Balkrishna Industries Ltd.'s Chopanki, India, tire production facility was recently honored by one of its customers, Caterpillar Inc.
The company, also known as BKT, received the prestigious SQEP Silver Award for Supplier Quality Excellence Process Certification at an official ceremony in Seregno, Italy, on Sept. 15, 2017. Caterpillar bestows the award on suppliers that "are able to achieve the highest levels of quality and process control," says BKT.
The Indian tire manufacturer not only joined Catepillar's "Program for Excellence," but also obtained original equipment homologations for two of its tires: the Earthmax SR 47 and Earthmax SR 45. The tires will be fitted on different models of CAT equipment.
"The Caterpillar SQEP Silver Award is a very prestigious and aspired accolade," says Arvind Poddar, chairman and managing director of BKT. "The homologation as official CAT supplier is a further acknowledgement of our products’ high specialist level and evidence of both our development and growth as far as original equipment is concerned.
"Pushing forward this market is one of our main strategic objectives testifying both the quality and reliability BKT has achieved for the large global manufacturers.”
Officially inaugurated in 2006, the Chopanki site specializes in the production of all-steel radial tires for the industrial and OTR sectors. BKT also has tire plants in Aurangabad, Bhiwadi and Bhuj, India, plus a modern mold plant in Dombivali, India.
The Earthmax SR 47, size 24.00R35, will be fitted on the CAT 773E dump truck, which has a capacity of 60 tons. The tire has been developed specifically for rigid dumpers for use on severe surfaces. It features a long life-cycle thanks to the deep E4-class tread and the special lug pattern designed for the purpose of providing excellent traction in addition to regular tread wear. This pattern is also available with a special “cut resistant” compound. The ensuring enhanced resistance against cuts and punctures.
The Earthmax SR 45, size 18.00R33, will be fitted on the Cat 770G dump truck, which has a capacity of 40 tons. Also designed for rigid dumpers, the tire is made of a special compound that is particularly resistant against cuts, abrasion and impacts, risks that often occur under extreme operating conditions. This results in significantly reduced equipment standstill times along with increased productivity.
The tire also features a special lug design that provides "extraordinary traction," says BKT. The deep tread ensures a long tire life.
For more information on BKT and its agricultural, industrial, earthmoving, mining, ATV and gardening tires, visit www.bkt-tires.com.
