Data generated by the new Spotech technology from Balkrishna Industries Ltd. (BKT) is designed to increase equipment and tire efficiency in off-the-road (OTR) and port applications.
BKT says the information obtained by Spotech is used to analyze tire usage according to the effects and impacts on the piece of equipment it is fitted on. The Spotech device can be programmed and tailored as to the application site volumes and type of equipment in use. The objective is to improve both run and application performance and to increase output.
The system comprises a triaxial accelerometer positioned on the equipment in order to record latitudinal, longitudinal, and vertical movements as well as the forces involved in addition to speed, cycle duration and other useful parameters for increasing the customer’s job efficiency in the earthmoving and port sector.
In the field of OTR, for which this device was originally designed, equipment generally performs repeated cycles. BKT says this enables the Spotech device to assess the TKPH value, i.e. a dumper’s strength by analyzing the weight that is transported on the average and the distance in kilometers per hour. Basically, a higher TKPH index means that a tire is not suitable for the application in use, whereas it is perfect if the result is lower. The BKT experts can assist users by offering precious suggestions in order to correctly interpret the data and to intervene, if necessary, with corrective actions on the tires.
However, there are never repeated cycles in port applications. BKT says this means it has been a much more complex task finding a constant value to be measured. To determine a constant value to measure, a GoPro cam is installed on the equipment. The GoPro synchronizes videos from the operator’s prospective with the data recorded by the device. BKT has combined the video data with information, for instance, how many containers are on the move every hour, the average speed per hour, or the average distance travelled with or without load, to create almost a dozen of cases enabling to notice the critical issues of on logistic center compared to another and to compare them among each other.
“In this type of operation many things come to light on the field,” says Piero Torassa, BKT field engineering manager. “The user is definitely interested in having such data at hand in order to objectively understand, which might be their improvement areas. From our point of view, Spotech is hence a splendid visit card, introducing us as a company that does well understand both its products and their applications.”
BKT is an Indian based tire manufacturer offering a range of off-highway tires for vehicles in the agricultural, industrial, earthmoving, mining, ATV and gardening sector. BKT offers more than 2,400 products in over 160 countries worldwide. Visit the website www.bkt-tires.com for further information.
