine sites and specialist repair workshops alike .” The process of hot vulcanisation , using inflatable airbags with simultaneous heat and pressure , ensures repairs are distortion free and 100 % effective . Monaflex provides on-going training and support to ensure end-users have the knowledge to reap optimum budgetary and environmental rewards from their tyre preservation programme .
20 International Mining | JULY 2023