Mining tyre chains main Las Zirh is a household agency, established in 1978 by Hüseyin Şedele and now led by his son, the present President and CEO, Fatih Sedele, who IM Editorial Director Paul Moore met on the International OTR Convention in Antwerp earlier this 12 months. Sedele has labored on the firm for over 25 years, a interval the place it has seen speedy evolution and enlargement.
Whereas initially serving the market in Türkiye, after its first chain export to Greece in 1997, export development at Las Zirh was speedy – it moved to a brand new location of 10,000 m2 in Hadimkoy, Istanbul, in 2003 and began to function at a second 11,000 m2 facility in Kirikkale in 2007, which is positioned east of Ankara.
Las Zirh President and CEO, Fatih Sedele
Las Zirh is a real finish to finish, absolutely built-in producer – from the uncooked particular metal wires and bars it sources primarily based on its technical specs, it carries out all of the steps in tyre chain manufacturing. The metal is primarily sourced in Europe together with Italy, Belgium and Spain.
Las Zirh has a big forging and welding retailers in addition to warmth therapy furnaces, metallurgical labs and portray and packaging services. The cast hyperlinks forming the safety chain are produced utilizing 25 Kj and 16 Kj hydraulic hammers to maximise the power and sturdiness. The rings themselves are welded with out utilizing wire rods, electrodes or further metallic in automated welding machines and all should move the bending, tensile and compression tensile exams. Environment-controlled furnaces have a capability of two t every, with each step of the warmth therapy course of automated so excellent hardness and power is assured.
Right now, Laz Zirh is among the three largest mining chain makers on the planet, together with Pewag and RUD, and produces all sizes as much as options for the most important tyres. It produces tyre safety chains in each measurement for each kind of tyre in 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 22 and 23 mm fashions in sq., hexagon and decagon patterns. These protecting chains are high-strength metal mesh techniques designed to protect heavy equipment tyres from exterior elements, creating an armour impact that protects tyres towards sharp rocks, scorching slag, metallic scraps, and abrasive surfaces.
They’re used on tyres proper as much as and together with the Firestone 70/70×57 radial tyre used on the most important wheel loader – the Komatsu WE2350 – in addition to for different massive loaders together with the Komatsu WE1850 and WE1350, plus the Caterpillar 992, 993 and 995. Mining corporations are its fundamental clients – and it right this moment exports to greater than 70 nations. It’s significantly robust in its residence mining market in Türkiye and different nations and areas with necessary mining sectors together with Chile, Peru, Australia, southern Africa and others. It has additionally developed a major market in North America the place it has a list warehouse in Florida. The Indian market can be a significant power for the corporate, particularly in quarrying and iron ore.
It has additionally developed a variety of protecting chain fashions for various terrain circumstances and machine sorts. Every mannequin affords distinct benefits by way of ring thickness, mesh construction, materials hardness, and lifespan. Its hottest fashions embody the X12 Common, X14 Royalrock, X16 Superstone, X18 Extremely, and X20 Common Plus sequence. Every mannequin is produced from high-carbon metal and heat-treated to reinforce put on resistance. Las Zirh makes use of solely licensed high-carbon steels in its manufacturing course of. Every chain hyperlink undergoes managed warmth therapy and weld factors are examined for break resistance. Merchandise are manufactured in line with ISO 9001, EN 663 and IQNet high quality requirements and move by means of a strict high quality management part earlier than supply.
With a serial quantity given to every chain, all information could be accessed, from the uncooked materials used within the manufacturing of the chain to the main points of the workmanship in the course of the manufacturing part. In its fashionable laboratory, exams equivalent to hardness scanning, microstructure evaluation and tensile compression are carried out with studies stored for every chain and introduced to its clients as a part of a zero defect coverage.
Sedele stated that choosing the correct protecting chain mannequin will depend on the working setting. For open-pit mining, thicker ring and wider mesh designs are most popular, whereas underground mining, tunnelling or recycling operations require extra versatile, tightly related constructions. Las Zirh engineers carry out a personalized evaluation for every consumer to decide essentially the most appropriate mannequin. Usually, excessive sturdiness metal chains are extensively utilized in heavy business. They last more on abrasive surfaces and supply most safety towards impacts. Alloy chains, that are lighter but robust, are most popular in environments requiring flexibility and longevity. Corrosion-resistant coatings provide long-term usability.
He additionally emphasised that common inspection of protecting chains is important for long-lasting efficiency. It’s essential to examine pressure, connection power, and tyre stress. Earlier than every shift, chain connections needs to be checked and worn hyperlinks changed. The chain pressure should be stored at an optimum degree to keep away from free use.
When it comes to the aftermarket and spares, the consumer wants to make sure compatibility of the half with the unique Las Zirh code and measurement, plus right choice primarily based on the chain mannequin. Half substitute needs to be well timed when there are any indicators of wear and tear, deformation, or cracks, and the corporate says that if greater than 5% of an entire chain has been changed with spare components, then the chain has reached the top of its financial life. It’s essential to examine pressure, connection power, and tyre stress.
When not in use, tire safety chains needs to be saved below correct circumstances. Chains left in humid environments can rust over time, decreasing their sturdiness. Storing them in a dry, well-ventilated area helps extend their lifespan. Moreover, making use of protecting oils to chains that won’t be used for a very long time offers further rust resistance.
We talked concerning the major function of chains in mining, the place the principle market is for giant wheel loaders: “Whereas tyre chains are primarily identified for wheel loader entrance tyres which have most contact with freshly blasted rock, we suggest to clients to have chains on all 4 tyres. That is to guard the tyre funding from injury and cuts, but in addition to maintain the tools balanced attributable to weight, and truly the rear chains act as an further counterweight throughout loading of rock, particularly excessive density materials.”
Sedele provides: “Different causes to make use of tyre chains on all 4 tyres is best traction, equivalent to in very moist and muddy circumstances, or in present, in addition to permitting for higher penetration of the rock pile. And in fact final however not least operational security to guard towards tyre bursts.”
The overwhelming majority of wheel loaders in mining, particularly the bigger ones, use tyre chains – due to all of these elements, and maximise availability and tools effectivity in 24/7 operations. One exception is coal, the place the softer overburden materials doesn’t carry the identical lower dangers.
As one of many three fundamental world gamers – what are Las Zirh’s differentiators? “Now we have our personal hyperlink geometries and designs which had been developed in line with the wants of various operations. For instance, for automobiles carrying scorching slag in smelters you have to prioritise warmth safety; whereas in some mining operations the problem is the ore abrasiveness which requires a particular alloy. Now we have all of the doable required choices and a wide range of manufacturing strategies to supply them. There are additionally variations within the design between mining wheel loaders and mining vehicles. Some excessive altitude mines – equivalent to in Chile, Argentina and Peru, generally use chains on truck tyres for additional traction attributable to slippery circumstances attributable to ice on haul roads.”
He added: “Now we have years of expertise of trial and error, so we all know what works for explicit clients – so we consider we provide the most effective design match for every software, whether or not its iron ore, granite or copper.”
How for much longer do tyres with chains final and the way does that relate to the applying? “We are saying at a minimal the chains will improve the tyre life by 3 times as much as a most of round ten occasions. For instance in a typical iron ore mine, the tyre life is round 3,000 hours – with a series that will increase to eight,000 or 9,000 hours. In a limestone quarry, a tyre with out chains may final 6,000 hours however with the chain it’d final 25,000 hours or extra.”
The chain virtually at all times lasts longer than the tyre, with untimely chain failures primarily attributable to elements equivalent to improper set up or upkeep, particularly in relation to tensioning. With vehicles, working at too excessive a velocity or being overloaded may injury chains. Failures attributable to defects or manufacturing errors are very uncommon because of the testing Las Zirh carries out earlier than cargo.
Las Zirh primarily works with native distributors – primarily tyre corporations and their sellers. A lot of them provide an entire resolution together with tyres, rims/wheels and chains. A lot of them additionally provide tyre administration companies and so they’re additionally becoming the chains, or the mining firm’s personal upkeep staff is doing it. It additionally affords its personal coaching program for chain fitment – and affords this freed from cost to clients for the primary chain becoming. The native associate then carries out further coaching after this level.
It additionally just lately joined forces with Spain’s BYG, a frontrunner in direct spare components manufacturing and distribution. BYG was based in 1967 as a family-owned firm. It manufactures and distributes direct substitute components for all main OEM manufacturers working within the mining, quarrying, and development sectors. Initially specialising in fastening components for infrastructure and development equipment, BYG has progressively expanded its product vary to incorporate put on components and varied different spare components.
