Winter tyre growth increase importance of tyre changer efficiency – Pro-Align

UK Hunter equipment distributor, Pro-Align has identified the increased relevance of winter tyres as a key reason to ensure the efficiency of their tyre changing equipment. “Historically, there has been little appetite for winter tyres in the UK which meant that when workshops were removing tyres, they were normally being scrapped so it didn’t matter if the tyres were damaged in the process,” explains Paul Beaurain, managing director, Pro-Align. “However, now that there’s been quite a sizeable growth in the winter tyre market, workshops need to ensure that they do not cause any damage when removing and refitting tyres.”

Pro-Align launched the latest Hunter tyre changer, the Revolution, at the end of 2014. The new machine is designed for the best efficiency in mounting and demounting tyres, protecting the wheel while increasing automation and speed. It also reduces the effort required of the operator, who can change a variety of different tyre sizes in exactly the same way, taking the same amount of time, every time, regardless of tyre size or type, helping to minimise damage to tyres, rims and TPMS sensors. “With its fully automated process, the Revolution can help greatly with [ensuring tyres are changed without damage],” said Beaurain.

Technicians using the Revolution control all of the changer’s operations through an intelligent foot pedal and touch screen interface, but input requirement is minimal. From here, all functions of changing the tyre such as breaking the bead and using the leverless hook to demount the bead are controlled without any hands-on assistance from the user. Not only does this enhance user-safety, but it also reduces any likelihood of operator error which may result in damage to bead areas and TPMS sensors, a common problem when removing low profile or runflat tyres with their stiff sidewalls.

“As more and more drivers recognise the importance of swapping between winter and summer tyres, it’s going to be even more important for workshops to carry out this work without causing any damage,” concludes Beaurain.