Quarry operator cuts costs and downtime

Imerys has reported a “significant reduction” in tyre replacement and vehicle downtime since installing a TyreWatch remote monitoring service at its quarry in Furzebrook, Dorset.

With a mixed fleet of off-road heavy plant and six bulk tippers, Imerys were looking for a solution to combat problems associated with tyre-pressure loss and, following a recommendation, turned to TyreWatch and its PlantSmart telematics system.

Quarry supervisor James Johnson said: “In former times, we might have no idea if a certain tyre was losing pressure or failing, so with no opportunity to resolve the problem, we would have to take vehicles out of service and make emergency tyre replacements. This not only interrupted workflow but also presented a potential safety hazard.”

The PlantSmart TPMS (tyre pressure monitoring system) uses telematics to monitor and supply real-time data regarding each tyre in the quarry fleet, keeping the Imerys team constantly informed of every pressure loss ‘event’.

“We use the TyreWatch direct TPMS on our quarry-based vehicles with high pressure tyres, while on the loading shovels, a pit tractor and our bulk tippers we use the IoT (Internet of things) remote system - which also provides temperature monitoring,” explained Johnson.

This, he says, is useful to detect any sudden temperature increases, which could indicate a binding brake, hub failure, damaged suspension, or incorrect wheel alignment.

In addition to the in-cab alarm system, automatic alerts are sent to designated email addresses, notifying of any events as they occur and automatically updating as the problem develops.

Johnson said: “This enables us to monitor every tyre-related issue as it happens and to stay well ahead of any problems before they occur.”

By never running an underinflated tyre, Imerys says it is saving on fuel and maintenance costs. Furthermore, by reducing particulate emissions from tyre tread abrasion, the company is also helping to minimise its environmental impact.

“We’ve saved many tyres using this system,” continued Johnson, “and the safety and environmental aspects are far-reaching.

“We have certainly embraced the benefits of TyreWatch predictive tyre management, and I’m pleased to say, so too have all of our quarry transport contractors.”

TyreWatch uses smart connected tyre technology to continuously monitor and actively analyse tyres, while vehicles and trailers are working on or ‘off-road’.