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NEWS EXTRA
Kal Tire and Pitcrew AI
to Bring Mines Autonomous Tyre Inspections
KRAIBURG Austria Awarded EMAS Certificate
Kal Tire’s Mining Tire Group, and computer vision specialist Pitcrew AI, have formed an agreement that will bring mines autonomous detection of hot tyres, tyre separations and other tyre and mechanical damage at anytime, anywhere and without the vehicle needing to stop. With any inspection anomalies being automatically transmitted
and other mechanical problems. These findings are reported into TOMS. The system then automates inspection work orders as part of a self- reinforcing feedback loop and then schedules tyre change work as necessary based on damage severity.
With the system demonstrating proven success operating in hot
weather regions in Western Australia, K al Tire has worked with Pitcrew to develop a cold weather version capable of withstanding temperatures of - 45C. A test ‘winter model’ is now operational in northern Canada.
“There is also great potential for this real-time inspection technology in
underground mines where doing regular equipment inspections can be challenging as well as to support the growing move towards autonomous mining. We recognise that this is new technology and how important it is to get it right, especially in the autonomous space,” said Christian Erdélyi, TOMS system & implementation manager global, Kal Tire. “That’s why we’re investing resources so heavily in this solution. Our vision is to offer Pitcrew as an integrated solution along with TOMS as part of K al Tire’s service offering.”
With a range of customers showing definitive interest in the system, K al Tire and Pitcrew expect to extend the number of automated inspection stations operating across K al Tire serviced sites using TOMS in 2022.
KRAIBURG Austria was officially awarded an EMAS certificate at the end of September. Gerold Schachner, Ecology Manager at KRAIBURG, received the certificate at an environment management conference in Vienna from Chris-tian Holzer, Head of the Environment and Recycling Section, representing Austria’s Minister for Environmental Protection, Leonore Gewessler.
With the European environment management
system EMAS (Eco
Management and
Audit Scheme)
which has been in
existence for more
than 25 years,
com-panies are
qualified to save
resources
intelligently and
implement central en-vironmental
aspects legally and transparently.
“For us, the EMAS certification is a first milestone in the implementation of our new environment strategy,” Schachner commented. “The
overriding goal to improve our environmental performance is based here on the premise ‘eliminate – reduce – compensate.’ The focus here is on both the consump¬tion of energy, raw materials and resources and the avoidance or reduction of emissions and waste.”
“We take our staff on board with specific basic and further training possibilities which aim at consolidating sustainable
into TOMS, Kal Tire’s proprietary Tire Operations Management System, the integration between Pitcrew and TOMS enables action and decision-making that will further enhance fleet productivity and safety.
“Tyre pressure monitoring systems (TPMS) can give a strong picture of what’s happening inside the tyre, but so much that can indicate the potential for tyre failure happens outside the tyre. We knew if we wanted to give customers the ability to make better operational decisions— and be a part of the future of autonomous mining—we’d need to add external telematics to the mix,” commented Dan Allan, senior vice president, Kal Tire’s Mining Tire Group.
The automated inspection stations monitor front and rear tyres of mining trucks passing by. The AI software searches the thermal imaging video footage for anomalies such as hot spots, belt edge and tread separations
though and action in our company,” added Johann Kammerstetter, the man responsible for quality and environmental management at KRAIBURG Austria.
Technical Corner:
Five Tips on Envelope Care
By courtesy of MAE
Tip 1 - Selection
Follow the manufacturer's recommendations for envelope sizes to fit specific tyre sizes. Once the envelope is permanently stretched, it may be used on a larger tyre or discarded.
Tip 2 - Use
The use of envelopes should be rotated so that a hot envelope is allowed to cool down between curing cycles before using it again.
Tip 3 – Envelope Care
Do not roll the tyre with the envelope across the floor.
Tip 4 – Cooling and Storage
Store the envelopes where they can cool down. Do not store in metal containers that could retain heat. New or infrequently used envelopes
have to be stored in a cool and dark place away from light exposure. Do not fold envelopes for storage.
Tip 5 – Sharp Edges on Equipment
Inspect carefully equipment which come into contact with envelopes (spreader and monorail J-hooks). Eliminate any sharp edges from these areas.
56 Retreading Business