Bridgestone and Komatsu are collaborating on field verification of a tire-management system for mining trucks.
The new program works through the real-time exchange and analysis of tire data from Bridgestone’s advanced tire monitoring system for mining vehicles, “Bridgestone iTrack,” and vehicle data from Komatsu’s equipment monitoring system, “Komtrax Plus.”
The testing aims to verify that the program can improve fuel efficiency and extend tire life of mining trucks. Both companies plan to start offering services that could not be achieved individually, based on the results of this set of field tests. The program is being tested on Komatsu haul trucks at a site operated by a mutual customer, according to Komatsu.
Bridgestone collects and analyzes data such as tire temperature, tire pressure, vehicle location information, and speed. This not only allows them to monitor the tire’s operating environment but also helps in offering mining customers solutions that contribute to the optimization of operations. Komatsu monitors the health and operational status of the mining trucks enabling early detection of anomalies, reducing repair costs, and improving productivity to support customers. The combined expertise is designed to provide mining customers with higher value-added services and innovative solutions, according to Komatsu.
In mining operations, one of the critical onsite problems for customers is operational downtime and unplanned stoppages, both of which can be triggered by unexpected external tire damages resulting failure to reach their expected tire life. By integrating data, Bridgestone and Komatsu strive to quickly identify the causes of failures and implement appropriate emergency measures and preventive strategies to extend tire life. Through the partnership, several key factors that significantly impact fuel efficiency will be analyzed, including:
- Unique features of the haul road (such as slope and surface conditions)
- Vehicle usage patterns (such as driving routes, speed, and load)
- Tire specifications (pattern and material).
