What is TKPH and why is it useful for mining operations?

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What is TKPH?

TKPH stands for Tonne-Kilometres Per Hour (or TMPH: Ton-Miles Per Hour), and is a rating for each tyre specification representing load carrying capacity in relation to heat generation. This rating is compared to site TKPH, which represents the operational TKPH of any given vehicle.

How is TKPH calculated for a vehicle?

TKPH calculation methods vary slightly between tyre manufacturers. The general concept is to represent TKPH as (Tyre Load) x (Average Speed).

For example, Michelin has a calculation method that applies corrections to the Site Operational TKPH of the vehicle whilst Bridgestone applies corrections to the Rate TKPH of the tyre. The details can be found in their respective data books.

Why is TKPH useful?

Tyre selection is one of the most important factors for tyre life. Choosing the correct tyre specification with the most appropriate TKPH rating for site operations can significantly improve tyre life and reduce vehicle operational costs, with each tyre costing up to $50,000 USD.

Higher TKPH = Higher Heat Resistance (better for long haul cycles) and Lower Wear Resistance (bad for worn out tyre life).
Lower TKPH = Lower Heat Resistance (bad for long haul cycles) and Higher Wear Resistance (good for worn out tyre life).

Why VBOX?

VBOX has been used on mine sites around the world for over 10 years due to proven performance in automotive applications. For TKPH studies, 'Tier One' Tyre Manufacturers and Tyre Management Consultants often use VBOX to evaluate site operations.

The TKPH plugin on VBOX Test Suite standardises the TKPH calculation to make it quick and easy to generate results and compare performance. Data can easily be viewed at varying levels of resolution, from a sample level to a cycle level or a moving average over the entire dataset.

VBOX software allows mining users to model site operational TKPH of the vehicle and compare this against the rated TKPH of a range of tyres that could be fitted to that vehicle or fleet. This is most useful for trialling new circuits, new tyre specifications or investigating particular cycles.