According to one supplier of underground vehicle tyres, the range and quality of tyres made to suit the environment are now at unprecedented levels.

Published in Australian Longwall Magazine

Bearcat Tyres has supplied the underground coal industry with tyres for more than 30 years. It claims to be one of the leading suppliers of tyres and associated products manufactured specifically for underground applications.

“Selecting the right tyres is vital as they can have an enormous impact on profitability, which is often overlooked,” said Richard Blacker, Bearcat’s sales and marketing manager.

“It is important to purchase a good quality tyre for each application – a low quality tyre just won’t have the same features or life expectancy so could end up being an expensive purchase overall.”

One product that is now available in Australia through Bearcat to further extend the life of tyres and prevent such tyre accidents as tyre and wheel explosions is Arnco tyre flatproofing material. This material offers protection from common tyre hazards through a simple and effective tyre treatment which involves filling tyres with a two part liquid polyurethane through the valve system. The polymer replaces the air in the tyre, sets into a soft rubber core and ensures that premature tyre failure and down time are minimised while a full tyre life, better traction, even tyre distribution and maintaining correct tyre pressures are some of the direct benefits provided.

“The Arnco tyre flatproofing is a breakthrough for heavy industries such as underground mining where the loads being hauled put tyres under enormous strain,” said Blacker. “There are different grades of flatproofing to suit tyres for shuttlecars, loaders, roofbolters, uni-haulers, drill rigs, personnel transporters, shield haulers, cranes and front-end-loaders to name a few. Almost any tyre can be filled – without jeopardising manufacturers’ warranties.”

One of the various grades of Arnco flatproofing is the Superflex fill which is the softest fill of the range. Blacker said over the past 11 years Bearcat had been experimenting with the product at a number of mines. Its soft ride characteristics had proven popular with operators who appreciated the comfort offered in rough underground conditions. However, as many underground vehicles were supplied with low-profile tyres for increased load carrying capacity, the medium grade RePneu Arnco flatproofing fill would provide the required pressure to minimise downtime during production. This grade of flatproofing offered exceptional heat resistance and medium tyre deflection for medium load activities.

For equipment carrying very heavy loads, tyres should be filled with a heavy-duty material for minimum tyre deflection, Blacker said. For this purpose, Arnco provided HeviDuty tyre flatproofing.

“As coal production has increased over the years in Australia, longwalls came into operation and, compared to previous mining methods, used a greater number of shuttlecars and underground personnel carriers,” said Blacker. “Previous to this time tyres for such vehicles had been imported from the US or Scandinavia as required. But with demand steadily increasing over the years, Australian mines now have a range of tyres of varying sizes and qualities to choose from within Australia.”

As well as tyres and flatproofing products, Bearcat is now manufacturing wheels in-house to offer customers a one-stop wheel and tyre service.

Originally a family-owned Australian company, Bearcat was purchased five years ago by Solideal. Blacker said Bearcat was Australia’s largest supplier of specialised industrial tyres to the mining, construction, agriculture and materials handling industries.