Parallels between the world of mobile cranes and the automotive sphere can appear in unexpected places. On a recent trip to my local tyre supplier, for example, I saw a customer just leaving in a new, top-of-the-range Aston Martin. Inside the garage I heard that the customer had just had the Aston shod in the cheapest, part-worns the garage stocked. “Why would you buy a beauty like that then run it on cheap rubber?” asked the tyre fitter in amazement.
The same applies to cranes, too. Tyres are the interface between the crane and the world around it. Specialist lifting machines require specialist tyres; fortunately there is a selection of experts, and choice, out there…
STRUCTURAL STRENGTH
One of the most recent new tyres on the market specifically for lifting applications is the Crane Primacy series from Chinese tyre manufacturer Linglong.
The new Crane Primacy tyres are specifically designed for heavy mobile cranes. With their multiaxle design and large weight these cranes still need to be able to travel at speed when in transport mode and navigate tight corners. This puts a lot of stress on the side walls, says Linglong.
Linglong’s solution is to give the Crane Primacy reinforced ribs which connect with circumferential blocks for greater structural strength. In addition the tyre is specifically designed to protect against irregular wear patterns which could be a particular hazard in the safety-conscious world of lifting.
The tyre also has a nondirectional tread design which, Linglong says, contributes to increased fuel efficiency whilst providing a smooth and comfortable ride for the driver.
“We have invested a lot of engineering time and effort in improving the performance of our Crane Primacy tyres,” says Jean- Paul Spijker, director sales and marketing Specialty Tire Europe at Linglong. “In these new tyres we have incorporated a lot of the feedback from the market, both from operators and drivers.
“Thanks to the new design, strong carcass, and improved compounds we can now offer some of the best performing mobile crane tyres at very competitive rates, for the OEM and replacement markets.”
EXPANSION INTO EUROPE
Linglong has production sites in China, Thailand, and Serbia. Its cutting-edge Serbian production site, which makes radial tyres, officially started mass production in September this year, although Linglong International Europe launched in 2019.
Linglong says it is the first Chinese tyre factory in Europe and its ‘mass production’ milestone marks a strategic move in its transition to being a Europeanbased all-rounder offering R&D and manufacturing services combined with enhanced sales and service offerings.
A month before achieving ‘mass production’ status Linglong announced phase two of its European expansion plans. These include plans to increase annual production of high-performance radial tires of various types by 1.1 million, including 800,000 sets of commercial vehicle tires, 50,000 sets of engineering radial tires, 150,000 sets of agricultural radial tires, 100,000 sets of retreaded tires, and liquid reclaimed rubber, photovoltaic power generation and other projects.
Magna Tyres is an off-ther-oad and industrial tyre specialist headquartered in Waalwijk, The Netherlands. The company is also actively strengthening the availability of its tyres internationally. Specifically, in October, it announced an exclusive partnership with Norgesdekk, one of Norway’s most prominent tyre distributors.
This strategic collaboration will see Norgesdekk become the exclusive distributor of Magna Tyres products throughout Norway, strengthening the availability of Magna Tyres in the Norwegian market.
SERVING SCANDINAVIA
With this partnership Magna Tyres says it is continuing its ambitious global expansion strategy, reinforcing its presence in the Scandinavian region by leveraging Norgesdekk’s extensive distribution network and local market expertise.
Norgesdekk is well-established as a trusted distributor of highquality tyres for a wide range of industries, says Magna, including construction, mining, port handling, and agriculture. This partnership will ensure that Norwegian customers have direct access to Magna’s full range of OTR and industrial tyres.
Hein de Wind, commercial director of Magna Tyres, expressed his excitement about the new partnership: “We are very pleased with our new partnership with Norgesdekk. Through this cooperation we are able to serve more customers in the OTR segment specifically in the Scandinavian region.
“In our search for new partners we always look for those companies that have the same corporate values as we have, such as flexibility, but foremost a true ‘customer-first’ mentality. With Norgesdekk we have found such a partner that embraces these values.”
There are two key lines in Magna’s crane tyre range: the MA03 (available in385/95R24, 385/95R25, 445/95R25, 525/80R25, and 505/95R25 sizes) and the MA03+ (available in 385/95R25 and 445/95R25 sizes).
Load capacity and stability are important requirements for the tyres underneath mobile cranes, says Magna and, as such, it uses a specially engineered compound and tread pattern to provide maximum stability and even load distribution when the crane is being used for lifting.
The company claims its tyres also provide great traction, low fuel consumption, improved speed durability, and great comfort.
MITAS TOUCH
Another European manufacturer with two key mobile crane-specific lines in its radial tyre range is Mitas.
The history of Mitas brand reaches back to the 1930s when it first produced tyres in the Czech Republic. Today Mitas tyres are produced in the Czech Republic, Slovenia, Serbia, Sri Lanka and in the USA.
Mitas tyres are distributed worldwide via the sales network of Rome, Italy-headquartered tyre and wheel manufacturer Yokohama TWS (which is part of The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd.).
For cranes Mitas offers three sizes of its CR-01 tread pattern, supplemented by a single size with the modified CR-02 tread pattern.
The CR-01 has a deeper tread pattern than the CR-02 and an open tread block designed to provide the best possible traction.
A special connection between the tread block, called Mitas-Link, is designed to offer extended tyre life.
Compared to its predecessor, the CR-02 tyre offers a symmetrical tread pattern with differently arranged shoulder sections, plus reduced rolling resistance and heat generation during operation. Its construction reduces noise levels at all speeds and improves both user comfort and fuel economy, says Mitas.
The CR-02 tyre is manufactured in the 445/95R25 174F size, which has a static load capacity of 16,750 kg. Even at its top speed of 85 km/h, the load capacity remains 6,500 kg.
“We developed the Mitas CR-02 tread pattern in cooperation with the construction machinery manufacturer Liebherr, and we succeeded in achieving even lower fuel consumption than with our CR-01 tyres,” says Jaroslav Musil, Mitas product manager for material handling and construction tyres. “We are currently supplying the ‘02’ as an aftermarket tyre but we are also in talks with precisely this manufacturer regarding original-equipment supplies.”
Two CR-01 version sizes are, however, already being supplied to this firm as original equipment for their mobile cranes.
Both Mitas crane tyre tread patterns are designed for speeds up to 85 km/h, and their all-steel construction gives them low rolling resistance, which is positively reflected in fuel consumption. The open tread lugs is designed to give good traction and selfcleaning ability. The tyre carcass is suitable for retreading and the Mitas CR-01 tread pattern enables service life extension through regrooving. The tyres meet winter operation requirements. They are also homologated according to the EU standards 92/93, 2001/43 and 2005/11 concerning noise reduction. They are manufactured for 25-inch-diameter rims with tread widths from 385 to 525 mm.
STRATEGIC INVESTMENT
In August Tokyo-headquartered tyre manufacturer Bridgestone Corporation (Bridgestone) announced that it will invest ¥25 billion to upgrade equipment for facilities at its Kitakyushu Plant, Japan, which produces tires for mining and construction vehicles. This upgrade will be completed by the end of 2027.
This strategic investment is a part of Bridgestone’s 2024- 2026 business plan to focus on delivering value over volume as it strengthens its off-the-road (OTR) tyre business, which drives the company’s premium tyre business.
As the investment focuses on upgrading existing equipment the production volume will remain at current level.
PUSHING BOUNDARIES
The critical role of tyres in the performance, safety, and efficiency of mobile cranes cannot be overstated and it seems tyre manufacturers are effectively meeting the demands of end users, pushing the boundaries of tyre technology.
And as manufacturers expand globally, invest in advanced production techniques, and refine their offerings, crane OEMs and crane users have better access than ever before to a wide array of high-performance tyre options tailored to meet their specific needs.
This commitment to innovation and quality ensures that mobile cranes can be used to tackle demanding lifting projects with confidence, even in the harshest conditions. Using the right tyres is not just about cost – it’s a strategic decision that underpins the success of every lift.
KAVANAGH CRANE SPECIFIES ALL OF ITS FLEET WITH MICHELIN TYRES
UK crane fi rm Kavanagh Crane Hire says it specs all of its cranes, including three brandnew Liebherrs, to be shod with Michelin X Crane + tyres.
Kavanagh Crane Hire operates the largest crane fleet in Ireland and says that it has been buying Michelins since it was established in 1973.
Today, the company says, it specifi es all new vehicles exclusively on the manufacturer’s premium rubber.
The trio of new Liebherr cranes – a compact LTC 1050-3.1, a 230-tonne LTM 1230-5.1 and 300-tonne LTM 1300-6.2 – will be used for a variety of work at construction sites and engineering projects across the whole of Ireland and into Scotland.
Paul Kavanagh, director at Kavanagh Crane Hire, says: “In our experience the Michelin tyres can’t be beaten for wear and longevity. The initial cost may be a little bit more but you get what you pay for and the total cost of ownership exceeds all other manufacturers.
“We have been fitting Michelins since my father started the business back in the 1970s and today we don’t use anything else. We had seven new cranes join the fleet last year all fitted on the X Crane product and, in total, we will add another seven this year specifi ed on Michelins as well. Typically, we’ll be looking at getting around 50-60,000km out of each set.”
The Michelin X Crane + is packed full of technologies that help to lower operating costs, while improving comfort and reliability, claims Michelin. The latest generation offers an increase of up to 20 per cent wear life in comparison with its predecessor thanks to a more resistant rubber compound in the tread.
Reliability is improved due to better resistance of the cables and a longer-lasting bead area. The tyres can also be regrooved when worn, reducing waste, and making them more environmentally friendly.
“These cranes are operating at extremely heavy weights, so we need a tyre that can stand up to that and that we know we can rely on,” adds Kavanagh. “The Michelins handle the load very well, they wear better than any other tyre we’ve had and they perform better too.”
Kavanagh Crane Hire is the largest crane supplier in Ireland operating from four strategically located depots throughout the country – in Carlow, Dublin, Wexford and Waterford. It has a fleet of more than 60 mobile cranes, ranging from a two-axle city crane to a 700-tonne all terrain machine.
TMS LAUNCHES NEW TYRE PRESSURE MONITORING SYSTEM FOR OTR VEHICLES
UK designer and manufacturer of tyre pressure monitoring system (TPMS) solutions TMS has launched a new product specifi cally aimed at industrial and offtheroad (OTR) vehicles, including mobile cranes.
Technical advancements have been added to all areas of its TPMS system, including the hub, display, app and sensors. The system will work on any vehicle of any size, right up to 24 wheels.
To provide the most resilient signal reception possible the new TPMS hub has four separate antennas, connected to four independent receiver channels. This ensures the tyre pressure data will always be received even in the most extreme environments.
Streamlined wiring in the TPMS is designed to simplify installation, while the improved display has a larger screen whilst being more compact, so taking up less cab space and providing the driver with clear and quick tyre pressure checks on the new touchscreen. The driver is immediately warned of any tyre running outside of defi ned parameters. All the tyre data is stored in the central hub for later analysis and is made available via the API for connection to third party software platforms.
Launched alongside the TPMS is a web app which allows users to access all system settings and tyre data from their Smartphone, tablet or Windows PC.
The app is used to both confi gure the TPMS system and to store and analyse tyre pressure and temperature data – from a single vehicle to a whole fl eet. The app includes sophisticated summarising and visualising techniques to enable users to quickly highlight issues with tire pressure and/or temperature. Custom reports can easily be created to summarise tyre issues.
The app can operate without internet connectivity for uninterrupted monitoring, even in remote locations. Security is handled by wellprotected browsers, says TMS.
