Singleton Birch have had tyre monitor system (TMS) installed on their brand new Volvo L350 wheeled loader, now operational at their Lincolnshire chalk quarry, in order to improve tyre management and reduce costs of operation.
Singleton Birch took delivery of the large Volvo L350 in February direct from the new Volvo construction equipment facility in Immingham. Prior to its delivery to the Melton Ross quarry, Earthmover Tyres (Wakefield), who have been working with Singleton Birch on tyre supply and service for the past 12 years, installed TMS to the loader whilst it was at the Volvo depot.
The Goodyear 875/65 R33 tyres on the wheeled loader were fitted with the small battery powered pressure sensors, the receiver and the operator interface were fitted inside the cab. The system provides the driver with real time information on the status of the pressures in each tyre and an alarm alerts the driver of any issues such as low pressure or high temperature.
Mark Sacker, quarry manager at Singleton Birch is focused on increasing productivity and reducing costs, running the new Volvo machines complete with the tyre pressure monitoring system will help ensure that the tyre pressures are kept at optimal levels.
Mark said, “There have always been issues with tyres on 4 wheel loaders, they are extremely hard working and it is critical to run them at the correct pressure to maximise tyre performance. In fact, we run the tyres at slighter higher pressure than normal, something we have found to be advantageous. The service we have received from Earthmover Tyres (Wakefield) over the years has been very good and now, with the addition of TMS, we have the complete tyre management programme.”
Singleton Birch produces high calcium lime and the only natural hydraulic lime in Britain at their Melton Ross Quarries in North Lincolnshire. They have been quarrying Lincolnshire chalk for nearly 200 years, producing up to 400,000t of lime and over one million tonnes of chalk annually, the products are supplied to many industries such as steel, building, chemical and environmental.
“We are delighted that the kit is continuing to help Singleton Birch to optimise the performance of the tyres and the loader.” reported Darran Stone of Earthmover Tyres.
He continued, “We have been the UK distributor of the TMS since May 2009 and, following the success of the Hillhead show last month, the UK is recognising the benefits of the system and we are installing an increasing number of kits. It is not just information for the drivers but also the logged data held in the system that can be used to identify any potential issues such as a machine with periods of operation with low pressure which can lead to early failure of the tyre. TMS can assist in preventative management which, in turn, can save tens of thousands of pounds.”