A Better Way Forward

15 April, 2011

With no legislation in place for off-the-road (OTR) tyre repairs, a number of dealers and repairers within the OTR tyre market continue to carry out poor quality, unsafe repair methods. Quarry Management takes a look at how Michelin are helping to address the issue with the industry’s first accredited earthmover tyre-repair programme

The global shortage of earthmoving tyres, brought on largely by the high resources demand from China, India and Russia’s burgeoning economies, has been a harsh reality for many quarrying and mining operators. After all, the earthmover OTR tyre market is, and will always be, a demand-driven market.

The global tyre shortage was so bad during its peak in 2005/06 that stories of earthmover equipment being parked on blocks were becoming more and more common.

Although the supply and demand problems have eased in recent years, the production of large, heavy-duty tyres for earthmoving and mining equipment, according to some tyre manufacturers, will continue to fall behind demand for at least the next couple of years, as OEM production increases. In addition, as demand continues to exceed supply, the cost of new earthmover/OTR tyres will remain high across the international marketplace.

So, how can vehicle operators protect themselves from the huge cost of new tyres and the ongoing global tyre shortage? There are many key strategies that should be considered, from good tyre management and long-term procurement to supply contracts and a sound knowledge of the earthmover OTR tyre market and its trusted suppliers.

Preventative maintenance (eg tyre pressure maintenance, regular tyre damage checks, loading capacities etc) is another important consideration, which not only saves tyres but also money. However, it is the economics of repairing tyres that has now become the main focus for all concerned. If new earthmover tyres cannot be acquired, it has become essential for heavy vehicle fleet managers to look after the ones in service by maximizing the life of those tyres.

More and more tyres are now being repaired as a result, due to the extremely harsh conditions in which earthmoving equipment operates in and the high cost of tyre disposal, not to mention the environmental position on scrapping tyres with plenty of service life remaining.

There are currently no industry standards for the repair of earthmover/OTR tyres and, as a consequence of this, the quality of a repair can vary substantially.

‘Today, anyone can repair earthmover tyres even without the required training, skills and qualifications,’ explained Pete Goodman, UK marketing manager for Michelin’s earthmover tyres division. ‘What concerns us is that we will see evidence in the industry of poor quality repair methods, the most common of which is the basic ‘plug’ repair. Not only is this ‘quick fix’ solution unreliable, but it also poses a serious health and safety risk to operatives.’

In response to this, Michelin have teamed up with Rema Tip Top to launch the industry’s first accredited earthmover-tyre repair programme, designed to raise the standard of repairs and ensure increased safety, performance and value for operators.

‘The launch of the scheme has been a huge success,’ continued Mr Goodman. ‘It aims to set an industry standard and promote the benefits of using highly trained and professional repairers to carry out work on earthmoving tyres from an economic and health and safety perspective.

‘When a fleet operator invests in a premium product it makes good business sense that their investment is protected and maintained correctly at all times. It is true that a professional earthmover tyre repair can be a complex and costly process, but a high-quality repair job allows the end-user to preserve the life of the tyre for as long as possible, which, in turn, optimizes their investment.’

Michelin are currently the only major tyre manufacturer to have developed an industry accreditation scheme and, more importantly, an annual audit which sets out specific standards that each repairer must meet, ranging from the equipment used to carry out repairs through to the overall workshop environment.

Jock Aitken, UK technical manager for Michelin’s earthmover tyres division, and one of two auditors overseeing the accreditation process, told QM such auditing is much-needed in a off-road tyre repair market dogged by poor quality and unsafe working practices.

‘There is a real need for developing and maintaining good standards of earthmover tyre repairs in the market and as a responsible manufacturer, we have introduced our own strict audit standards with Rema Tip Top,’ he explained. ‘Health and safety was the overriding factor in developing the accredited repairs programme. It brings levels of quality assurance for the end-user; implementing an industry standard that gives operators the confidence that they are using a professional, competent repairer.’

The rigorous joint Michelin and Rema Tip Top audit process requires the repairer to demonstrate a high level of skill and professionalism by focusing on (and passing all) the following key categories:

Tyre received
Initial inspection
Outer injury preparation
Injury measurement and patch selection
Liner preparation
Cement/solution procedures
Filling procedure
Patch application
Curing procedures
Final inspection.

The repairer must also meet entry requirements in terms of the quality of equipment and tools used while ensuring robust processes and procedures are in place. Furthermore, dealers seeking accreditation are required to send their repair engineers on a five-day skills training course at Rema Tip Top’s academy in Munich. The participants must follow strict guidelines governing the maximum size and type of repair which can be carried out, with a thorough inspection process before and after the tyres are repaired.

So far four UK tyre dealers have passed this stringent technical audit and, as a result, added the Michelin Earthmover Tyre Repair accreditation to their existing quality portfolios, helping to differentiate themselves from their competitors across the tyre repair market.

‘Last year, nearly 200 accredited repairs were carried out by our accredited nationwide repairers OTR Tyres, Earthmover Tyres and RedPath Tyres,’ said Mr Goodman. ‘We are also looking to expand the UK network further, having recently appointed T&C Site Services as the latest authorized repairer. As it stands, the Michelin repairer network accounts for around 50% of the earthmover tyre market.’

The company is also planning to roll out the accreditation template to other countries. Several pilot schemes have already taken place across Europe and Michelin are preparing to introduce the repairs programme to the US earthmover tyre market.

Looking ahead, Mr Aitken wants to see new EU legislation in place for off-road tyre repairs to ensure the safety of operatives working on earthmoving machinery. ‘It will certainly be a step in the right direction,’ he said. ‘The various stages involved in the tyre repair process need to be carried out correctly at all times, as there cannot be a weak link in the chain.

‘The reality is that poor-quality tyre repair methods, such as plugging and patches, are commonplace throughout the industry. Fleet operators, therefore, need to be aware of these unregulated working practices and this has been one of the key messages of the earthmover tyre-repair programme - health and safety cannot be compromised at all.’