Choosing the best forklift tyre for high intensity operations

Selecting the best forklift tyre based on how a business operates its forklift fleet can have significant impacts on productivity, safety and the businesses bottom line.

In this week’s blog we list some of the key considerations that must be evaluated when choosing the best tyre, some of the benefits of choosing the right tyre and profile some of the available forklift tyres from our preferred supplier Trelleborg that are suitable for continuous or high intensity handling operations.

Click here to read our previous blog post explaining the different types of forklift tyres available.

Criteria to consider when choosing new forklift tyres

There are three main criteria that must be considered first when choosing the most suitable tyre for a forklift.

It is important to consider the type of forklift, the area and surface it is operating in and how it is being operated, in most cases this initial examination should be carried out by your forklift salesperson or a tyre expert to ensure you are supplied the correct information.

As part of their assessment the salesperson or expert may conduct a site survey that will look at more in-depth criteria to help determine the most suitable combination of tyre compound, profile and size for your forklift.

Some examples of the considerations in a site survey include:

• Forklift OEM specifications
• Number of loads and the frequency they’re lifted
• Number of shifts and trips
• Length of a run and travel speeds
• Lift capacity and class of forklift
• Operating area surface conditions
• Available turning circle space
• Type and weight of materials being moved
• General considerations such as non-marking tyres to eliminate black compound marks

Benefits of choosing the correct forklift tyre

When a business equips their forklift fleet with the most appropriate tyre they will experience a number of benefits, three key benefits are briefly discussed below:

1. Increased Productivity

A forklifts productivity can be increased when fitted with the most suitable tyre. A properly sized and profiled tyre will allow the unit consistently lift and transport loads with the least resistance and wear.

Choosing a more durable and better suited tyre will also reduce the need for unnecessary downtime due to tyre punctures or tyres needing to be prematurely replaced, ensuring the forklift is optimally functioning for longer.

2. Better Safety

Operating a forklift with the correct tyres fitted aids in ensuring the highest levels of safety. With the right tyre installed the forklift will handle better in operation and also be more responsive under braking. This can prevent accidents as the operator is able to respond to unexpected or emergency situations faster.

Having the correct tyre for the surface the forklift is operating on also increases safety as it reduces the risk of the unit slipping when lifting loads and the potential for loads to become unstable when being transported.

3. Reduced Financial Costs

Fitting a more durable or better suited tyre to a forklift can have a direct positive influence on a business bottom line.

A high quality durable time that lasts two or three times as long as a cheaper alternative may only need to be replaced every six to 12 months whereas the cheaper alternative may need to be replaced every couple of months.

Not only does the business need to cover the cost of the new tyres but also any call-out fees and labour associated with having it professionally fitted.

Doing this the least amount of times a year can directly reduce a business maintenance costs.

Forklift tyres for continuous or high intensity operations

Adaptalift Groups preferred forklift tyre supplier Trelleborg offers a variety of premium tyres that it recommends be fitted to forklifts that operate around the clock or across two or three shifts per day.

The tyres offer a combination of high performance with longevity to ensure forklifts are able to operate at optimal levels with minimal disruptions.

Below we profile some of the available forklift tyres for high intensity operations.

Trelleborg Elite XP
Tyre type: Resilient

Key Benefits:

• Pit Stop Line – Orange line appears when tyres need to be replaced
• Low vibration tread design – Prevents driver from feeling vibrations through steering wheel
• Wear resistance technology – Maximum lifetime, reduced downtime, increasing value
• Energy management – Keeps internal temperature low ensuring maximum uptime
• Shock absorbance – Tyre absorbs shock from obstacles
• Enhanced stability – Optimised load positioning and cornering

Trelleborg’s Elite XP forklift tyres can be manufactured with one of their industry leading special compounds which can assist in specialist applications or environments. Compounds include:

One of the main innovative features of the Elite XP tyre is the orange pit stop line, the innovative system greatly improves safety whilst also ensuring tyres have been utilised to their maximum potential before being replaced.

The system is designed to let operators and fleet managers with 100% accuracy when their tyres need replacing.

As the tyre tread wears down a highly visible orange band appears on the tyre surface indicating the tyre has approximately 100 hours of useable life remaining.

Knowing when the tyre needs to be replaced ahead of time means replacement fitting can be organised for the most convenient time where impact on operations will be minimal.

Trelleborg T-900
Tyre type: Bias Pneumatic

Key Benefits:

• Block tread design – Large footprint lowers stress and maximises tyre life
• Enhanced stability – Faster load positioning and cornering
• Sidewall protection – Reinforced sidewall to avoid impact damage
• Wear resistance technology – Maximum lifetime, reduced downtime, increasing value
• Energy management – Keeps internal temperature low ensuring maximum uptime
• Shock absorbance – Tyre absorbs shock from obstacles

Trelleborg POS
Tyre type: Press on solid

Key benefits:

• Wear resistance technology – Maximum lifetime, reduced downtime, increasing value
• Energy management – Keeps internal temperature low ensuring maximum uptime
• Enhanced stability – Faster load positioning and cornering
• Cut prevention polymer – Tyre absorbs impact preventing tyre damage

This week’s blog post has looked at the important criteria that needs to be considered when choosing the most appropriate tyre for forklifts that are in constant use whilst discussing some of the advantages of choosing the correct tyre.

We’ve also showcased three different options that cater to the vast majority of forklifts from our preferred supplier Trelleborg.

For help selecting the best forklift tyre for your high intensity operation contact our team on 13 22 54 or fill out a contact form.