Welcome aboard Australia’s leading material lifting and handling technology company. Our quarterly newsletter gives a sneak peek about our company, our products, news, blog posts and everything happening at RUD in Australia and worldwide. Click the picture below to open the full view.

Newsletter Oct 2025

Welcome aboard Australia’s leading material lifting and handling technology company. Our quarterly newsletter gives a sneak peek about our company, our products, news, blog posts, and everything happening at RUD in Australia and worldwide. Click the picture below to open the full view.

Newsletter Jul 2025

Off-The-Road (OTR) tyres are critical for material transport by loaders and haul trucks in mining and quarrying sites. Mining and quarrying companies face many challenges in maintaining the longevity of the tyres because of operation in highly abrasive environments, which leads to a relatively short lifespan.

Tyres are exposed to sharp-edged rocks or metal debris. Even water is detrimental to a tyre because a dry tyre, when subject to water, is more susceptible to punctures (See the comparison pictures of a dry tyre that is hard versus a wet tyre that can be cut by a knife). All these contribute to unplanned downtime and loss of productivity. In addition, the disposal of end-of-life tyres is an environmental challenge, with Australia discarding over 130,000 tonnes annually.

Operational Impact of OTR Tyres

OTR E2 tyres possess a Shore A Hardness of approximately 60. They are designed to optimise flexibility, load distribution, and cushioning for heavy-duty applications. However, this softness renders them vulnerable to damage in the harsh conditions prevalent in Australian mines, from the Pilbara's open-cut iron ore mines to Queensland's underground coal seams. Tyre wear is influenced by operator skill, weather conditions, equipment maintenance, and haul road conditions.

The huge size of mining machinery, such as haul trucks capable of transporting hundreds of tonnes or front-end loaders with large buckets, also imposes stress on the tyres. A single OTR tyre can exceed four meters in height and can weigh several tonnes. Whether bias or radial construction, exposure to jagged rocks and abrasive surfaces can lead to rapid degradation.

A single OTR tyre costs tens to hundreds of thousands of dollars. When a tyre is punctured or damaged, in addition to the immediate financial loss, unplanned downtime for repair or replacement impacts profitability. Common damage types include tread cuts, sidewall damage, chunking and bead failures, frequently aggravated by poor haul road conditions, overloading and incorrect inflation.

The Role of Tyre Protection Chains

Tyre Protection Chains (TPCs) are an ideal solution to protect tyres against damage and punctures. RUD manufactures TPCs from high-alloy, hardened steel, forming a close-mesh protective barrier that covers the tread and sidewalls. This robust mesh absorbs impacts from sharp objects and prevents catastrophic failure or premature wear.

RUD supplies 65% of the world's TPCs. By adopting new technology from long-established welding, forging and heat-treating methods, RUD has developed superior tyre protection and traction chains. The high-quality steel undergoes heat treatments and forging processes, enhancing wear resistance and durability. RUD TPC links ensure optimal grip and traction, even in challenging, wet, and slippery conditions. The additional chain weight is outweighed by the benefits of extended tyre life and improved machine uptime.

Benefits of Tyre Protection Chains

Implementing TPCs delivers measurable benefits for any mining or quarrying operation, positively impacting safety and reducing financial costs.

Enhanced Safety: RUD TPCs improve safety by providing superior traction and preventing machines from losing traction on loose or steep surfaces. They are a safety measure against sudden tyre failures (blowouts and rapid deflations), which can be catastrophic. Reduced tyre-related breakdowns also minimise personnel exposure during emergency repairs, aligning with Australian safety regulations on the site, particularly those identified in Recognised Standard 13

Reduced Operating Costs: Tyres represent a large operating expense. TPCs extend tyre life, translating into fewer tyre purchases, reduced disposal costs and decreased labour for maintenance and replacement. By safeguarding against damage, TPCs enable mines and quarries to achieve the full lifespan of OTR tyres

Increased Productivity and Machine Availability: TPCs impact productivity by reducing unplanned downtime. Tyre-related downtime for haul trucks or loaders can disrupt production. By ensuring machine availability and optimal performance, TPCs can minimise costly interruptions.

The Last Word

OTR tyres are fundamental to mines and quarries, but their potential for damage requires protection. TPCs are critical to safeguarding the tyres, enhancing safety and maintaining production. They are an investment that can reap benefits due to reduced costs, increased uptime, and a safer working environment.

For more detailed information, you can visit the RUD Australia website:

• Benefits of RUD Tyre Protection Chains in mining
• How Quality Tyre Protection & Chains Helps Productivity - RUD Australia

Interested in our tyre protection solutions? Call us on 07 3809 1300 or enquire here.

Copyright to RUD: This information is accurate at the time of publication, and RUD Australia takes no responsibility for any errors, inadvertent or otherwise.

Welcome aboard Australia’s leading material lifting and handling technology company. Our quarterly newsletter gives a sneak peek about our company, our products, news, blog posts, and everything happening at RUD in Australia and worldwide. Click the picture below to open the full view.

Newsletter Apr 2025

Welcome aboard Australia’s leading material lifting and handling technology company. Our quarterly newsletter gives a sneak peek about our company, our products, news, blog posts, and everything happening at RUD in Australia and worldwide. Click the picture below to open the full view.

Newsletter Jan 2025

RUD Australia celebrated 40 years in November 2024. From humble beginnings in 1984 in a garage on the south side of Brisbane to a 6000m2 facility in Larapinta QLD, including an office and warehouse in Perth, we have come a long way as one of the most trusted companies in the lifting, lashing and material handling industry.

Our journey continues:

• 1984 - Jonathan Street - RUD Australia started in November 1984 in Peter Nuttall Senior’s garage in Macgregor, Brisbane.
• 1991 - Success Street - RUD Australia built a 1500m2 facility at Success Street in Acacia Ridge.
• 2005 - West Link Place - RUD Australia moved into a 3000m2 facility at West Link Place, Richlands.
• 2008 - Bassendean, Perth - We expanded into Bassendean, Perth, with an office and warehouse to service the growing WA market.
• 2013 - Commerce Place - In 2013, we invested significantly in our long-term future with a 6000m2 facility that currently includes our head office, engineering, warehouse, and fabrication divisions.

We celebrated our 40th anniversary with a gala dinner event in Brisbane. The evening was filled with fun, entertainment, camaraderie and speeches, going down memory lane of the 40-year journey.

With a 40-year history in Australia, RUD is committed to excellence in chain technology. We strive to be at the forefront of technology and innovation, such as our latest 9-axis robotic welder, which will drive our growth through continuous improvement for the future.

Welcome aboard Australia’s leading material lifting and handling technology company.

Click the button to read about us, our products, news, blog posts and everything happening at RUD in Australia and around the world.

Click here to read

Welcome aboard Australia’s leading material lifting and handling technology company.

Click the button to read about us, our products, news, blog posts and everything happening at RUD in Australia and around the world.

Click here to read

Welcome aboard Australia’s leading material lifting and handling technology company.

Click the button to read about us, our products, news, blog posts and everything happening at RUD in Australia and around the world.

Click here to read

Welcome aboard Australia’s leading material lifting and handling technology company.

Click the button to read about us, our products, news, blog posts and everything happening at RUD in Australia and around the world.

Click here to read

A Tyre Protection Chain is ideal for creating a barrier between the tyres and the ground surface. TPCs provide maximum protection to sidewalls and tread areas, virtually eliminating tyre failures from rock cuts and staking. This guarantees maximum production from the loader and peace of mind with unplanned tyre maintenance expenses.

The Problem

Australian hard rock quarries have some of the most challenging environments in the world for rubber tyred machines. Boral Quarries' West Burleigh site has been providing road base and other quality aggregates into the Gold Coast and surrounding areas for many years. Maintaining uninterrupted supply is essential to the area’s economic growth and their rubber tyred CAT988G loader is a major asset in the quarrying process. Unplanned tyre failure can cause havoc to production schedules and require expensive and ‘hard to get’ replacement tyres.

The Solution

RUD Chains have been providing TPCs to West Burleigh for over a decade and have fitted a further four chains to their CAT988G wheel loader. The FELS Gigant Plus X19 close mesh ‘extra heavy duty’ Tyre Protection Chain has been proven in Australia and around the world as the best-performing chain for hard rock quarry applications.

More on the Gigant Plus X19

• Available in sizes from 26.5-25 up to 45/65-45.
• Rhomboid wear links offer maximum tyre protection.
• Large link wear volumes deliver an outstanding service life.

 The Benefit

RUD’s Gigant Plus X19 provides maximum protection to sidewalls and tread areas, virtually eliminating tyre failures from rock cuts and staking. West Burleigh Quarry can now be confident that they will achieve maximum production from the loader and avoid unplanned tyre expenses.

West Burleigh quarry’s traction and fuel usage has improved, and tyre replacement has been reduced by up to 6 times. 

What the customer says

“We see our long-term relationship with RUD Chains more as a partnership than supplier and customer. RUD’s product keeps our tyre costs down - a major expense for any quarry operation. With guaranteed production, our return on investment for the chains is exceptional.”

Article copyright to RUD, this information is accurate at the time of publication and RUD Australia takes no responsibility for any errors, inadvertent or otherwise. Some pictures are for illustration only. For more details on how RUD can help with your crane requirements, please call us on 07 3809 1300 or fill out an enquiry form here.

Sources:

• https://www.rud.com 

Welcome aboard Australia’s leading material lifting and handling technology company.

Click the button to read about us, our products, news, blog posts and everything happening at RUD in Australia and around the world.

Click here to read

Who is RUD?

RUD is a leading German manufacturer of Tyre Protection Chains (TPCs), supplying 65% of the global market. With a strong focus on innovation, consistency, and quality, RUD sets the industry standard. Our reputation for excellence stems from our commitment to delivering top-quality TPCs designed to provide superior protection and traction in various on-site conditions.

What is a Tyre Protection Chain?

A TPC is a closed mesh of high alloy, hardened steel chains that protect the tread and sidewalls of tyres. These chains are flexible, allowing them to adjust to every deformation of the tyre. They have high levels of self-cleaning, preventing the tread mesh from becoming filled and clogged while providing the best possible protection and traction.

Why is a Tyre Protection Chain important?

All vehicle tyres in production sites face hazardous challenges such as sharp and jagged rocks, and muddy and slippery surfaces. Even if the tyres are new, such surfaces can result in punctures or blowouts which lead to equipment downtime, loss of productivity, and delays in projects. Also, specialised tyres are expensive and take time to source, which escalates replacement costs. Premature deterioration of tyres is a costly inconvenience that can be minimized using TPCs.

RUD is the major supplier of Tyre Protection Chains around the world.

RUD offers TPCs suitable for a wide range of tyre sizes, from as small as 21/7-R10 of an all-terrain Segway to the largest rubber tyre loader tyre on the market, the 70/70-R57 used for the Komatsu 2350 Loader. These chains are essential in hazardous environments such as mining, quarrying, construction, and scrap metal/recycling, preventing tyre damage, punctures, blowouts, and costly downtime. RUD provides TPCs for both open-cut and underground mining applications, as well as traction chains for slippery and boggy conditions.

With RUD’s TPCs, you can be assured of increased tyre lifespan, improved traction, reduced machine downtime, cost savings, and enhanced workforce utilisation. TPCs minimise the need for frequent tyre changes, saving time, money, and labour. With TPCs in place, scheduled work can proceed smoothly, avoiding unexpected failures and disruptions.

RUD's expertise goes beyond product supply. We provide a huge range of replacement parts and special tooling along with guidance, training, and regular service inspections to ensure optimal TPC selection, installation, and maintenance across Australia. To further enhance tyre protection and safety, additional solutions like tyre pressure monitoring systems (TPMS), regular tyre inspections, and tyre rotation can also be employed.

Through RUD's recommendations, you can maintain tyre condition, extend their life, and minimise punctures, blowouts, and other issues. RUD's German heritage ensures a commitment to innovation, consistency, and quality, making us a trusted partner in tyre protection.

Article copyright to RUD, this information is accurate at the time of publication and RUD Australia takes no responsibility for any errors inadvertent or otherwise.

If you want to know how the team at RUD can help you with tyre protection chains, please call 07 3809 1300 or fill out an enquiry form here.

Sources:

• https://www.rud.com