No port terminal can be called first-rate without a first-rate maintenance programme. And not least of the items that need maintaining are the tyres and rims used on various wheeled machines on the waterfront. Tyres are consummables, subject to wear and tear, and their condition needs to be monitored. Thankfully, an award-winning tyre asset management software called “enTIRE Wheels” has been developed by the Vehicle Management Corp (VMC) of Australia to make the tracking process easier – and help reduce port operating costs.

“Savings of up to 30% have been achieved by existing clients using the software,” says Richard Butcher, sales director of Invicta Management Services (IMS), a UK based maritime consulting firm that is marketing the program in the ports sector for VMC.” The application features a rich set of reports and on-screen queries that can be used to track and analyse the performance of tyres and rimes in entire vehicle fleets.

Consider what information it can provide:

• total hours, distance & tonnes
• wear rates by tyre brand, size, type, vechile & position
• cost per hour, distance or tonne
• location and status of all tryes & rims (including those away for repair or recapping)
• deliveries of tyres and rims
• status of rim tests and inspections
• failure reasons, lost tread value
• expected tyre usage
• warranty claims
• detailed history of all tyres and rims

Linked to the latest TPMS (Tire Pressure Monitoring Sensors) real time, the programme enables tyre pressures to be automatically read and measured. Mr Butcher says this spells increased tyre life, improved fuel efficiencies, reduction in potential accidents, less stress on machinery framework, reduced equipment downtime and lower labour cost for checking every tyre pressure on a regular basis.

Imagine how much money can be saved thus. ~Barista Uno