Shift to the green forklift tyre
Companies keen to be on the right side of carbon regulations are moving to the Bergougnan tyre range that meets tough new European chemical safety restrictions. Early adopters include companies running Hyster machines through Gough Materials Handling and many other long-time Bergougnan tyre fans.
Tops with Goughs – the green Bergougnan tyre, shown here on a 14 tonne capacity Hyster, with Gough Materials Handling national sales manager Jason Manak, is the recommended fit for Hysters of all sizes
Until now, tyre manufacturers have relied on polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) as plasticisers and compound viscosity reducers. But under European directive EC 2005/69 and the ‘REACH’ regulation EC 1907/2006, tyres and treads for retreading are banned from sale if they contain extender oils exceeding more than 1 mg/kg BaP, or more than 10 mg/kg of the sum of all listed PAH chemicals. This directive, issued four years ago, has come into force from the start of this year in Europe.
Wholly green
New Zealand’s distributor for Bergougnan is Eastwood Tyres in Morningside, Auckland. Sales and marketing manager Mark Johnson says that the change in Europe is really good news for the users of Bergougnan tyres.
“The manufacturer, Trelleborg Wheel Systems, has converted its plant so that its entire range of mining, forestry and industrial tyres complies with the change,” Mark explains. “The point is that even while we reduce the substances that the European governments don’t want, we are retaining the excellent overall performance which Trelleborg Shift to the green forklift tyre and Bergougnan are noted for. The whole range is now ‘green’. We can see that this is the way New Zealand will go and we’re telling people about it.”
Tough in the dust
The Bergougnan has traditionally been a trouble-free solution, and some New Zealand businesses will only use Bergougnan products, says Eastwood’s industrial tyre specialist, Phil Stafford-Bush. “Some companies have had them on forklifts since last June, and the new formulas seem to perform as well as Trelleborg indicated to us, and that is on 1.5 through to 7 tonne machines.”
The Bergougnan factor is very signifi cant where elements involved in manufacture are abrasive. “If you run the forklifts where dust is an abrasive, and machines turn a lot, many tyres will wear out fast,” Phil says. “I fi nd companies always get good hours in tough conditions, although of course it depends on how people drive them. The new mix has three compounds and seems to work out well as a steer tyre that can take hard turning.”
High-end quality
Gough Materials Handling general manager, Darren Allen, says that Gough uses Bergougnans because it is recommended by a company that has a thorough knowledge of the tyre business. It also comes as OEM (original equipment from the manufacturer) on new Hysters. “The Berg is a top preference because it will perform in all conditions – in the freezers, at the smelter, wherever. It is a No. 8 wire of a tyre.” Darren relies on the Bergougnan’s proven performance when writing maintenance contracts for customers. “We seem to get the same wear rate and productivity in all conditions. I don’t recall a claim for a defaulted tyre, and tyres which give up to two years’ wear represent more profit when we cost tyres into contracts,” he says.
The basis for change
Eastwood Tyres’ Mark Johnson is certain that the Bergougnan ‘green’ tyres are excellent quality, and says the new European controls on manufacture are to do with potential impacts from chemicals on both human health and the environment.
The regulation concerning the registration, evaluation, authorisation and restriction of chemicals (REACH) is considered to be the strictest man-made law governing the use of chemical substances. It took seven years to pass, has 849 pages, and established a European Chemicals Agency.
Safe levels for manufacture are considered to be kept if the polycyclic aromatics (PCA) extract in the manufacture of tyres is less than three percent by mass. More information on EU control and measurement of PCAs can be found on the Eastwood Tyres website.
Pneumatic tyres for machines up to 52 tonnes capacity and solid tyres for machines up to 25 tonnes are available in the Bergougnan range.
For further information, visit www.eastwood.co.nz