I have been puzzled for more years than I care to consider as to why tyres, and so the personnel that service our tyres, are treated so poorly. Before replying, have a wander around a car park at the supermarket, or at the truck stop, and look at the condition of the tyres. My team’s fathers have taught their children to look at tyres and so they have become ‘tyre aware’. The children report to me with what they observe of the tyres on vehicles adjacent to them when stopped at traffic lights or in traffic, and they are most concerned! They well understand that their primary safety starts with tyres that are in good condition and appropriately inflated. Thankfully, with TPMS, pressure maintenance has been semi-automated, if the driver takes any notice of the notification on the dash.

So, the personnel who ‘repair’ our tyres, the people at the local tyre shop, or the heavy vehicle service centre or maybe even on a mine site manoeuvring a 4-metre giant tyre onto a wheel or rim, with a combined mass of 5 tonnes to be fitted to a giant haul truck providing a GVM of 600 tonnes, have one thing in common – they are in the firing line if a catastrophic tyre failure occurs during service.

A quick search on the internet will bring a plethora of such events recorded. Why is it serious? A medium size 22.5-inch truck tyre has a burst potential of more than 12 tonnes – a larger tyre of course has a higher potential. There is a serious differentiation that needs to be explained here: a tyre burst is the instantaneous (or near to) release of contained inflation pressure. The resultant force is directly related to the inflation pressure. A tyre explosion is the result of combustion within the tyre’s air chamber. The resultant forces may be magnitudes higher than the initial inflation pressure.

A burst has an effect on the human body not unlike that of a military hand grenade; agreed there is no thermal outcome in a tyre burst and no chemical effects, but the air blast is somewhat equivalent. We expect our tyre service personnel to work on equipment of unknown history or unknown service life on pavements of greatly varying quality without question. Experience is what differentiates older tyre service personnel from a new starter. Sure there are training facilities as well as the school of hard knocks. I do say to trainees, “do not use your first chance with tyres, you may not get another.” Then I show some tyre burst videos and the understanding is set in place.

The quality of components for a pressure vessel – as a tyre assembly actually is – is most critical. The tyre itself must be carefully inspected and be sound and free of defects as far as an external examination can determine. The wheel or rim components, particularly lockrings, MUST be in sound condition and must be compatible with the wheel/rim base they are being mounted onto. If the tyre service personnel are not 100 percent certain of compatibility, then it’s a no fit event.

A tyre being inflated after mounting is worthy of a formal risk assessment. A “what if” process, questions of what if the tyre failed during inflation, what if the wheel/rim failed or in the case of a multi piece assembly disassembled, who is in the firing line in such a case? Yes, inflation cages are a mandate (or should be) in professional tyre shops. The simple hoop style cage will prevent large pieces being ejected from a catastrophic failure but still permits the air blast to escape, potentially damaging any human body within 2–3 metres.

The damage an air blast impacts onto a human body may not be visible from the outside. Such an air blast may impart serious injury to soft internal organs such as lungs, kidneys, digestive systems and may even result in embolisms that can traverse the blood returns to the brain or heart where injury is a not if but how bad. 

If you are unfortunate enough to be involved in or attend a catastrophic tyre failure, then have the service personnel attended by an emergency physician with continued observation for 24 hours. The damage to the body may not be immediately apparent.

So why do we permit untrained (read lacking confirmed competence) personnel to work in such a high risk environment? It circles back to why people purchase budget priced tyres; they just don’t see any value in paying for quality. A quick story: a 4WD pulls into the local tyre shop, the driver exclaims he wants the best off-road tyres in the shop and then explains, “Oh, my wife will be with the family car next week, just a set of cheapies on hers will be fine.”  There is total confusion in the value proposition here. His toy has to have the best, but the family vehicle can have cut or rock bottom price items. HELLO??? The same phenomenon happens with tyre service work. A smart transport operator well understands that the cost of operating their tyres is a lot more than just the tyre’s purchase price. The tyre bay that supports the operation and keeps it rolling is a key component of the operation. So why not invest in trained and skilled personnel? I say to these owners, a good tyre service personnel knows all their tyres by their first names. Just as the transport operator can tell you about the habits of different vehicles, a competent tyre person can identify aspects of tyre performance most would not even think about; no, most don’t even think about their tyres, let alone care!

A well-mounted tyre, i.e. one that has been properly mounted onto the wheel or rim base so that it is concentric with the base, will balance up well, rotate smoothly without continually hammering the suspension on every revolution and as well provide fuel savings AND a safe ride for the driver and passengers. Add properly inflated and then maintained (of course, TPMS provides the easiest form of maintenance), and a tyre will perform at its best, which is what we demand when the vehicle is put into a corner, or required to brake heavily. Why would you not want the tyres to be able to perform at peak performance without fault?

Invest in your tyre service personnel, train them and educate them to not only understand the risks but observe the potentials too. Improved business with your clientele as well as enhanced safety for your work force will result. Remember, the TyreSafe 6M principle’s end result is to??? (If you don’t know, askus@tyresafe.com.au)

Competent and passionate tyre service people are worth their weight in gold. When you find one, you’ll understand what I mean.

Take care, stay safe, isolate as required and enjoy! (TT)

Apollo Tyres Ltd has secured a one-season shirt-sleeve sponsorship agreement with AS Monaco, one of French football's most successful clubs, to increase awareness for its premium Vredestein brand.

This partnership will leverage Ligue 1's ranking as the fifth most watched football league in the world to raise awareness of Vredestein's award-winning products among a large audience in France and abroad. On November 22, AS Monaco's home league game against Brest will have the new sleeve branding for the first time. The Vredestein brand will be heavily promoted at Stade Louis-II for the 2024–2025 season, including on player sleeves and LED screens around the field. Exclusive social media initiatives will further help make the brand prominent, reaching a large and interested audience.

Yves Pouliquen, Vice President – Commercial, Europe, Apollo Tyres, said, “This partnership is an exciting opportunity to strengthen Vredestein’s presence in one of our key markets. AS Monaco’s rich history and commitment to excellence mirror our focus on performance and innovation. We look forward to building a successful relationship with the club and celebrating its achievements this season.”

Thibaut Chatelard, Marketing and Revenue Director, AS Monaco, said: “We are delighted to welcome Apollo Tyres and its Vredestein brand to the family of AS Monaco partners. This collaboration makes sense in view of the values we share, such as the constant pursuit of performance and excellence. There’s no doubt that this new support will be precious for the rest of our season, which promises to be thrilling.”

Nexen Tire, a leading global tyre manufacturer, has launched the Nexen N´Blue S tyre, adding to its range of summer tyres and providing drivers with advanced safety, energy efficiency and superior driving stability in wet and dry conditions.

Developed using highly dispersed silica and equipped with an optimised structural design, the Nexen N´Blue S tyre provides reduced road noise and improved driving stability. The tyre features an innovative tread compound, formulated with hydrophilic fillers and microstructure-controlled polymers, and provides lower rolling resistance and exceptional dry and wet grip. The tyre also excelled in test results by demonstrating an 11 percent improvement in wet braking distance compared to its predecessor.

Apart from providing excellent performance, the Nexen  N´Blue S also scores high on the sustainability index. The tyre provides an eco-friendly solution for environmentally conscious drivers by minimising fuel consumption and CO2 emissions. The Nexen N´Blue S summer tyre is available in 58 sizes, which makes it compatible with different types of vehicles.

Kumho Tire Vietnam Co., Ltd. is all set to expand its investment project in Binh Duong province of Vietnam, with the phase 3 of expansion commencing in early 2025. This was discussed at a recent meeting between Vo Van Minh, Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee and Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee (PPC), and Kim Hyun Ho, General Director of Kumho Tire Vietnam Co., Ltd.

The meeting was held on 13 November at the Administrative Centre of Binh Duong province, as per an official statement. Apart from the company’s investment till date and the planned investment for phase 3, the two also discussed about the challenges and obstacles regarding procedures and processes to have more land funds to expand the manufacturing plant, along with taking measures to tackle the obstacles. Kim Hyun Ho also conveyed to the PPC Chairman that Kumho Tire Vietnam Co., Ltd. belongs to South Korea's Kumho Tire Group and is currently ranked 10th in the car tyre manufacturing industry.

The company had invested in a tyre manufacturing plant in My Phuoc 3 Industrial Park in 2007 with a total initial investment of USD 308 million, which was supplemented by another USD 300 million in 2021. This extended the factory scale to six hectares and increased the production capacity to 12.5 million tyres annually. With the expansion in early 2025, the company will raise its total investment to USD 908 million and increase the factory's production capacity to 17 million tyres annually. The expanded capacity is expected to be operational by early 2026.

Yokohama-ATG, a leading manufacturer of all-terrain and off-the-road tyres, has expanded its Galaxy MFS 101 SDS range of forklift tyres with the launch of white, non-marking tyres.

The Galaxy MFS 101 SDS range consists of puncture-proof SDS tyres with extended wear limits designed for high-intensity working shifts and long durability. These are premium, solid rubber tyres developed for tough demands, a long service life and high driving comfort. The addition of white, non-marking tyres is specifically aimed at clean working environments.

Marked by a 3-stage construction process, the forklift tyres feature reduced heat build-up, effective shock absorption and minimised vibrations. The pattern design guarantees a smooth ride and good steerability thanks to its continuous centre lug and circumferential grooves. Furthermore, the flat walls and wide flat profile offer excellent stability when using a forklift for vertical stacking. The tyres are also equipped with anti-slip steel beads for improved rim fitment

In a case study on a CAT 2.5-tonne forklift that was used for handling heavy pallets on asphalt, the Galaxy MFS 101 SDS outshone the competitors with impressive performance. The tyre delivered an approximate 900 working hours before replacement against competitors’ 500 working hours.