A Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) measures the pressure and temperature of tires. It continuously feeds the information back to the driver or the fleet manager in real time. By optimising tyre safety it helps prevent tire blowouts, accidents, and equipment damage caused by under or over-inflated tires or by tires overheating. Managers can then plan servicing and repair and make decisions on the safety and efficiency of the vehicles tires.
Important considerations when choosing a Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) for Off-the-Road (OTR) Mining Vehicles
There are several compelling reasons why it is worth investing in a reliable TPMS for OTR vehicles. There are a number of factors to consider when choosing the best solution. In particular for mining industry vehicles, where it’s not just optimal TPMS performance that’s important. There is also the resilience that is required in the rugged and demanding mining environment.
Maintaining proper tire pressure is essential for ensuring vehicle stability and handling, especially in rugged terrain and harsh conditions. Incorrect tire inflation affects both steering and braking. Subsequently safety issues my occur for the operators and the vehicles. For the mining industry, the ideal TPMS solution is one designed specifically for Off-the-Road (OTR) and industrial vehicles. Additionally it can endure high levels of vibration, dust, and debris, ensuring reliability in challenging environments. The gold standard is a TPMS that can withstand situations of extreme temperature cycling from -25C to 100C degrees. Conditions that are commonly found in mines worldwide. Furthermore, a frequent requirement is for the TPMS solution to measure tire pressure up to 200psi, given the extreme size and weight of mine vehicles and their load.
Why choose a specific TPMS for OTR vehicles
To optimising tyre safety precise and consistent monitoring of tire pressure and temperature is required, given the extreme conditions commonly found in mining environments. This accuracy is crucial for ensuring safety and efficiency. It is important that the TPMS signal reaches the hub, however harsh the conditions. TPMS solutions are now available which utilise several independent channels and up to four antennas, for transmission redundancy. This ensures total reliability, even on the largest of vehicles with up to 24 wheels, when working underground, in remote locations and when surrounded by tonnes of metalwork and electrical interference. Another factor to consider is whether the TPMS system can compensate for altitude. This is critical to give accurate, reliable real-time tire pressure data.
Optimising tyre safety leads to optimal performance
One of the main advantages of using a TPMS is that it helps optimise tire performance and extend tire life. With correct tire inflation, there is less resistance and therefore less wear on the tires. A further benefit of installing a TPMS is that tires running at optimal pressure with less ground resistance is that it will lead to a reduction in fuel consumption. These benefits result in large cost savings for the operation and hence increased profitability, particularly in the mining industry, where tires and fuel are areas of significant expenditure.
With a quality TPMS system, tire data across the fleet is available for later analysis. It allows operators to monitor tire health, track performance trends and plan maintenance schedules more effectively. Having this information leads to optimised operations and improved productivity. The data provides a means to analyse the reasons why tires are operating outside normal limits or to make comparisons with tires from varying manufacturers. A TPMS that logs data consistently and provides full reporting capabilities is a minimum requirement, enabling better fleet management and operational efficiency by providing data-driven insights.
Reduced downtime and critical failures by optimising tyre safety
Unplanned downtime due to tire-related issues can be expensive and disruptive. A reliable and accurate TPMS enables proactive maintenance by identifying tire problems in advance before tire issues become serious. This allows for timely repairs or replacements and minimises unexpected equipment downtime. Given the often-remote locations of mines, vehicles being on site and operational is paramount to meet productivity targets. Using a TPMS supplier with a proven track record for reliability will help with meeting deadlines and productivity.
Many industrial sectors have specific regulations and standards regarding tire pressure monitoring. Investing in a TPMS ensures compliance with industry requirements, avoiding penalties, legal issues, and reputational damage. The TPMS system needs to meet the standards required by the mining industry and meet reliability criteria.
Installing a TPMS ensures tires operate within the advised operating parameters, where successful re-treading can be carried out. A business can also report sustainability and carbon savings by extending the life of the tire. A task that would be difficult without a credible TPMS.
With an automatic monitoring system, the regular manual checks of all the tires pressures on all the vehicles are not necessary. A TPMS eliminates this time-consuming job. It also captures issues that occur between manual checks. At the same it avoids these checks being missed.
With good installation guidelines and practices, installing a TPMS is a simple process that takes a very short period of time. Some suppliers, such as TMS® include a free App. This ensures the installation is working correctly and the communications from all sensors is optimal.
Increase safety, reduce costs and gather important data
Overall, investing in TPMS for mining vehicles brings many advantages, including safety improvements, cost reductions, downtime prevention, compliance adherence, operational efficiency and sustainability.
In summary, optimising tyre safety by investing in a TPMS is an essential element for any industrial operation and is of particular importance in the mining sector, given the harsh working conditions for the machinery, the remoteness of sites and the huge cost of vehicles and their tires. The payback period will be very short and the benefits last for many years, so finding the ideal supplier is important.
An independent TPMS supplier means you can use any tyre manufacturer
The ideal TPMS provider needs to demonstrate a proven track record of operations in harsh environments, such as high and low temperatures and high levels of vibration. It is important that the data logging is comprehensive, accurate and reliable, allowing operators and managers to plan ahead to schedule tire maintenance and replacements. The smart choice is to look for an independent TPMS supplier who can provide TPMS for all tire manufacturers, for tires of any size and for any vehicle. This will ensure the maximum cost savings. Note that some TPMS providers only offer systems for a limited number of tire manufacturers and/or sizes. This can be a limitation if a mine uses a variety of tires by different manufacturers.
There are immense benefits from investing in a well-chosen TPMS. Implementing a TPMS not only helps mitigate risks associated with tire-related issues but also contributes to the overall success and sustainability of mining operations.
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A version of this article was published in the Global Mining Review, June 2024 edition.