Page 22 - CTB N19 - 2017-03

OTR/CONSTRUCTION TYRES
BKT Earthmax Tyre Range Targets Dumpers, Wheel Loaders and Multipurpose Vehicles
More Power to Wheeled Excavators with Michelin’s New Power Digger Tyre
Earthmax is a branded radial tyre range from BKT, which has been engineered to favour an optimised load distribution on the ground for dumpers, wheel loaders, dozers,
graders and some multipurpose vehicles. Today, there are twenty- two different tyre patterns part of this range to be multiplied by numerous sizes and versions that can operate on the most extreme terrains.
SR 55 for loaders in mining applications.
The Earthmax SR 23 and Earthmax SR 25 has recently been added to the line-up with their
use intended for motor graders and loaders carrying out difficult operations, Earthmax SR 33 for vehicles that are able to cope with all terrains, Earthmax SR 35 for articulated dumpers, Earthmax SR 42 for haul trains operating in mining and logging applications, Earthmax SR 43 for loading and on rocky
Michelin has launched a new cross ply tyre for wheeled excavators that improves productivity, damage resistance and site safety, and helps reduce costs. The Michelin Power Digger tyre joins Michelin’s Compact Line range and has been designed to address the main issues operators of wheeled excavators face when using conventional tyres – significant risk of tyre damage, high wear rates
and issues with stability when working at 360- degrees. The tyre is available as both original equipment and on the replacement market.
Cuts can be a huge problem on excavator tyres due to the type of work they are required to do. The Power Digger combats this by reducing the surface area of the groove in the centre of the tread – where the rubber is stretched and so most susceptible to cuts and splitting – from an average 15mm on competitor tyres, to 5mm for the Power Digger. An increased number of plies within the sidewall also reduces the strain on each ply, making the tyre more resistant to cuts.
With a sidewall that is 57 per cent thicker than the current market leader, the chances of getting a puncture on a Michelin Power Digger tyre are reduced. The added resistance also stems the general wear normally seen on an excavator tyre.
Safety is also maximised by providing the best possible stability for 360-degree work, thanks to Michelin’s patented diamond-shaped tread pattern, as pioneered in the Michelin BibLoad Hard Surface tyre. These multi-directional tread blocks work from six different angles and feature 12 ridges per block, providing greater traction for wheeled excavators. When the wheeled excavator’s stabilisers are not in use, the Power Digger’s shoulder lugs also expand to
ensure stability.
Wear and tear is addressed with two additional lugs to bring the total to 24 per tyre, creating a greater contact patch with the ground. The distribution of the rubber in the centre of the tread is spread evenly, as this is where the wear is generally most concentrated in cross ply tyres. The Power Digger has a Load Index of 147 compared with the
The
Earthmax tyre
line-up
comprises a
wide range of
products
including the
Earthmax SR
22 for loaders and graders operating on snowy terrains, Earthmax SR 30 for articulated dumpers and wheel loaders, Earthmax SR 31 for wheel loaders and rigid dumpers, Earthmax SR 41 for articulated
dumpers, Earthmax
SR 44 for
multipurpose
vehicles in mining
and forestry
applications,
Earthmax SR 45 for
rigid dumpers and
Earthmax SR 45 Plus
as giant version,
Earthmax SR 47 for
rigid dumpers
operating in
quarries, Earthmax
SR 49 and Earthmax
SR 50 for wheel
loaders and dozers,
and eventually
Earthmax SR 51 and
Earthmax SR 53 for
loaders operating in
quarries. There is
also Earthmax SR 45
M for rigid dumpers,
and finally Earthmax
Earthmax SR 22
mining applications
terrain, Earthmax SR 46 for rigid dumpers operating in mines, and finally Earthmax SR 49 M, which has been designed for loaders operating under tough conditions.
Michelin has launched an innovative new cross ply tyre for wheeled excavators that improves productivity, damage resistance
and site safety, and helps reduce costs
standard 146 in equivalent competitor tyres.
Martyn Pointer, Commercial Director for Michelin’s agricultural division in the UK, Ireland and Nordic markets, comments: “Innovation is what Michelin does. We identify areas where heavy machiner y operators are facing issues, and then solve those problems. The Power Digger tyre is the latest example of this, and testament to the more than €700m we invest in research and development every year. From the outset our team focused on the four key areas our customers in this sector care most about – safety, cost, damage resistance and lifespan. The net result is the most robust dual-fitment excavator tyre we’ve ever manufactured.”
22 Commercial Tyre Business
Earthmax SR 49