TYRES FOR BETTER & EFFICIENT MATERIAL HANDLING

Forklifts, High-reach Stackers, Platform/Pallet/Tow Trucks, Trolleys & Trailers, etc., are the ‘prime movers’ of modern material handling industry and applications. All these equipments use tyres.. but selecting the right tyre for the right material handling application is the least understood subject. 

Misapplication happens quite frequently and the entire burden of tyre failure is passed on to the tyre manufacturer. Tyres selection is not an easy job, and there’s nothing like a ‘perfect tyre’ with long tread life, great traction (anti-skid & braking properties) and lifelong durability and reliability.

The secret to successful tyre selection is selecting the appropriate tyre for the intended use. Forklifts, reach trucks, order pickers used in major industries and distribution centers run relentlessly ensuring smooth flow of products through the system. But the role of tyres in this process is grossly underestimated by Material Handling Managers. 

Material handling industry rolls on ‘Industrial Tyres.’ The small industrial tyre is the only source of cushioning and support for a forklift and its loads. So due care in this area is not only crucial but can a be risk-aversion policy too. Industrial Tyres fall in three broad categories: 

 • Press-on tyres consist of a steel band with rubber or polyurethane bonded to it: they are available in either black rubber or non-marking varieties (for clean environments). They are also the standards for other slow moving battery operated equipments like stackers, order-pickers, pallet & platform trucks, etc. But Press-on’s are not for rough surfaces or high speeds exceeding 10Kmph. Press-on’s are more common in Battery operated forklifts and MHEs: the reason, their low rolling-resistance which directly translates to savings on energy or lesser drain on the charge in battery. Press-on’s can be fitted only on equipments designed for that purpose. 

 • Solid Cushion tyres for material handling applications are also called ‘resilients,’ or ‘solid- shaped pneumatics.’ They are completely solid inside, with multi-layered rubber construction to give you the desired properties: abrasion-resistance, cushioning & load carrying capacity. Solid Cushion Tyres can be used both indoors and outdoors. However, they operate best on ‘Paved surfaces,’ such as asphalt or concrete. But they don’t endure well when used on gravel or rocks or bumpy pathways. Solid Cushion Tyres can be fitted on existing equivalent pneumatic tyre rims. 

 • Pneumatic tyres are designed like conventional automobile tyres, with air-inflated tube inside. They are the best option for faster rides: when forklifts travel long distances, say beyond 2 Kilometers on a single trip with load, Pneumatic tyres are the only option. Ordinary Solid Cushion tyres will get extremely hot in these situations and they get damaged beyond repair or reconstruction. With pneumatic tyres, you also the advantage of best ride quality, which you cannot expect in Solid Tyres, although there are special variants of solid tyres that impart good cushioning but cost more.

NORMS: All tyres are manufactured with three globally accepted norms: (i) Dimensions, (ii) Load Carrying Capacity and (iii) Speed rating. But where and how the tyres get used can make a lot of difference on the tyre life and its critical performance parameters. 

Solid Tyres are designed primarily for PAVED or PREPARED FLOORS that are smooth and it is also presumed that the vehicles sporting these tyres would not be driven at speeds more than 16 KMPH., and in press-on’s, not more than 10 KMPH. But often, these tyres are abused (over-speeded or over-loaded) or misused (driven on long stretches of poorly paved asphalt roads, despite their ‘OFF-ROAD TYRE’ category origins). 

PNEUMATIC OR SOLID: A tyre’s dimensions and speed & load ratings are more often chosen by the MH equipment manufacturers based on the payload for a MH equipment. But on specific considerations, we choose between Pneumatic and Solid Tyres or how to swap them and when. Most Diesel or Propane powered forklifts come factory-fitted with Pneumatic tyres, when cost considerations & abusive patterns are evident.

These get swapped with Solid Tyres, when more reliance is placed on ‘maintenance-free’ service, lesser down-times and longer life: but pre-requisites are good shop-floors and sacrifice of speed and in some cases, the operator comfort. COSTS: Solid Industrial Tyres generally cost 30% to 50% more than pneumatic tyres; however, they tend to last longer. More importantly, they eliminate downtime caused by flats and blowouts. Solid tyres can last upto 40% longer than pneumatic tyres. 

But a pneumatic tyre offers more comfortable ride, while a solid tyre is harder on the vehicle and the operator. Solid tyres also warrant special mounting devices, but solid tyres suppliers, these days, offer pressing as an add-on service.

So, tyres are all about compromise, and a material handling manager should consider which tyre attributes are most important for each application (see illustration above). 

It would be in one’s own interest to provide his supplier with as much information as possible about the nature of his specific usage and what he expects out the new set of tyres. Most tyre manufacturers for this reason, offer different grades of tyres: ‘Normal / Light Duty,’ ‘Medium Duty / Premium Grade’ or ‘Heavy-duty / Cut-resistant,’ ‘Heat-resistant,’ etc; they will also advise you on the type of rims / wheels / special tyre sizes best suited for your needs.. choose the one that suits one’s budget and needs!