MHW Magazine News and stories from the Materials Handling Industry
As part of their onsite service contract with the Sydvaranger mine site in
northern Norway, OTR Tyres, one of the world’s leading earthmover tyre
specialists have supplied a new service truck to handle the project.
But it’s no ordinary truck! The truck is the latest Iveco 8 x 4 EuroTrakker with
the Euro 5 engine and AS Tronic gearbox and, as OTR’s Transport Manager
Mark Fieldston, said: "…is the most advanced truck OTR have developed."
Delivered to site at the end of April, the truck was operational in May and has
worked in the extreme conditions without fail since.
OTR have been developing their specialist earthmover tyre service trucks for
almost a decade now and have trucks operating globally – but this is the first
one to be working in the extreme cold conditions of northern Norway, close to
the Russian border, at the recently reopened Sydvaranger mine.
OTR’s Project Manager Eddie Fairs said: "The service truck was always going
to be a challenge but by working with the key component suppliers as a team,
we knew the project would succeed."
These key suppliers, in addition to Iveco, were HMF, Gardner Denver and
UHL, with the project co-ordinated by Ken Warner at MTE.
Many of the components for the vehicle were specially made or adapted to
cope with the temperature extremes and the parameters of the service
contract.
The truck itself has a working platform of 11.99m. The HMF ODB K2 52 ton
mtr crane is the largest OTR has ever purchased and the highest ‘spec’ –
being fully radio remote controlled with EVS safety system. Handling 57" tyres
will be the norm so a UHL 3705 tyre handler has been fitted which gives a
continuous 360° rotation in addition to the normal clamp, tilt and rotate
features. The Gardner Denver input to the truck cannot be underestimated –
the ADS 120 under floor screw compressor driven from the gearbox, provides
the onsite power distribution.
With winter temperatures falling to -30°C and below, the standard ‘Arctic
Pack’ had also to be enhanced to allow the truck to operate in arduous
conditions.
Eddie Fairs, concluding said: "The tyre service contract itself is a challenge;
the truck is just a part of that. But, as with other projects we have handled and currently manage, OTR’s global experience has proved vital."
OTR’s TotalTyreLogic earthmover tyre service is currently operational in
Australia, North, West and South Africa, Scandinavia and the UK.
