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B-Sol
u t io n
ISSUE 9 APRIL 2014
real QUESTIONS real ANSWERS
Bridgestone Middle East & Africa FZE P.O. Box 16813, Jebel Ali Free Zone, Dubai UAE www.bridgestone-mea.com www.bsolution-mea.com
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G582 NEW premium all position tyre
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The New G582 Superior irregular wear resistance Superior block tear resistance Superior wear life
Available Size SIZE
LI/SS
TT/TL
315/80R22.5
154/150 M (156/150 L)
Tubeless
325/95R24
162/160K
Tube Type
1200R24
160/156K
Tube Type
Application
All position
Product Features Customer requirement ﻃﻠﺐ اﻟﻌﻤﻴﻞ
Superior wear life
Block tear resistance
New design applied New wear resistance Cap compound applied to new product Optimized Cap compound gauge for superior cut chip resistance
Wear resistance cap compound Base compound
Tie bar applied between each center block to increase the stiffness of center rib part
Without Tie-bar With Tie-bar
Irregular wear resistance
Optimized shoulder groove design for less irregular wear Extended slant grooves in the center to secure traction power Irregular wear
Traction
Tyre Maintenance Tips To minimize irregular wear and get more service life, we recommend: Inflation pressure Check tyre pressure and adjust to recommended inflation pressure at least once a week when tyre is cold. To prevent air leakage, ensure tight valve cores and use of valve cap. Tyre rotation Rotate tyres to minimize irregular wear and get more service life. Important points of tyre rotation Rotate tyres so that tyres roll in the opposite direction. Rotate tyres between front or free rolling wheels and rear wheels. Recommended wear ratio for the best tyre rotation is 20%, 40% and 60%.
Bridgestone Middle East & Africa FZE www.bridgestone-mea.com Bridgestone-RealQ RealA-April 2014.indd 3
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BRIDGESTONE
APRIL 2014
Contents Senior Assignments Editor Ingrid Valles
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Editorial Assistant Aarti Saundalkar Senior Designer Rouf Majid
Regional Manager Rami Rahman Senior Account Manager Bireshwar Mitra
Opening of Bridgestone Park Bridgestone park opens at JAFZA, Dubai
Bridgestone's B-Solutions range of products and services introduced
Head of Production Sunil Kumar Images Wayne Fernandez, Gulfpics, Ajith Narendra
Bridgestone at Automechanika 2013
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Editor-in-Chief Obaid Humaid Al Tayer Group Editor and Managing Partner Ian Fairservice General Manager – Motivate Connect John Deykin
Launch of PROTREAD by Bandag New patterns launched of PROTREAD by Bandag
Tyre Management Can proper and continuous tracking actually save money?
14 Bridgestone Middle East & Africa FZE P.O. Box 16813, Jebel Ali Free Zone Dubai, UAE For correspondence with this publication please write to us through our postal address or by mail to realanswers@bridgestone.ae. An electronic version of this publication is available at www.bridgestone-mea.com and www.bsolution-mea.com
A MOTIVATE CONNECT PUBLICATION
34th floor, Media One Tower Dubai Media City, P. O. Box 2331, Dubai, U. A. E. +971 4 427 3000 motivatepublishing.com connect@motivate.ae
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Benefits of Nitrogen
Steer Axel tyre — Uneven wear
Should you stop putting air in your tyres?
How can I improve my odds of getting even wear through tyre selection?
18 20 22
Interview Case study of Arrow Pipes (B-solution Maintenance Package) Interview with Ravi Gogia , General Manager Operations
Environmental Education Saving the environment through retreads
Feedback
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BRIDGESTONE WELcOmE mESSAGE
APRIL 2014
Foreword B-SOLUTION IS THE FUTURE It is amazing to note how quickly the first quarter of the New Year is already behind us. The months ahead are full of promise for exciting times again with new commercial product launches, testing, introduction of new training modules and a host of activities planned for our business partners, distributors and staff members. In this edition, I would like to draw your attention to the past year and provide a glimpse of the key significant events and proud moments for all of us here at Bridgestone Middle East & Africa. The opening of the Bridgestone Park in JAFZA South was a grand event and a milestone achievement. I am confident that the new facility will redefine and lay down new service standards in the Tyre Industry. The massive park accommodates all facilities under one premises, i.e. FirstStop Retail Store, Bridgestone Truck Tyre Centre, Bandag Learning Centre as well as Bridgestone Academy, which caters to various training needs, making it a one-stop shop experience for all Bridgestone customers, distributors and employees. We enjoyed a strong presence at AutoMechanica, Dubai 2013 and introduced the B-Solution concept, which is a total service package for fleet operators in the region. We strongly believe that the B-Solution concept will prove to be a key tool in differentiating Bridgestone from other brands and further strengthen our market position in the commercial tyre segment. This publication is dedicated to and aimed at bringing about initial awareness regarding B-Solution and associated benefits to fleet owners in the region by sharing information and providing testimonials. We are committed to pursue solution-based business models through the newly opened Bridgestone Truck Tyre Centre facility in JAFZA and showcase successful case studies to our business partners. A fine example and testimony for this is M/s Arrow Pipes, fleet operating with JAFZA. (Refer to pg. 18 for interview of Ravi Gogia — General Manager Operations). The company’s decision to sign up for the B-Solution Programme and service package through Bridgestone Truck Centre facility has helped the company in significantly reducing their operational costs. While, we focused upon the B-Solution concept, we also emphasized upon the importance of tyre tracking practices for our fleet operators and the use of nitrogen in truck tyres, which also contributed to the operational savings. We have also made an attempt to educate and spread awareness regarding selection of steer axle tyres and potential sources of irregular wear as a part of the SMART Programme. Last but not least, I would like to touch upon Bandag Retread Products and launch of the new product range called ‘PROTREAD’ by Bandag. This product range was developed keeping in mind not only the value for money for our business partners but also with a clear focus on recycling and reducing the environmental impact through the use of retread tyres. With the announcement of UAE winning the prestigious Expo 2020 bid, the times ahead will be exciting yet challenging. To achieve newer heights of success, it is imperative that we work together untiringly to overcome the challenges and seek newer opportunities for business growth. I take this opportunity to wish great success and good luck to all our partners and employees alike and sign off with the assurance that all of us at BSMEA are with you each step of the way. If there is something you wish to tell us, the feedback form at the end of the magazine will help you convey your thoughts to us. We look forward to hearing from you in order to better cater to your needs from this magazine. Sincerely,
Matsuyama Kenji Director – Commercial Product Business Div. Bridgestone Middle East & Africa FZE
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BRIDGESTONE NEWS
Opening of Bridgestone Park
Bridgestone Park opens at JAFZA, Dubai New facility provides regional customers with reward−enhanced services while training staff to deliver the highest standards in customer care Bridgestone Middle East and Africa (BSMEA) officially opened its new 21,678 m2 facility − Bridgestone Park – in the South Zone of Jebel Ali Free Zone (JAFZA) in Dubai last January 21, 2013. Bridgestone Park was formally inaugurated by Ibrahim AlJanahi, Dy. CEO of JAFZA and Chief Commercial Officer UAE Region, Economic Zones World (EZW); also present at the opening ceremony were Kunitoshi Takeda, Vice President Asia Pacific, China, Russia, Middle East and Africa Tyre
Operations, Bridgestone Corporation; Shoichi Sakuma, President, Bridgestone Middle East and Africa; as well as senior officials from JAFZA and Bridgestone’s local business partners. Speaking at the inauguration Mr. Shoichi Sakuma said, “Our investment in this new facility gives Bridgestone the opportunity to provide its regional customers with new and enhanced services and to train its staff to deliver the highest possible standards of customer care.”
FirstStop FirstStop is Bridgestone’s pan-European network of passenger tyre and auto care service centres, which consists of over 2,000 stores in Europe. The FirstStop store at Bridgestone Park will be the retail brand’s model store for the Middle East and Africa market. FirstStop will not only offer its customers complete tyre services (e.g. alignment, balancing, repair, rotation), but also a unique auto care experience with exceptional service standards,
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convenient locations, and a full range of auto−care products for the convenience and trust of its customers. It will also aim to raise road safety levels by offering free safety checks on vehicles and keeping customer’s safety on the road as its number one priority. Bridgestone Truck Tyre Centre (BTTC)
The new BTTC is a unique facility that caters to the maintenance and service of professional trucks. Bridgestone understands the importance of tyre safety and cost−cutting for its customers. Through BTTC, Bridgestone intends to increase safety levels of commercial vehicles, and improve life span of truck tyres through professional tyre manufacturer’s expertise, various maintenance services, in addition to increased safety awareness. BTTC is equipped with the latest machinery and also has a dedicated area for the drivers to relax and enjoy some tea or coffee while their vehicle is being serviced. Bandag Learning Centre The Bandag Learning Centre houses state− of−the−art equipment to be used for training purposes. Through Bandag Learning Centre, business associates will learn and improve their knowledge on the
Bridgestone Academy @ Bridgestone Park The Bridgestone Middle East & Africa Education Centre is now open to cater to training needs of BSMEA staff, as well as Bridgestone distributors and business partners in the region. Together with the FirstStop Academy, BTTC Academy and Bandag Academy, these form the Bridgestone Academy to provide complete training needs and hands-on practice for all! The first training at BSMEA Education Centre was held on June 17, 2013. The training organized by BSMEA GEAN branch, held a Fleet Managers Course for fleet managers of Dubai distributor Nasser Bin Abdulattif Al Serkal. During the training, the fleet managers were trained on various topics to help them enhance their business through products, services and solutions offered by Bridgestone. New trainings will be available in the first half of 2014 for distributors and franchisees in the region! Get in touch with your nearest Bridgestone distributor for more information.
retreading process putting focus on the safety and reliability of Bandag retreads, and showcasing the economical and environmental value of retreaded tyres. Bridgestone is committed to ensuring a healthy environment and retreading is a sound ecological solution as it uses up to 75 per cent less energy and resources than making a new tyre. Safety and the eco-friendliness are among our core values at Bridgestone; and we hope through Bridgestone Park to aid in increasing safety levels, environmental awareness, and bring the best quality, to fulfill our commitment of 'Serving Society with Superior quality'.
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BRIDGESTONE NEWS
Bridgestone at Automechanika 2013
Automechanika Dubai Bridgestone's B–Solutions range of products and services introduced Bridgestone Middle East & Africa FZE e n j oy e d a s t ro n g p re s e n c e a t Automechanika 2013, the region’s largest and most comprehensive trade exhibition for the automotive aftermarket. Held at the Dubai World Trade Centre in Dubai, Bridgestone showcased a variety of product packages and professional solutions designed to enhance the management of fleet vehicles. The highlight of the event was the introduction of the entire range of B-Solution products and services to visitors. B–Solution reduces day–to–day problems and costs, while increasing efficiency and safety. Each package can be customized according to the specific issues and demands of the fleet and bundled together with solutions from other Bridgestone domains such as IT, equipment, price, network, information and product to make the fleet business more lean and efficient.
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What is B–Solution? B-Solution is Bridgestone’s proprietary fleet programme aimed at providing professional consultancy and customized solution packages to fleet owners, thereby; benefitting fleet owners in reducing operation cost and helping them to run business at Optimized efficiency. Fuel and tyres remain the key factors and major contributors to fleet’s overall operating and maintenance expenses. Partnership with Bridgestone & B-Solution programme goes beyond just supply of New Bridgestone tyres. With B-Solution, we recommend tailored made programme and offer right solution packages by understanding needs of each Individual fleet operators. Upon implementing the programme, we
constantly strive to bring the operation cost down by not only supplying premium Bridgestone products but offering professional solutions, IT tools for tracking tyres, regular approach through defined ty re c h e c k s e r v i ce s, m o n i to r i n g programmes and close interaction with fleet operators. These continuous activities benefit fleet operators in improving operational efficiency and enhance safety of Operation. • Product Solution: With Bridgestone and Bandag retreads, our comprehensive lineup of truck and bus tyres are tailored to suit every commercial use application. • IT Solution: We provide your fleet with IT solutions such as tyre management software that will track your tyres from cradle to grave, or IT solution that checks
the health of your tyres, and provide various useful reports. • Equipment Solution: We can provide your fleet with professional solutions for tyre service on site. • Price Solution: From cradle to grave we will provide you solutions to reduce your total tyre operating cost. • Network Solution: Providing you with comprehensive range of professional tyre services with our Bridgestone Truck Tyre Centre (BTTC) and Mobile Truck Tyre Service vans. • Information Solution: In order to continuously enhance your tyre operations and update you with information on the trucking industry we provide you with Real Answers magazine and various training programmes related to tyres.
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BRIDGESTONE BANDAG
Launch of PROTREAD by Bandag
New patterns launched of PROTREAD by Bandag PROTREAD by Bandag is a new brand exclusively available to Bandag dealers and a solution for price–sensitive customers, low-mileage vehicles and successive retread lives. The PROTREAD product range consists of a selected number of patterns covering all major applications As the leading retread franchise system, Bandag now provides the possibility to address the demand for short-term price benefits with PROTREAD by Bandag.
The PROTREAD product line– up consists of easy-tosell, versatile patterns with proven quality.
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PRO–DR1 (PRO–Drive Regional 1): The new PROTREAD PRO-DR1 is developed for the drive axle position in regional applications. The PRO-DR1 offers adequate wear performance and good driving characteristics in a wide variety of applications. Other features include M+S pattern, speed rating L (up to 120 Km/h) and low noise level. The PRO-DR1 has been
available in five sizes (230 -270) as of September 2013. PRO–TR1 (PRO–Trailer Regional 1) – size 305: The PRO-TR1 is available in size ranging from 270–305, allowing for production on more casing types and sizes. The PRO-TR1 has been available as of September 2013.
PRO–TR2L (PRO–Trailer Regional 2 Light): For trailer fleets where lowest price is the predominant criteria for their tyre purchases, Bridgestone have developed the PRO-TR2L. It is an extra light–weight and wo r r y-fre e t ra i l e r p rod u c t. Wear performance is fair in relation to its cost. The PRO-TR2L has been available as of November 2013.
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BRIDGESTONE TYRE maintenance
Tyre Management
Can proper and continuous tracking actually save money? Tracking helps proper tyre selection and controls maintenance, repair and retreading costs What are the benefits of tracking tyre performance? Tracking helps determine if the product is worth what one is paying for. It allows one to compare the performance of different tyre brands and patterns. A good tracking programme can also help one with proper tyre selection, control maintenance, repair and retreading cost. What can we find by tracking the tyre? One of the most important things we find by tracking the tyre is its cost per kilometre. People calculate this in many ways. Some track new tyres only, some include retreads, some others add tyre maintenance repair, retreading, casing value and even disposal fees. Whatever you adopt, the ultimate thing is to find the cost per kilometre of the tyre.
Calculating tyre cost per km TYRE COSTS: [Acquisition price + F.E.T. + mounting & balancing (initial)] +[repairs + maintenance costs + mounting & balancing (after repairs)] +[retreading + mounting (after retreading)] + [tyre disposal fees (or – casing trade–in value), etc] Km: [Original tread mileage + retread #1 mileage + retread #2 mileage + retread #3 mileage, etc.] You can make your calculations as complex as you like. As long as you're consistent, you can compare cost per km figures for one tyre to another.
Do we need to track each tyre? It would be the best way but it may not be practical, especially for a large fleet. After all, the cost of tracking is also an important factor to be considered. It’s difficult to say just exactly how many tyres you should track. As a rule of thumb, we suggest this: keep records on at least
30 vehicles or 10 per cent of the vehicles in your fleet, whichever is greater. So, if you have 500 units, we’d recommend tracking the tyres on 50 of them. If you have only 100 tractors, we’d recommend you track the tyres on at least 30.
Km/mm calculations Km/mm = Mileage to date/(original tread depth – remaining tread depth) Projected tyre mileage = Km/mm X (Original tread depth – removal tread depth)
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What information should we gather while tracking? One of the most important information one should gather is rate of wear, in ‘kilometre per millimetre’. This is the number of kilometres the tyre has covered divided by the millimetres the tyre has worn i.e. remaining tread depth of the tyre. Tyres tend to wear more slowly as they get older. So if you calculate kilometre per millimetre at regular intervals, you’ll find that it increases with wear. And, if you multiply kilometre per millimetre by the remaining tread depth of the tyre (remember to deduct your normal removal tread depth from original tread depth when you make this calculation), you can project the total number of kilometres you might get from the tyre, based on the average wear rate at the time of taking this reading. Bear in mind that projected mileage like kilometre per millimetre tends to increase as the tyre wears. At any given point in a tyre’s life, you can calculate, the kilometre per millimetre. ON VEHICLE TYRE INSPECTION
What other information should we gather while tracking? It’s a very good idea to record inflation pressures along with mileage and remaining tread depth. You may discover that one tyre, for example, is losing air, perhaps at a slower rate, which on further investigation might get rectified.
Door Number: SIZE
BRAND
While keeping track of tyres, you may find irregular or abnormal wear or damage, which can help improve tyre maintenance. How will this information help you in selecting the best tyre? If you have information such as tyre with highest mileage per millimetre and the inflation pressure data, you will be able to select the tyre that is working best for you. When should we track the tyre? The most convenient time will be during regular pressure maintenance. In fact, it’s better to check the tyres first. By doing so, it may be possible to correct a tyre condition while the vehicle is still in the service bay. The other good thing about carrying out tyre tracking during pressure maintenance is that your data collection will be consistent and regular. As we’ve said all along, consistency is the recipe for regular, even wear.
Customer Name:
Inspection Date: POS.
How does cost per kilometre help us understand tyre performance? Once you have accumulated cost per kilometre for various tyres in your fleet, it gives you a sort of ‘snapshot’, which can inform you if the tyre is wearing faster or slower than normal or if a new make or pattern is performing better or worse than those you have used in the past. You can also project removal mileage, which helps determine if the tyre is worth the price you are paying for. The best thing about this kind of record– keeping is that it helps you understand performance of the tyre throughout the life of the tyre and you don’t have to wait until it is completely worn out.
Pattern
life
retread
Chassis Type: Rtd1
Rtd2
Rtd3
Rtd4
Condition
Pressure
cap
ext.
remarks
1 2 3 . . . . . . . . . 21 22 23 24
TYRE CONDITION CODES
Run Flat
Sidewall Separation
HTW
Heal and Toe Wear
SW1
Shoulder Wear one side
ISW
Island Wear
SW2
Shoulder Wear both sides
IW
Irregular Wear
TCUT
Tread Cut
LOST
Tyre lost / misplaced
TEST
End of Test
TSEP
Tread Separation
NUT
Wheel Nut mising/damaged
VALV
Valve leaking or damaged
OK
No Damage Noticed
WO
Worn Out
WW
Wavy Wear
ZIP
Zipper
OTHER Others REP
Improper Repair
Head
23 24
FLAT
21 22
Spot Wear
SSEP
19 20
Feather Edge Wear
18
FEW
17
Shoulder Edge Wear
SPOT
16
SEW
15
End of casing life
14
END
MOUNTING POSITION CODES
13
Separation
12
SEP
11
Diagonal Wear
10
Sidewall Cut
DW
9
SCUT
8
Centre Wear
7
River Wear
CW
6
RW
5
Rib Punch Wear
Chipping
4
RPW
CHIP
3
REPEX Repair exceeds fleet specs
Bead Cut
2
Unknown
BCUT
1
?
Trailer
*Life : In case of retread write life number if known *Retread: Write Brand and Pattern Name of tyre retreader Note: Check Sheet designed for 4x2 /6x4 / 3 Axle Trailer / 2 Axle Trailer
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BRIDGESTONE tyre maintenance
Benefits of Nitrogen
Should you stop putting air in your tyres? The benefits of nitrogen filling over normal air As much as we recommend inflation pressure maintenance, it might seem like a ludicrous question. What’s behind it, though, is the issue of whether or not air is the best thing to use for inflating tyres. Lately, there has been great interest in using other gases like nitrogen. Unfortunately, there is also a certain amount of false information regarding nitrogen. Here we try to provide some real answers regarding its potential. Is nitrogen inflation new? It has been used on giant off–highway tyres, aircraft tyres and racing tyres for many years. Why did they switch from air to nitrogen? Air is about one–fifth oxygen, and especially at high temperatures and pressures, is a very reactive element. When oxygen reacts with things, the process is called oxidation. When oxidation is extremely rapid, the process is called 'burning'. That is one reason nitrogen is used in off-highway and aircraft tyres. These tyres run so hot they can actually catch fire. Nitrogen doesn't support combustion, so it helps prevent slower forms of oxidation too.
AIR: 78.1% Nitrogen 20.9% Oxygen 1% Other Gases What are the likely dangers of using air? Air corrodes aluminium and steel wheels, reacts with rubber and corrodes it. Rust and dust from the wheels clog the valve stems causing them to leak. Rough surfaces on wheel flangers and tyre beads may not seal properly, causing additional leaks. Air also ages the innerliner, the thin layer of rubber inside the tyre whose function is to keep air away, from the carcass. With ageing of the innerliner, air pressure is lost.
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Draining water from your air lines every day helps, but unless you have a really efficient air dryer, chances are there’s lots of water in your compressed air. Small bits of corrosion from wheels can prevent valves from sealing properly, leading to loss of air pressure
How does air influence rubber ageing? Air migrates through rubber causing it to deflate, therefore regular inflation pressure checks are a must. Air also causes the steel cords to rust. Both corrosion and ageing rubber reduce retreadability. How does nitrogen help? While both nitrogen and air can permeate rubber, nitrogen does it much more slowly. It might take six months to lose 2 psi with nitrogen, compared to just a month with air. And, nitrogen is far less reactive. It doesn’t cause rust and corrosion on steel or aluminium, and it doesn’t degrade rubber. Wheel surfaces stay smooth and clean, rubber remains supple and resilient. Inflation losses are minimised and retreadability is enhanced.
WATER + HEAT = VAPOUR Are there other benefits of nitrogen inflation? The air around us is full of water vapour called 'humidity'. Compressing air concentrates the water in it.
What’s the harm of water vapour in air? Water vapour in compressed air acts as a catalyst, accelerating rust and corrosion. Water vapour also absorbs and holds heat. And when it changes from liquid to vapour, water expands tremendously in volume. So tyres inflated with wet air tend to run hotter and fluctuate in pressure more. That’s why racing tyres, where fractions of a psi can radically change handling, are inflated with dry nitrogen. Where would we get nitrogen? Some people use high pressure cylinders or big containers of liquid nitrogen as their source, but several companies now offer machines that separate nitrogen from air. These machines can produce nitrogen that’s 95 per cent or more pure, taking it from the inexhaustible supply in the air around us.
Benefits of Nitrogen Inflation: •
Less inflation pressure loss
•
Less inflation pressure fluctuation with heat
•
Reduced wheel corrosion
•
Longer tread life
•
Improved retreadability
However, with nitrogen in your tyres, you do not need to inflate them as often. Removing all the air and reinflating tyres will bring the concentration of nitrogen to optimum levels. Is nitrogen inflation cost-effective? That’s going to depend on your situation. If your trailers go out and don’t come back for six months or more, being able to keep consistent inflation pressures may greatly lengthen tread life. Some tests have shown increases of up to 26 per cent. Less rubber ageing and tyre cord rust could also yield a higher proportion of retreadable casings that can survive more retread cycles. That cuts cost per mile too. There’s nothing you can do that is better for your tyres than maintaining the right inflation pressure all the time. Nitrogen could help you do that. We'll keep you posted on developments in this area.
Do we have to do something special to fill our tyres? Not really. If you take a truck tyre that’s just been mounted, and inflate it with 95 per cent nitrogen, you’ll end up with a concentration of about 93 per cent nitrogen in the tyre. That’s good enough to do the job. Why wouldn’t it be 95 per cent? Because the tyre was full of air before you filled in the nitrogen. What do we do when we are out on the road? Chances are, as it becomes popular, we will find nitrogen inflating equipment at gas stations.
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BRIDGESTONE tyre maintenance
Steer Axel tyre - Uneven wear
How can I improve my odds of getting even wear through tyre selection? Most of the fleets inform us that one of the biggest challenges they face is premature tyre removal due to irregular wear. Hence, in this issue, we look at the first step towards selecting the right tyre for the job thereby saving money by reducing irregular wear Which tyre design wears most evenly? One of the primary reasons for irregular wear is attributed to the selection of wrong BRIDGESTONE | IRREGULAR WEAR BRIDGESTONE | IRREGULAR WEAR design for the particular application. Hence, it is highly essential to select the right pattern for the right application as the first step towards avoiding irregular wear.
they all can act together in different combinations. That’s why no single tyre is best for every application.
How can I make a proper selection of tyre/pattern? One good way to select the tyre is by looking at the axle position and type of EGULARLY WORN TYRE REGULAR AND IRREGULAR WEAR COMPARISON HY DOES AN IRREGULARLY WORN TYRE REGULAR AND IRREGULAR WEAR COMPARISON RCHASE COST? What are the main causes of transport operation. In this article, we will CREASE THE PURCHASE COST? drstisofsignifi worn it cantly worn it all, ifcantly the tread is signifi Irregular wear? primarily focus on the selection of tyres for dillsafety and will need to be CUSTOMER DATACUSTOMER DATA IDEAL CASE IDEALIRREGULAR WEAR CASE WEAR CASE compromise road safety and will need to be CASE IRREGULAR d. Bridgestone recommends Bridgestone has developed a ‘Fishbone’ steer axle usage. Even though transporters moved and replaced. Bridgestone recommends 14mm 14mm A TREAD DEPTH OF NEW TYRE mm as the safe removal limit 14mm 14mm A TREAD DEPTH OF NEW TYRE tread depth of 3.2mm as the safe removal limit Chart (shown below), listing potential uses rib type tyres on steer axels, within However, in the case of a in the case rs.truck and bus tyres. However, 10.8mm Bof a USABLE B TREAD IN AN IDEAL SITUATION 10.8mm 10.8mm 10.8mm USABLE TREAD IN AN IDEAL SITUATION oval limit may vary depending tread tyre, the removal limit may vary depending sources of irregular wear broadly classified that category there are many patterns to onditions. 3.2 mm 6mm pon the operating conditions. C TREAD CDEPTH ATTREAD REMOVAL STAGE 3.2 mm 6mm DEPTH AT REMOVAL STAGE into six categories and each category has choose from. e Therefore, has to be ifremoved at an a tyre has to be removed at an 10.8 mm 8mm 10.8 mm D UTILISED TREAD (A C) D UTILISED TREAD (A C) earlier some portions have worn stage because some portions havesix worndifferent causes. And those are just the The type of8mm hauling or transport operation at3.2mm a faster than orrate below at aother faster rate than other 100% 74% 100% 74% E UTILISED TREAD INDEX [D / B] E UTILISED TREAD INDEX [D / B] common ones! There are many others, and would further help the selection process. eas, then will have lost some omer will the havecustomer lost some able tread.ofEvery of tread that is lost millimetre treadmillimetre that is lost For example, here are some cant in terms of cost. ssignifi of cost. typical operating conditions OW SO? OF IRREGULAR POTENTIALPOTENTIAL SOURCESSOURCES OF IRREGULAR WEAR WEAR prevailing in long haul depends theoperations nature of a fleet’s operations ure of a floneet’s nd maintenance but generally operation. ALIGNMENT EQUIPMENT t generally speaking, each speaking, eachROAD HAZARDS ROAD HAZARDS ALIGNMENT EQUIPMENT illimetre tread will last ill last forofthousands of for thousands of Rib Tear Thrust Angle-Drive Spread Axles • Very slow tread wear Rib Tear Thrust Angle-Drive Spread Axles ometres. Let’s look at anright). example (above right). at an example (above Tread Cut Thrust Angle-Trailer Misadjusted Air Bags Tread Cut Thrust Angle-Trailer Misadjusted Air Bags If a tyre that has I • RIMinimal scrubbing been removed duebeen to removed due to Stone Retentions Camber Worn Shocks R Camber Worn Shocks egular wear has an average of 6mm remaining Stone Retentions R Brake Lock Toe Worn Parts n average of 6mm remaining R • ERelatively high speeds Brake Lock Toe Worn Parts ead depth, then the customer has only utilised
e customer has only utilised mm of a possible 10.8mm; this means that 0.8mm; this means that 8mm of tyre life has been wasted. In other as been In has other ords, thewasted. customer lost 26 percent of the haslifespan, lost 26 and percent of the to save 26 re’s the potential he potential to save 26 ercent of the total tyre purchases. tyre purchases.
Brake Chip Ackerman Angle Equipment Damage Tandem Scrub
Brake Chip Equipment Damage
Ackerman Angle
Missing Sipes Inflation Pressure
Missing Sipes
Tread Splice
Tread Splice
Dual Matching Component Placement Component Placement Trade Contour Uniform Mount
Bent Parts
Inflation Pressure Dual Matching
Uniform Mount Balance
U L Road Crown A Road Surface R
Road Crown
Road Surface Operation
Operation Weather
O IT IS IMPORTANT TO ASSESS THE TYRE Tread Pattern Tyre Rotation Loads TFTER TO ASSESS THE TYRE Tread Pattern Loads IT HAS BEEN REMOVED? Uniformity Tyre Rotation 5 Wheel Position Terrain Ns,REMOVED? Uniformity 5 Wheel Position Terrain it is important to assess and analyse your tyres MANUFACTURING MAINTENANCE CONDITIONS assess and analyse the removal stage soyour thattyres the appropriate action MANUFACTURING MAINTENANCE CONDITIONS so that theto appropriate n be taken rectify the action cause of irregular wear. yaddition, the cause of irregular wear. of the vehicle preventive maintenance nd tyres is crucialofforthe limiting e maintenance vehicleirregular wear in the place. irregular wear in the WHAT CAUSES IRREGULAR WEAR? rstlimiting lot of factorsWEAR? contribute to irregular wear, WHAT CAUSES AIRREGULAR OW SHOULD A TYRE BE ASSESSED some of which are controllable A lot of factors contribute to irregular wear, and others which TYRE 16 | FTER arecontrollable not. Irregularand wear can be caused by vehicle RE BEREMOVAL? ASSESSED some of which are others which FOOTPRINT TYRE he most accurate method is to measure or defects, operating conditions, vehicle arethe not. Irregular layout wear can be caused by vehicle FOOTPRINT erage amount of wearthe on the tread. But for control improper maintenance, road ethod is to measure layout or defects,alignment operatingissues, conditions, vehicle urposes on irregularly tyres, we would suggest andmaintenance, manufacturing-related problems. ear on the tread. Butworn for control alignment issues,hazards improper road you measure average amount of wear on A comprehensive overview of16 the causes is Bridgestone-RealQ RealA-April 2014.indd yatworn tyres, wethe would suggest hazards and manufacturing-related problems. eaverage portionsamount that doof notwear haveonirregular A wear. contained in the chart above. comprehensive overview of the causes is Unloaded This is not an accurate method to determine ot have irregular wear. contained in the chart above. Loaded WHY DO THESE SOURCES RESULT IN ow much tread depth has been utilised or Unloaded urate method to determine IRREGULAR WEAR? nutilised. However, it is useful from a broader Trade Contour
Balance
Weather
th
th
E
Set Back AxlesG
Bent Parts Tandem Scrub Set Back Axles
W E A R
G U L Why A R
is tread wear slow for long distance haulers? W E Tyres are designed to roll in A R straight lines for long distance haulage. Long distance operators tend to drive in nearly straight
lines most of the time. Tyre wear under such circumstances is caused by abrasion and as there is very little scrubbing, slipping BRIDGESTONE | IRREGULAR WEAR | IRREGULAR and dragging in–lineBRIDGESTONE haul operations, the WEAR overall tyre wear tends to be slow. How do factors such as wheel position, application affect tyre choice? For steer axels, tyres with straight or nearly straight grooves should be the right choice as they tend to roll in a straight line, requiring little steering effort to keep running in the same condition. Due to very little steering– related scrub and less abrasion, overall tyre wear tends to be slow and lasts longer. Do zig-zag grooves provide better traction under all–weather condition? Not necessarily, zig–zag grooves provide ‘biting’ edges that can be helpful in dispersing water under wet conditions. However, it is harder to push water through zig–zag grooves than through straight groves, since one of the functions of a groove is to provide a channel for removing the water from the tyre footprint. So how can we achieve better traction with straight grooves? Early in tyre history, Mr John Sipe found a real answer to the above question. He
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made thin slits into the tread surface. Today, these slits bear his name 'Sipes'. Sometimes, these Sipes go all the way across a rib from groove to groove. Sometimes they are tiny s-shaped cuts in the middle of a rib. Or they may look like tiny notches or nicks along a rib edge. Sipes can improve wet traction on tyres with straight groove designs. Not only that, but Sipes can also improve a tyre’s wear characteristics. How does ‘Sipes’ help better traction? A tyres normal shape is round but as it rolls this round shape is temporarily flattened over and over again at its footprint, which causes tremendous stress on the tyre, causing heat generation,
quick and irregular wear. ‘Sipes’ breaks the large grooves into many small shapes, helping to relieve this stress, resulting in comparatively less heat generation and minimum irregular wear. Why do some tread patterns have zig–zag grooves? Zig–zag grooves optimize the requirement of number of Sipes in the tread design. These help in making the manufacturing process simpler. The zig–zag design tends to make a larger footprint on the road, which supports reducing abrasive forces under high scrub situation due to wider distribution of forces. This feature enhances the tread life in severe wear
situations, if additionally combined with tread compound. Can a scrub resistant compound be good for treads used for long–haul operation? Not necessarily. It might generate too much heat at prolonged highway speeds. This could accelerate tread wear and even reduce retreadability. So what’s the conclusion? For long–distance operators it is recommended to have a tyre with straight grooves (rib type) on steer axel. For short hauls, a tyre with a large tread area and tough compound may provide better service. Rib pattern like R152 is suitable for a steer axel on highway applications.
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BRIDGESTONE case study
Interview
Case study: Arrow Pipes (B-Solution Maintenance Package)
Interview with Ravi Gogia, General Manager Operations on reduction of tyre operation costs through the Bridgestone tyre maintenance programme Can you please brief us on the establishment of Arrow Pipes in the UAE and its business profile? Arrow Pipes & Fittings FZCO was established in 2002 under their parent company Rockwell Trading LLC, which started in 1992 Over the years it has transformed itself into a leading stockist and supplier of seamless, ERW, SAW pipes, fittings and flanges in the UAE and neighbouring Gulf countries. Headquartered in Dubai, Arrow has extensive reach across the GCC with offices in Oman (Arrow Overseas Ltd.) Abu Dhabi (Axiome Pipes and Fittings Trading LLC.) As an ISO 9001:2008 Certified company, the company follow total Quality Management System, adhering to stringent processes to ensure the supply of high– quality products at competitive prices At Arrow, we are constantly looking to improve and enhance the capabilities of our products as well as expand our existing portfolio in order to retain our leading position and offer our customers world– class services and timely delivery of products. How do you manage the supply of your products within the UAE? Do you have your own fleet or do you outsource the transportation? We maintain a close liaison with international freight and forwarding companies, in order to offer faster delivery for customer indent requirements. A fleet of over 20 vehicles delivers across the Gulf region and beyond, while 11 vehicles are stationed at Jebel Ali Free Zone Authority (JAFZA) office catering to all deliveries within the UAE.
What is your company purchase policy? Do you follow any criteria while purchasing tyres? Yes. Being ISO−9001:2008 compliant, we have specific procedures and policies towards purchasing spare parts and a centralised office located in JAFZA. As far as tyre purchase is concerned, in the beginning we used to follow the advice given by other fleet owners and always opted for premium brands in the market. No specific criteria were followed except the advice and reference from other users. How do you manage your vehicle maintenance? Do you have your own workshop facility to maintain vehicles? We do not have an in–house workshop catering to the needs of vehicle maintenance. We always outsource our service requirements to a third party, which include services like monthly maintenance, repair, oil change etc. What tyre maintenance practices do you follow? Do you have a dedicated person for tyre management? As mentioned above we outsource service requirements to a third party. Fitment of tyres and related work is carried out through local dealer shops and we do not have any dedicated person for tyre management. Drivers have been instructed to check and maintain the tyre pressure prior to delivery. How do you rate the services of the previous supplier before engaging with Bridgestone? We were not satisfied with the previous supplier for the following reasons:
• The dealer shop was located outside JAFZA, which is time consuming and not cost–effective. • The tyre shop was not equipped with proper tools and tyre fitment was done manually, which sometimes led to safety concerns. • They were unable to extend support on tracking the records and tyre performance • No technical support or advice on tyre maintenance was provided. How did you come to know about the Bridgestone truck tyre centre facility in JAFZA ? One of my drivers received a tyre inspection sheet for his vehicle done by Bridgestone 'Assist Team' at Gate no. 3, while he was waiting for the custom documents. Based on the inspection carried out, the driver requested for an immediate tyre change. I was quite impressed about the Tyre Check Service (TCS) activities and the recommendation given. That was when I decided to approach Bridgestone. Why did you opt for Bridgestone brand and decide to avail of the services at the Bridgestone truck centre facility? The Bridgestone team visited our office and briefed us about the truck centre facility/ assist mobile van and services. At the same time I was given a presentation on the benefits of Bridgestone products, maintenance packages and related services. Through the truck centre facility and the web tool box software for tracking tyre performance, I saw the benefits and value addition from engaging with the Bridgestone brand in comparison with the previous supplier. I decided to purchase
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Bridgestone tyres for future requirements and signed a three–month trial period of Maintenance Package in the month of April. Apart from benefits and value addition, I was able to focus upon core business activities. How do you rate Bridgestone services since you started dealing with them? I am very satisfied with the kind of services provided which includes two monthly visits for TCS activities, submission of monthly reports and technical consultancy given by Bridgestone. Based on these recommendations, we avail services like fitment, balancing, alignment, rotation etc.
What additional products/services apart from tyres are you looking for in at BTTC? Oil and battery change is a preference. Would you recommend Bridgestone products and their service centre to other customer? Yes. I would highly recommend other transporters within JAFZA to use Bridgestone products and avail of the services through the BTTC facility in Bridgestone Park.
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BRIDGESTONE Environment
Environmental Education
Saving the environment through retreads Retreading truck tyres saves not only the environment but money too It is estimated that that there are billions of scrap tyres stockpiled in the GCC, a situation that is mirrored in countries around the world. While waste tyres themselves are not classified as hazardous waste, they can cause much damage to the environment if disposed of incorrectly or irresponsibly. Discarded used tyres present a huge stress on our landfills and environment as bulky, insect breeding, and non-biodegradable material. Due to the chemical nature of rubber tyres, they do not simply break down over time, but become a permanent part of the landscape. Tyre piles are a frightening fire hazard, which once ignited can generate fires that burn for days. The burning of the tyres breaks the normally unbreakable chemical bond in the rubber, releasing the tyres' chemical components into the air and water. While scrapping an old tyre cannot be done away with completely, the only way to reduce scrap tyres is to extend the life of tyres and recycle them where possible. Bridgestone is committed to ensuring a healthy environment for current and future generations and one of the ways it does this is through extending the useful life of tyres.
By retreading and reusing worn out truck tyres we annually save millions of gallons of oil and other raw materials, providing a high-quality product for less. Today retreading is more common for truck tyres than passenger car tyres (Passenger tyres are not retreaded in GCC) due to their design and structure. The retread rate of truck and passenger tyres is approximately 80 per cent and 20 per cent respectively. Car tyres can be retread (not in GCC) only once whereas,
bus and truck tyres can be successfully retread up to four times. Bridgestone is the world’s largest provider of retread materials and equipment for truck and bus tyres. The company’s Bandag operation focuses solely on retreading truck and bus tyres and has achieved great success. For every 100 truck tyres that Bridgestone manufactures, they retread 160 truck tyres (Bridgestone retreads other brands of truck tyres too). Retreading saves the trucking industry more than $3 billion annually.
Focussing on retreading Retreading is a good option for extending the life of a tyre and reducing use of the materials that go into new ones.
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Environmentally friendly Retreading a tyre is one of the most environmentally friendly techniques the tyre industry has adopted today. The process helps in oil conservation. The manufacture of a new medium truck tyre requires approximately 22 gallons of oil, but it takes only seven gallons to retread. Every year in North America alone, the use of retreads saves hundreds of millions of gallons of oil. Millions of tyres that would end up in tyre piles or in landfill continue their useful lives for thousands of more miles.
Value for money Retreading is an effective way to lower tyre costs too. Most of the manufacturing cost of a new tyre is in the tyre body or casing. The tread (the portion of the tyre that meets the road) represents only a percentage of the new tyre cost. Once worn out, the old tread is simply stripped from the casing which is then clothed with a tread made from new material. Since a retread tyre costs less to produce than a new tyre, it sells for less as well. The price of a retreaded tyre is usually 30–50 per cent lower than the price of a new tyre. By using retreaded tyres, the commercial and military aircraft industries save more than $100 million a year.
Make a difference While most tyre corporations are doing their best to bring down the adverse environmental effects of manufacturing new tyres and disposing scrap tyres, there are simple steps we can take to help the cause. A typical vehicle owner can reduce their spent tyres by taking care of their existing tyres. Regularly checking air pressure, keeping tyres properly aligned, balanced and rotated help optimize fuel economy, reduce greenhouse gases and extend tyre life. Consumers can also purchase low rolling resistance tyres like Bridgestone Ecopia or Bandag retreads for improved fuel efficiency, cost savings and reduced greenhouse gas emissions.
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BRIDGESTONE Communication
Feedback
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Feedback Form Company Name:
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Bridgestone + Bandag DNA of Multiple Tyre Life
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