BKT’s Giant 57” Tire Earthmax Sr 468 Showcased at The International Mining Exhibition
A big return on stage of BKT displays top-of-range specialized tires for the OTR sector
Balkrishna Industries Ltd. (BKT), the Indian Multinational Group and global player in the Off-Highway tire market, attended the OTR dedicated event, International Mining Exhibition in Kolkata. An important occasion, that initiated personalized dialogue with all the company’s users, customers, and partners. The 9th edition of IME is the first offline event for the OTR sector in India, as the country slowly returns to normalcy, post 2 years of the pandemic.
BKT, known for its wide range of high-quality tires, displayed a selection of products including the latest Giant 57” EARTHMAX SR 468 TL tire, an All Steel radial tire specially designed for 240-ton rigid dump trucks; and EARTHMAX SR 53 TL tire, created for ultra-large loaders, operating in severe rocky conditions. At the IME, BKT’s headliner was the newly introduced MINEFORCE TL, a bias E-4 tire, specifically curated for rigid haul trucks in limestone quarry and coal mining operations.
Commenting on BKT’s participation at the event, Rajiv Poddar, Joint Managing Director, Balkrishna Industries Ltd., stated, “At BKT, we have been partaking at IME, which has been well-known in the mining equipment segment. The expo has been a perfect platform for BKT to showcase the latest product range. We were extremely glad to be back at IME and to have the opportunity to meet our customers and partners, whose input and feedback are keys to the development of high-performance products.” Speaking about the latest addition – the MINEFORCE, Mr. Poddar said, “The MINEFORCE is BKT’s innovative response to the rocky, abrasive and harsh environment, rigid dumper trucks with 100-ton capacity, specially designed for limestone quarry, coal, and other mining applications.” He further adds, “the Giant 57” EARTHMAX SR 468 tire, born in Covid-19 times, thanks to the extraordinary determination of our fellow workers, is the largest tire in India.”
The star highlight of the event was the Giant EARTHMAX SR 468 TL, the latest addition to the EARTHMAX family. It is a 57” tire (40.00R57) equipped with an All Steel structure, which provides greater resistance to the casing. A winning feature of the EARTHMAX SR 468 is the special tread design and the compound, created to limit heat generation and resistance to cuts. BKT EARTHMAX SR 468 is thus ready to confront the most challenging mining conditions.
On the display, was another tire from the EARTHMAX family, the 45/65R45 EARTMAX SR 53 TL, an All Steel radial tire specially designed for ultra-large loaders, operating in severe rocky conditions. The classified deep L-5 tread consists of a compound that is cut-resistant. In addition, the tire is designed to offer extraordinary abrasion-resistant properties while in loading operation.
The protagonist at the BKT stand was MINEFORCE 27.00-49 54PR size, an innovative solution for the mining application for rigid dump trucks with 100-ton capacity. It features a sturdy casing construction coupled with a unique tread pattern and a special tread compound has been developed by BKT’s R&D for cuts and chip-resistant properties, which is most suitable for limestone quarry, coal, and other mining applications, where there is severity in the application. Furthermore, the tire has a large contact patch with rigid lugs that provides even tread wear and a longer life cycle.
As a global company, BKT pays a great deal of attention to developing products as a response to each territory’s most specific needs. Hence, the company participates in prestigious biennial international exhibitions like International Mining Exhibition, which gives significant visibility to mining, equipment, minerals, metals, and allied industries in India. Being one of the important events for the OTR sector, BKT does not confine to being an exhibitor but is the ‘Silver Sponsor’ of the prominent IME exhibition.
