The average driver gives little thought about their vehicle's wheels; generally speaking they last the lifetime of the vehicle. Heavy industrial wheels on the other hand are regarded as a consumable item.
"When you consider that the wheels on these heavy vehicles transfer all the power and weight to ground, they have a pretty punishing life and are put under a lot of stress." said Mark Bloxham, managing director of Bearcat Tyres.
Bearcat Tyres recognised the need for good reliable replacement wheels to be manufactured here in Australia. Because of the stress, some of the heavy machinery needs wheel replacement with about every fifth tyre change.
Three years ago Bearcat Tyres established a small industrial wheel-producing factory at their Girraween premises, in Sydney's west. The demand for replacement wheels to fit the wide range of forklifts, material handling equipment, construction and mining machines has grown continually since.
The wheel manufacturing is labour intensive, with quality control vigilant every step of the way. "We are now producing a lot of purpose built wheels for specialist applications," said Mark Bloxham.
"And the jobs vary from running trains for 12 to 14 tonne underground transformers, to wheels for the underground concrete sprayers and straddle-carrier container-lifters."
When heavy construction, excavation and industrial equipment undergo maintenance or suffer unplanned down-time, the costs snowball.
Bearcat has stock on hand to fit most common demands and when combined with their new mobile fitting truck, machinery down-time is minimised.
"This is a natural complimentary supplement to our tyre sales and services that we provide" said Mark Bloxham.
"By offering fast, efficient and high quality product and service we like to think we are helping keep the wheels of industry turning."
Bearcat Tyres manufactures wheels for all major earthmoving equipment such as skidsteer loaders, industrial trailers, backhoe loaders, wheel loaders, forklift trucks, telehandlers, graders, boom lifts and all rubber tyred underground mining equipment
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