GKN WHEELS OUTLINES SWIFT WHEEL TECHNOLOGY

New at Bauma Shanghai 2014

GKN Wheels’ Swift Change Rim demonstrates an innovative solution to changing or rotating a tyre assembly, a challenging procedure with mining machinery which requires considerable care to ensure personnel safety.

Advertisement

The time required for the inspection, maintenance and replacement of wheels on heavy mining equipment in service, ranging in size from 120 to 280 ton haul trucks, creates a significant cost consideration for all mining operators. Offering an innovative solution, GKN Wheels’ Swift Change Rim is a modified seven piece rim with a double gutter design which minimises the time needed for tyre changes, leading to increased on-site productivity.

Extensive tests indicate that the Swift Change Rim not only offers significantly faster tyre removal than with standard rims, but safety for tyre maintenance personnel is optimised too. This is achieved without the need to remove the outer or inner wheel assembly arrangement. The product is available in rim sizes 51”, 57” and 63”.

Jules Carter, Global Engineering & Product Development Director at GKN Wheels said: “The new range of larger wheels complements and extends our existing product lines and will enable us to meet the needs of the marketplace in China and throughout Australasia.

“In extending our offering, GKN Wheels has taken a truly global approach, with R&D activity focused in the US, testing at the company’s dedicated Technical Centres in the US and Italy, and production in China. In addition, trial wheels have been running on Caterpillar and Komatsu mining trucks in the Asia Pacific region since 2009 and are performing strongly, attracting positive customer feedback.”

GKN’s expertise in design and development has been critical in the development of its new wheels range. Jules, added: “The largest open cast mining trucks in the world carry loads of up to 400 tonnes and the wheels for this machinery must fulfil the toughest performance criteria, demonstrating both strength and reliability. Of course, it is also important to reduce weight where possible to improve fuel efficiency. And by employing the latest engineering technologies and computer-simulated modelling techniques, we have been able to achieve all of these criteria.”

GKN’s expert engineers welcome customers and visitors to the stand, Hall N4: 100, to discuss the benefits of a total engineering capability, design, simulation and testing, all from a single manufacturer.

Further information of the new products is available on the Internet at www.gknlandsystems.com.