Cranes & Lift Equipment Parts & Components

GKN Wheels showing construction and mining wheel range at CONEXPO-CON/AGG

By
Slone Fox
February 26, 2020

GKN Wheels & Structures will be displaying a range of its wheels at CONEXPO-CON/AGG 2020. The company's construction and mining wheel range will be at the heart of the stand, with multi-piece wheels having been developed specifically to meet construction and mining operators' needs for safety, productivity, durability and high payloads.

GKN Wheels' lightweight, 3-piece wheel solutions are designed to deliver robust, long-life performance. Lighter and more stable than 5-piece rims, these wheels enable safer tire mounting, as the driver is in place before the tire is inflated, which also protects the driver from external hazards.

GKN Wheels' standard 5-piece wheels are designed for tubeless operation and feature a reinforced bead seat band and back section. Featuring an optimized lock ring design and a continuous tire pocket tool feature, the wheels allow for ease of tire fitting on heavy duty machinery. As material specification and integrity are critical in these operating environments, all products are rigorously tested and comply with relevant T&RA, ETRTO, JATMA and ISO standards.

Visitors to the show will also be able to see the company's airless tire solution for skid steer loaders, which features a completely new wheel developed in partnership with Michelin. The Michelin Tweel is a single, fully integrated unit which replaces the traditional tire/wheel/valve assembly, and which delivers significant benefits for machines which typically operate in the most demanding and challenging environments. The use of Tweel completely eliminates the risk of punctures, reduces down-time, improves efficiency and ultimately reduces the cost of ownership.

Specifically designed for the mining sector, GKN Wheels' patented Infini-Swift wheel is suitable for large wheel loaders, mining haul trucks, dozers and other specialist applications. Infini-Swift enables large mining tires to be removed without having to also remove the outer or inner wheel assembly arrangement (as would be required with a standard rim). The wheel is designed and tested to reduce the time taken to mount and de-mount large mining rims (57" up to 63") by 50 percent, ensuring machine downtime is minimized and vehicle productivity is maximized.