Kal Tire Showcases Commitment to Southern Africa

One year after acquiring the underground mining expertise of Tyre Corporation, and combining it with the surface mining expertise, tyre management innovation and culture of Kal Tire—Kal Tire's Mining Tire Group has become a respected force in Southern Africa.

At the upcoming Electra Mining Africa conference, Kal Tire looks forward to showcasing its expanded team's unique strengths, approach and technology. "Team members from Tyre Corporation have such an intimate knowledge of underground mining, and we knew they shared our passion for service," says Dan Allan, senior vice president, Kal Tire's Mining Tire Group. "Pairing that expertise with our decades of international experience, resources and innovations has allowed us to meet customer needs in an integrated, forward-looking way that enables us to contribute to the value chain on a deeper level than ever before."

Kal Tire, a demonstrated tyre management and supply leader in many countries, has had a presence in Africa since 2009. Now with more than 1,500 team members servicing more than 80 mine sites throughout Southern Africa, the company is able to build on its strong reputation and deliver ‘source to scrap' services that extend value and tyre life.

"We know that investing in our team members is essential to the success of our organization, and the livelihood of our people, by providing experts focused on exceeding customer expectations," says John Martin, vice president, Southern Africa, Kal Tire's Mining Tire Group. "With a workforce from diverse backgrounds and local communities, our commitment is to offer sustainable careers through world-class safety and quality training programs."

Kal Tire feels mining customers should expect more from their suppliers, as such, there are several offerings they will be showcasing at Electra Mining in September to demonstrate their continuous investment in exceeding expectations:

• Renewing tyres with retreading: With more than 40 years' experience, Kal Tire's manufacturing processes and state of the art technology produces a superior product. Using both natural and synthetic compounds along with quality casings, its retreaded tyres have the appearance, performance and integrity of new, premium-brand tyres that have proven to deliver high value and performance.

• Restoring tyres with repair: Kal Tire provides an effective solution for repairing tyres resulting in prolonged tyre life and reduced operating costs. Each year thousands of tyres are repaired, effectively putting them back into production while also reducing new tyre purchases.

• Extending tyre life with Tyre fill: A critical service provided when excessive tyre damage is inevitable. Underground mines being the biggest market, along with waste management and steel works to name a few. The process, honed over nearly 15 years, sees trained technicians replace the air with a robust, flexible urethane, eliminating tyre punctures and rapid deflation—which are a significant risk for underground mines. Another considerable benefit is the improvement of vehicle uptime, thereby increasing operation efficiency and productivity.

• Innovation in tyre services: Among a number of patented items on display, will be Kal Tire's latest development, a Gravity Assist System. This fully mechanical arm allows technicians to safely, weightlessly and precisely manouever very heavy mounting tools such as a 36-kilogram torque gun; reducing the potential of strains and other injuries while also increasing efficiency and productivity.

"For Kal Tire, ‘expect more' means constantly looking at our offerings alongside the demands from customers. We try and push ourselves to ensure we are looking at new ways to meet these increasing demands," says Allan. "Mining is going through a period of ever-increasing technology applications—in the equipment being used, and other digital approaches—and Kal Tire, like any mining supplier, needs to keep pace with these changes. This isn't always easy, but it's necessary as customers will continually expect more from their
reliable partners."

Investing in innovation at Kal Tire means hearing ideas from its front-line team members that focus on improving safety, productivity and efficiency. As ideas are adopted, they are developed, tested on-site, and for many once they are finalised, then patented in order to continue to demonstrate value to customers.

To-date, along with the Gravity Assist System, other tools have been deployed such as:

•  Ram Mounts built for specific vehicles that improve safety, performance and  speed for the bead break process of tyre changes.

•  Lock Ring Lifter and Lock Ring Spreader to help teams install and remove lock rings on off-the road truck wheels

• Power Cart, one for electrical and one for pneumatic functions, to improve operations when using Ram Mount tools or bead breakers to ensure the safety of tyre technicians as the functions are operated by remote control, enabling technicians to stand away from the truck area

• Air Valve Protector ensures safe and efficient protection from rocks and debris damaging the tyre's air valve.

As an independent tyre services provider, Kal Tire also has access to products from numerous tyre manufacturers, enabling them to select the best performing tyre for every application and budget. "Our overall goal is to allow the customer to focus on their core function of moving minerals, and for Kal Tire to take on all
tyre-related responsibilities," says Martin. "From sourcing and inventory management, to daily maintenance and extending tyre life through the many products, processes and technologies we have to offer."