Michelin Agrees 3-Year Contract with China Coal Pungshuo

China’s largest surface coal mine, China Coal Pingshuo, has signed a three-year renewable contract with Michelin. According to an official statement released by the tyre manufacturer, the deal sees the company enter into an agreement to provide “a new kind of service.”

China Coal Pingshuo has contracted Michelin to provide and maintain 53/80R63 tyres for the Komatsu 930E trucks that it operates in the mine. The leader in the Chinese market for giant 63-inch tyres, Michelin had previously signed a tyre supply contract with Pingshuo in May 2007. In May 2008, the same customer chose Michelin as its 2007 Supplier of the Year from a list of 186 companies.

The goal of the service contract is to optimise conditions of use for the 63-inch tyres fitted on vehicles operated in the mine. To achieve this goal, specialist Michelin technicians, in cooperation with teams from China Coal Pingshuo, will manage the service shop, where tyres will be fitted, removed and repaired. Tyre pressures will be checked and maintained at the right levels, and other operations will be carried out to ensure that tyres are used in the best possible conditions.

China Coal Pingshuo is China’s leading producer of coal from open-cast mines, having collected 73 million tonnes in 2007.