TPC Inventor Marks 65 Years as World Leader

In the late 1940's there was a quiet revolution in the earthmoving industry.

The pneumatic tyres and hydraulically powered attachments that had dramatically improved the speed and versatility of farm tractors during the 1930's, were being adapted to the bulk handling needs of the civil engineering and mining industries.

The revolution came in the form of quick, manoeuvrable and multi-tasking, wheeled loaders - which were replacing the lumbering steam shovels and tracked bulldozers just as post-war recovery was driving a boom in civil engineering and construction and generating a commensurate demand for mineral resources of all kinds - from aggregates to base and precious metals.

Soon, wheeled loaders of ever-increasing capacities and capabilities were aiding productivity at the workface and at the stock-pile in mines and quarries across the world.

Unfortunately, despite advances in tyre technology, rapid deterioration from abrasion and sudden death failure from penetration by sharp rocks made wheeled loaders an expensive luxury and a "no-go" in the more demanding hard-rock mining environments.

Eager to enjoy the productivity gains of their soft-rock cousins, hard-rock quarrymen and opencast miners turned to the RUD Group for a solution.

Located close to the Bavarian Alps where the winters are long and tough, the RUD Group, already had decades of experience in manufacturing and applications for industrial chains, was already well-known throughout Europe as the leading supplier of the traction chains that kept domestic and commercial vehicles on the move through snow and ice covered mountain roads.

RUD's designers readily accepted the challenge to develop new products, and, working closely with the loader operators, adapted their snow (traction) chain technology to create the world's very first tyre protection chains.

Innovation followed innovation until, today, due to a combination of listening and learning, metallurgical expertise and state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities, under the banner of RUD-Erlau, the group produces a range of tyre protection and traction chains to match any environment.
Whether it be rock or rubble, mud or fire, when the going gets tough, RUD-Erlau tyre protection chains (TPC's) keep you going.

Having led advances in chain technology over the decades, many of the designs in common worldwide use today were first developed and patented by RUD.

In 2007, mine owners face very much the same challenges as they did 65 years ago. A high demand for mineral resources and a severe shortage of earthmover tyres has operators, once again, looking at RUD-Erlau chains for solutions. This time, however, it is the soft rock operators who are rediscovering that, out of the many options available to them, the most cost-effective and reliable means of meeting supply commitments is to fit RUD-Erlau TPCs.

Not only do RUD-Erlau TPC's dramatically extend the working life of worn out tyres but there are no nasty surprises. RUD-Erlau traction chains keep loaders and rigid dump trucks safely on-track while RUD-Erlau tyre protection chains wear thousands of hours longer than bare tyres and RUD-Erlau side wall protection laughs at jagged rocks.

The figures add up too.

Why waste time sourcing grossly over-priced tyres or experimenting with short-term repairs when RUD-Erlau TPC's give you a predictable chain life for a given price.

A slight increase in fuel costs, due to the extra weight, is more than compensated by the extended tyre life, the long-lasting, low maintenance, quality chains and the overall reliability which, combined, contribute togreatly increased profitability.

Every mine is different but it is reported that RUD-Erlau TPC's are delivering up to 72% savings on running costs, 16% improvement on load-out and over-all productivity up by 24%.

It is hardly surprising that leading operations across the world are standardising on RUD-Erlau Tyre Protection (and Traction) Chains.

Unlike other TPC suppliers who out-source much of their production to third party manufacturers, there is the added assurance that RUD-Erlau retain strict in-house control of every step of the manufacturing process – both at their two plants in Aalen, Germany, and at their wholly-owned and managed satellite plants in Brazil and Romania.

Furthermore, on the five continents where their TPC's are in service, RUD Group has established a strong support network which guarantees owners real-time back-up. Routine after-sales checks by local, RUD-Erlau trained engineers support their customers with technical and field service, and also to predict and plan - ensuring optimal cost and operational value is achieved.

A 150% increase in production capacity means that RUD is well-placed to meet the growing demand for it's RUD-Erlau TPC's.

Currently, sets of chains are being shipped daily to the far corners of the globe.

Recent orders include 56 traction chains which will keep a 28 strong fleet of 400 tonne CAT and Komatsu dump trucks sure-footedly on the move through the bitterly cold snow and ice of the high Chilean Andes. Another shipment is on it's way to the Middle East, where yet another construction company has decided to standardise on RUD-Erlau for their loader fleet.

And, throughout Africa, RUD-Erlau has become the TPC of choice for bulk earthmovers - majors and emerging players.

In the USA and India, coal-winning has become sure-footed and safer thanks to RUD-Erlau traction chains and Australian miners rely on RUD-Erlau to load-out iron-ore, coal, nickel and gold/cooper.

Whether working in grit-stone in Germany, diamonds in Botswana, or oil sands in Canada, for over 60 years the RUD-Erlau family of qualityTPC's backed by an on-call network of experienced engineers has become the key to profitable production in mines and quarries across the world.

It is not by chance that RUD-Elau has become the world leading brand in tyre protection and traction chains.

The Riegers who founded and still own and run the RUD Group, and who built it into the international success it is today, still maintain a family home within the grounds of their main Aalen factory. From there they can have close daily involvement with the chain development and manufacturing processes. A large proportion of RUD's staff and managers come from generations of local families whose shared commitment to quality and service has played such an important role in the company's success.

This ethos extends to RUD's customer relations. While some suppliers simply 'sell and go', RUD believes in long-term commitment. Only the best is good enough for RUD's customers, and, like any good family, RUD is there for you rain or shine.