At MINExpo 2016, Kal Tire’s Mining Tire Group showcases how it is harnessing its global expertise, reach and range of services to meet the evolving needs of the mining world.
LAS VEGAS, NV — Kal Tire’s Mining tire group continues to expand and focus on innovation in tire services that are driven by customers’ growing needs. The company has recently gone through expansions in Australia, Africa and Chile, set out to provide two earthmover tire recycling solutions, and began developing a handful of innovative and patented tools.
Always a company with an eye on solving customers’ challenges, wherever that may take them, Kal Tire’s Mining Tire Group has the experience, resources and speed of deployment as advantages to support mining operations globally.
“Our customers have come to appreciate that wherever they need us, we’ve got the resources to mobilize quickly and serve them,” says Dan Allan, senior vice president, Kal Tire’s Mining Tire Group, emphasizing the company’s focus on expertise and quality service. “We bring more than four decades of experience working in all kinds of conditions and at all types of mines—and our 1,800 team members are trained to a global standard to ensure quality, safety and productivity.”
Kal Tire will be demonstrating at MINExpo 2016 how it does so much more than supply and service tires: they are an innovator developing solutions to drive performance and safety. “For us, innovation is about the small, incremental things we can do that are part of that larger contribution of enhancing more efficient operations,” says Allan. “If we’re diligent and we focus on the details, the big picture around productivity is going to look a lot better.”
Items being showcased at MINExpo 2016 include:
• Ultra Repair™: Kal Tire’s exclusive product and process that repairs large injuries on ultra class tires, and has saved hundreds of large mining tires from scrap piles.
• A gravity assist system: a mechanical arm that allows technicians to safely, weightlessly and precisely maneuver heavy mounting tools such as torque guns.
• Innovative tools for servicing tires that provide safety, improve efficiency, and decrease service time, several of which are undergoing patents.
• Tire Recycling Solutions: In order to offer services to customers at every stage in the life cycle of a mining tire, Kal Tire is embarking on providing two solutions—shredding and thermal conversion. Each has its own advantages; each delivers measurable value.
To further deliver value and provide customers with the details needed to help make decisions, reduce downtime and improve the cost of ownership, in 2016 Kal Tire launched its Tire Operating Management System (TOMS), a proprietary industry-leading planning and reporting tool. “TOMS allows us to better manage our on-site activities as it uses predictive rather than past data to run mine sites more effectively,” says Bob Bennett, vice president of operations, Canada, Kal Tire’s Mining Tire Group. “Better planning leads to better execution and helps reduce unplanned downtime for our customers.”
When it comes to servicing mining customers, Kal Tire offers a very broad and diverse range of tire management offerings, from access to premium tire brands and services to customized solutions based on the needs of the mining operation. “Another solution we are now able to offer is volumetric scanning—a comprehensive assessment of shovel productivity, spillage, tire wear and load distribution using on-site weight scales,” says Bennett.
In addition to growing the products and services Kal Tire offers, it has also been growing its presence. In Australia, the organization recently secured its place as a national tire service provider by acquiring the tire services business of Klinge & Co., resulting in Kal Tire servicing numerous mines sites across Australia, as well the company recently opened a repair facility in New South Wales. In Chile, Kal Tire opened a new 20,000 square metres retread and repair facility near the port city of Antofagasta.
In Africa, Kal Tire acquired Tredcor Zambia Limited, strengthening the organization’s footprint with the Zambian earthmover market. And in Botswana, Kal Tire began tire supply and management operations at a single site that has quickly grown to three on-site operations.
Additionally, the organization was invited to conduct a comprehensive audit of a mine site in West Africa related to their tire management operations. The audit will include everything from purchasing and supply chain to tire maintenance and reporting, and from training and safety to site severity studies and continuous improvement.
“More and more customers are looking beyond the traditional tire supplier relationship. some have asked us to manage their total tire logistics chain including inventory,” says Allan. “For others, we have created alternative commercial models that are focused on aligning the goals of both the customer and Kal Tire to ensure we measure success the same way the customer does. We believe customers should be raising their expectations for service providers—and we’re happy to meet those expectations.”
To learn more about how Kal Tire’s Mining Tire Group delivers innovative solutions of measurable value, visit them at MINExpo, Sept. 26-28, Central Hall, stand 8793.
ABOUT KAL TIRE
Kal Tire is Canada’s largest independent tire dealer and one of North America’s largest commercial tire dealers. Kal Tire’s Mining Tire Group is a global leader in mining tire service and supply, servicing more than 150 mine sites across five continents. The company has warehouse facilities strategically located across Canada servicing over 250 Kal Tire retail and commercial stores. Kal Tire owns and operates five earthmover retreading facilities located in Canada, the United Kingdom, West Africa and Chile. The company employs more than 5,600 team members. For more information on Kal Tire’s Mining Tire Group, please visit www.kaltiremining.com.