“We have managed to achieve the air-like characteristics of a pneumatic tyre, with the non-puncture resistance of a solid tyre,” Marshall said.

“We have bridged the gap between original equipment manufacturers and the clients. One wants a soft ride, while the other wants no downtime.”

Introduced into Australia from America about six years ago and supplied through Marathon Tyres, the rubber liner inserts have slowly penetrated the market from Anglo Coal’s Moranbah North in Queensland to Centennial Coal’s Angus Place mine in New South Wales.

The rubber liner is a solid insert that has honeycomb-shaped tubes of air running circumferentially within the RL, allowing the tyre to compress under load.

The tyre operates for its whole life at the correct tyre pressure without the need for air in the tyre. It offers suspension to the machine and a soft ride for the operator while retaining the puncture resistance of a solid tyre.

“If a customer no longer wishes to run a pneumatic tyre due to constant punctures and related downtime, then the RL fitted into a Michelin is the cost effective solution,” Marshall said.

Once a mine places an order the correct Michelin tread pattern and compound is chosen, then the tyre is mapped internally for a perfect match with the rubber liner inserts.

With the aid of computer modelling, the RL is moulded for insertion into the tyre. Once the exterior tyre has worn smooth, the RL is removed and fitted into the next new tyre for it to run another life.

The amount of times an RL can be reused is dependent on the life of the tyre and underfoot conditions. If damaged, the RL can be repaired and when it runs out of lives, can be shredded for recycling.

“Because there is no air used to inflate the rubber liner, the need for air pressure maintenance is eliminated. The tyre will be at the perfect pressure for the rest of its life, allowing the tyre to achieve the maximum permissible hours, with the end result being a lower cost per hour,” Marshall said.

With the sales success Marathon Tyres has had with the Hutchinson RL inserts, the company is examining the feasibility of establishing a factory to manufacture the RL’s in Australia with export potential to Asian markets.

Marshall said some original equipment manufacturers had endorsed the use of the RL and would fit it as an option to their equipment. Published in Australia's Longwalls, September edition.