Tanjung Priok super port - WorldCargo News Online

CARGO HANDLING
Could ports get cross about tyres again
In recent years tyres used in heavy mobile
plant applications in ports have increasingly
moved away from bias ply (or
cross ply) to radial construction, even
though radials covers are more expensive.
Although several factors are involved
in the switch, from an operator’s perspective
the main one is that radial tyres have
lower rolling resistance and run cooler so
they save on fuel costs and are less prone
to overheating and hence last longer. This
translates into lower costs per running
hour, - the main criterion.
Despite sidewall reinforcements,
radials still lag behind bias tyres in puncture
resistance, but provided the terminal
surface is reasonably clean, this should not
be too much of a drawback. On the other
hand, notwithstanding various improvements
over the years, radial tyres still inherently
flexes more than the equivalent
bias tyre and this can cause stability problems
at high stacking heights.
To overcome this problem, equipment
operators often inflate the front (or forward
travel) tyres above the 10 bar norm.
This increases tyre “stiffness,” but it also
reduces the tyre contact area, which in
turn causes accelerated wear, thus negating
the reason for fitting radial covers in
the first place.
New departure
After several years of R & D in Germany
and extensive factory testing and operator
trials, Continental Tyres Group has
chosen TOC CSC Europe in Rotterdam
in June to launch a brand new range of
port tyres. TOC CSC attendees will be
invited to witness the new tyres in use
on heavy equipment with a Rotterdam
terminal operator.
No details of the tyres have been released
prior to launch, but it is known
that the key innovation is that these are
bias tyres, therefore with inherent excellent
stability characteristics, but a completely
new tread pattern delivers cooler
running and hence a tyre life that is
claimed to get closer to that of a radial
tyre. If you then factor in the lower price
for bias construction, the claimed result
is an even lower cost per running hour
than is possible with the best radial covers.
Braking distance is also said to be
shorter in a like-for-like comparison.
Continental has tested the new tyres
in different countries on various machines
and in widely varying climatic conditions,
and is confident that it is “onto a winner.”
As part of the launch, all the new
port tyres will be branded to Continental
and the Simex brand will no longer
be used for port tyres.
Enhancements
Continental has also announced a number
of product enhancements to various smaller
industrial tyres. For example, the tread
depth of the RT20 radial tyre for FLTs has
been increased to the point where 30%
greater service life can be achieved, the
company claims. Laden travel speeds of up
to 25 mph are possible, and a high-traction
tread pattern enables the FLTs to carry
heavy loads on unsurfaced ground as well
as paved ground.
The CSEasy resilient tyre is fitted with
an adapter between the tyre and the rim.
This allows the tyre to be fitted directly
onto any Lemmerz-contoured rim simply
by using a torque wrench. There is no
need for a mounting press, so the time
A major product launch at TOC CSC
Europe could change the thinking about
tyres on mobile container handling plant
taken to change a tyre is drastically reduced.
This means, for example, that FLT
retailers and hire companies can easily
change between standard and non-marking
tyres depending on the customer’s
requirements.
Continental was the first company to
develop a resilient tyre capable of being
mounted on a pneumatic tyre rim and
says that its range of superelastic tyres now
account for 40% of the world’s industrial
tyre market. To date over 8M superelastic
tyres have been produced.
Retreads
The company has also introduced
LifeCycle, a retreaded superelastic tyre.
The worn tread is removed from the cas-
Radial tyres, such as these Nokian BAS tyres,
dominate the straddle carrier market. Could
Continental change all that
Tackling the toughest tasks
WorldCargo
news
Katoen Natie in the Port of Antwerp is a recent
customer for Continental SC20 CSEasy
superelastic tyres. The tyres are fitted all-round
to its fleet of indoor- and outdoor-working
warehouse FLTs
VCHR delivers exceptionally long tire life and superior driving comfort leading to cost effectiveness and
operational safety. With their outstanding performance in the toughest conditions, VCHR tires can successfully
tackle diverse tasks throughout your site to keep your operations in reliably on target.
Tire size Load index/speed symbol TRA code
16.00R25 200A5 Industrial Service
VCHR
V-steel Container Handler Rib
For your nearest Bridgestone Authorized Dealer,
visit our web site
www.bridgestone.com
May 2013 79