Pricing information for the new products was not disclosed.
Bridgestone claims mining tires built with the MasterCore technology deliver up to 5% more durability and allow users the option of operating their trucks at 10% higher speeds or carry15% greater payloads, thereby maximizing a mine's productivity.
Standing 13 feet tall and weighing upwards of 10,000 pounds each, Bridgestone said, MasterCore mining tires represent the pinnacle of its tire technology and manufacturing expertise while also offering customers a more sustainable alternative to other products.
Among specific attributes Bridgestone lists for the MasterCore line are:
- the use of anti-rust steel cord produced with proprietary "metal surface-coating technology" for improved adhesion between the rubber and steel cord, delivering better durability;
- the use of rubber compounds developed for improved crack propagation, enhancing the casing integrity for more dependable performance; and
- tread patterns and features that reduce tire operating temperatures.
Bridgestone added capacity in 2020 for MasterCore-based tires at the Aiken County plant. Capacity also is in place at Bridgestone plants in Shimonoseki and Kitakyushu, Japan.
Bridgestone also said its decision in 2020 to add capacity for the giant tires at the Aiken County plant offers measurable sustainability benefits as well.
Among these benefits are:
- the reuse of 92% of its own construction debris and 100% of discarded manufacturing materials; and
- reduced water usage via rainwater harvesting in geomembrane-lined ponds and pavers and creating retention ponds.
The Aiken County plant, which opened in 2014, is both LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) and ISCC (International Sustainability and Carbon Certification) PLUS certified, the first tire plant in the U.S. to have achieved both.
Indirectly, Bridgestone found it could reduce CO2 emissions measurably by shipping the giant tires by rail instead of truck. A prime example of that is the company's work with its key customer in Canada, Kal Tire; shifting shipments to western Canada to rail cut CO2 emissions by 600 tons in 2022 alone.
