Brawler tyres give us added value during our loading and unloading operations
In addition to the fact that leaks are a thing of the past, wear resistance and driving comfort are now seen as important benefits. The SUEZ Group has already equipped several wheel loaders with these tyres. We checked in to see what their experience had been like, and chatted with Olivier Meyers, Senior Procurement Officer at SUEZ.
The SUEZ Group is active in over 70 countries on 5 continents, and has grown over the years to become a cutting-edge player in the recycling industry. In Belgium, the company is primarily active in the fields of waste and water management and soil treatment. SUEZ collects the waste, sorts it to the greatest extent possible and ensures that the largest possible amount is recycled as secondary raw materials or energy. The company thereby contributes to the circular economy principle, ensuring that raw materials are not lost at the end of their life-cycle but are reused in production processes. The group is present in Flanders as well as Wallonia and Brussels, with around 20 collection sites and over 20 processing sites. With over 2,000 employees, SUEZ processes around 3,000,000 tonnes of waste every year. 89% of this is given a second life in the form of raw materials or energy.
Olivier Meyers: “In order to supply the different sites and to keep the sorting process running, we have a large fleet of lorries, collection trucks and so on at our disposal. For the sorting activities on the Belgian sites, 22 wheel loaders and 26 mobile cranes are used in total. The machinery fleet includes around 85 forklifts. In terms of the tyres, we pay particular attention to the resistance, price, lifespan and driving comfort. In addition, we try to keep downtimes to a minimum. We don't usually have more than one of each type of industrial vehicle on each site. It is therefore important that the machinery remains in an operational state, especially during busier periods. One and a half years ago, in order to avoid flat tyres, we equipped a number of wheel loaders with Brawler tyres. The driving comfort is comparable to that of pneumatic tyres, and leaks are a thing of the past, which is such a bonus at sites where a lot of scrap metal is processed. Up until now, we’ve always used treaded tyres, so that the operator feels more as if they have sufficient tractive force.”
Total Cost of Ownership
Olivier Meyers stresses that SUEZ considers the Total Cost of Ownership to be important. He elaborates: “Our machinery is hired according to a formula of renting with full service: a period of 4, 5 or 6 years is equal to the number of annual operating hours. Once this period has passed, the machines need to be returned with tyres with 50% tread. The quality of the tyres is therefore very important to us. Because we like working proactively, we check the wear of the tyres every 6 months together with our supplier. In this way, we stay on the ball and can, for example, swap the front tyres of a wheel loader with the rear ones, thereby guaranteeing a longer lifespan.”
The Brawler HPS Soft Ride
The Brawler HPS Solidflex Traction type Softride tyres are designed for use in labour-intensive sectors such as scrap metal recycling, waste handling and mining. The rubber lining is up to 3 times more wear-resistant than that of pneumatic tyres. The oval openings ensure better suspension during work, while the Soft Ride helps reduce vibrations. As a result, machine and driver are better protected. Furthermore, the load-bearing capacity is tailored to the specific industrial vehicles used in these sectors, such as wheel loaders. The good working relationship between SUEZ and tyre supplier CL Tyres means that several wheel loaders have now been equipped with Brawler HPS Solidflex Traction type Softride tyres, in sizes 20.5-25, 23.5/25 and 26.5-25.
Key figures
The SUEZ Group is a global player in the field of recycling. In Belgium, the group has 20 collection sites and over 20 processing sites, employing more than 2,000 people. The industrial vehicle fleet comprises, among other machinery, 22 wheel loaders and 26 mobile cranes. Each year, more than 3,000,000 tonnes of waste are processed.