OTR is a diversified integrator,
engineering firm, manufacturer
and distributor with a Global
footprint for specialized Tires,
Wheels, Steel Castings, Rubber
Tracks, and other fabricated
goods.
Recognition
Benefits of Partnering with OTR
Major supplier to OEM’s of mounted tire/wheel assemblies.
Largest provider of foam filled assemblies in the United States by volume of foam pumped.
Your experts in polyurethane foam fills.
Competitive total package pricing.
One source for tires, wheels, foam fill, and assembly providing Just-In-Time (JIT) delivery and problem resolution.
Local/worldwide representation.
Proven design capabilities to meet performance requirements through extensive product innovations.
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Mounted Tire/Wheel Assemblies
Single and Multi-
piece wheels and
tires mounted
Pneumatic or
Foam filled
Customized “JIT”
delivery
programs
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What is polyurethane foam fill?
Polyurethane foam fills in tires has been around since 1970.
Fill for tires is composed of a two part liquid polymer (Part A and Part B formulas).
Pumped into the tires through a specialized pump.
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How does it work?
Mount a tire on a wheel.
Inflate to recommended pressure to stretch tire carcass for 24 hours.
Deflate the mounted tire.
Drill a hole in tire to allow air in cavity to escape when foam is pumped in.
In specialized foam fill pump, part A and B compounds are mixed and a chemical reaction begins to take place.
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How does it work?
Liquid foam fill is pumped into mounted tire/wheel assembly through the valve stem.
Air is displaced with foam fill.
When foam begins to come out of hole in tire, hole is plugged.
Foam is continued to be pump in to a specified pressure.
Foam fill mixture then cures for 24 to 48 hours into a synthetic rubber-like core.
Tire is now flat proofed!
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Polyurethane Foam Fill Options
Fills come in different hardness ratings (durometer scale) for different applications.
There is a large variety of applications suitable for foam fills.
Large variety of equipment types
End user site specific conditions
Unique requirements for operational consideration
Choosing the right durometer of foam fill is essential.
Soft
More air like ride
8 to 12 durometer
Medium
20 to 28 durometer
Medium Hard
30 to 35 Durometer
Hard
45 Durometer and
greater
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The benefits of using foam fills in tires are many
Features and benefits of a Flat Proofed Tire
Tires can be punctured, cut and chipped and the tire will not go flat and the equipment will continue to roll and do its work.
Works in any tubeless or tube type tire with a sound casing.
Will work in extremely adverse weather conditions even down to 70 degrees below zero Fahrenheit.
Excellent heat dissipation qualities to reduce heat buildup.
Choosing the right durometer of foam fill is essential.
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The benefits of using foam fills in tires are many
Safety
No chance of a tire blow out causing instantaneous flats.
Protects your operators, other workers or pedestrians in the work area from the explosive force of a blown out tire.
Limited chance of equipment tip-overs due to operators losing control of equipment to due to instantaneous tire failure.
Increased weight and tire ballast in overload or applications were ballast is required or beneficial.
Limp-in capability. Severe tire damage won’t stop the equipment from moving to a safe stop location out of the work area.
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The benefits of using foam fills in tires are many
Cost Savings
Greater productivity due to elimination of equipment down time due flat or leaking tires.
Eliminate or greatly lower your tire repair costs. Flats and down time are expensive.
Retreading is possible to extend the service life of the foam filled mounted tire/wheel.
Improved tire life due to tires maintaining proper inflation and deflection on the work surface.
Reduction in lost wages and income due to equipment down time.
Typically the cost of the foam fill will pay for itself the first time you need it.
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The benefits of using foam fills in tires are many
Flexibility
Multiple ranges of foam fill hardness can be pumped.
There is nearly limitless variety of tires it can be used with.
There is a very broad range of equipment applications it can be used with.
Remember no two applications are identical.
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The benefits of using foam fills in tires are many
Cons – There are a few cons.
Polyurethane foam components Part A and Part B are composed of petroleum based chemicals and are subject to the price fluctuations of crude oil.
They add significant weight to the mounted tire/wheel assembly.
A draw back if weight is an operational consideration.
A benefit when increased ballast is desirable.
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OTR “Green” Polyurethane Foam Fill Choices
Recently recognition of Green or environmentally friendly initiatives.
Specialized equipment designed to reutilize previously cured foam.
For many years, once the tire in a foam filled assembly reached the end of its useful life, in many cases the foam was disposed of as waste in a landfill.
A better solution was arrived with the introduction of re-
grind equipment.
Re-grinding takes previously used foam fill chunks and grinds the foam into small pieces.
The new foam fill equipment with re-grind pumps blends the small pieces of re-grind foam back in again with virgin liquid foam fill and is pumped back into the new tire/wheel assembly.
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OTR “Green” Polyurethane Foam Fill Choices
The Pros for using regrind are many:
1. The process is eco-friendly.
2. Most or all of the cured foam is reutilized saving disposal cost and landfill space.
3. Up to 50% less virgin foam fill is required saving the customer money.
4. The cure time is the same as pumping virgin foam fill.
5. There are not voids that can form around chunked foam since there are no chunks.
6. The reused material is very uniform in size and is evenly distributed with the virgin foam pumped back in the tire.
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Evolution in Green foam fill solutions arrives…
Ecofil™
In 2009 Arnco introduced a new polyurethane product called Ecofil™.
Ecofil is mostly composed of natural, earthly, renewable resources
It utilizes 50% less petroleum based products than traditional flat proofing tire fills.
Less oil means more savings and benefits to both the environment and the consumer.
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Evolution in Green foam fill solutions arrives…
Ecofil™
Ecofil offers all the features and benefits of conventional foam fills but also adds:
1. Made from mostly renewable resources
2. Reduces oil dependency
3. Performs better than granulated fills
4. Application specific formulas
5. Costs less than conventional foam fills
6. Ecofil pumps faster than conventional fills saving labor costs
7. Is odorless
8. Is not flammable which is very advantageous in certain applications.
9. It can be disposed in a landfill because it is inert and it won’t cause chemical leaching into the ground water.
Bottom line Ecofil is safer, cheaper and greener.
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Ecofil comes is three different formulations.
Evolution in Green foam fill solutions arrives…
Ecofil™
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Some notes about “Chunking” foam fill
Some foam fill servicing companies cut up the previously used foam into smaller chunks.
They put the chunks back inside of the new tire being remounted on the wheel.
Then virgin fill is pumped into the tire with the chunks dispersing throughout the foam.
This process is known as “chunking”.
The pros for chunking is that you need less virgin foam fill to refill the new tire assembly.
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Some notes about “Chunking” foam fill
They can save the customer purchasing the new foam filled assembly some money.
The cons for chunking are that the chunks are not consistent or uniform in size.
They are not dispersed evenly throughout the new foam filled assembly.
The chunks can lead to voids in the foam filled assembly.
Those voids can lead to flat spots forming in the tire.
And possible premature failure of the foam filled assembly due to the chunks moving inside the foam fill leading it to fracture and break down of the foam inside the tire.
OTR does NOT do any “chunking”!
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What kind of equipment and applications are suitable of foam fill?
If you are an OEM or a company with large fleets of equipment
Call OTR Wheel Engineering for a consultation on how OTR can help you with your foam filled tire needs.
The range of equipment applications is very long and we are the company that can help you meet foam filling needs.
Contact us today for a free consultation.
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Applications for Foam Fill
Agricultural equipment and implements
Backhoes
Construction equipment
Golf Course Maintenance
Irrigation equipment
Junkyard equipment
Landfill equipment
Loaders
Lumber yard equipment
Material handling equipment
Mobile cranes
Mowing Equipment
Paving equipment
Personnel Vehicles
Railroad equipment
Recycling equipment
Road building equipment
Sand and gravel equipment
Sewer working equipment
Skid Steer loaders
Sod farming equipment
Sweepers
Tractors (Front and rear)
Trash removal equipment
Trenchers
Utility Vehicles
Road Graders
Rough-Terrain Forklifts
Tree service equipment
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Applications for Foam Fill
Ground Support equipment such as:
Air stairs
Baggage carts
Belt loaders
Boarding bridges
Boom lifts
Cargo dollies
Catering trucks
Container handlers
Deicing trucks
Emergency equipment
Forklifts
Fuel trucks
Lavatory carts
Mobile cranes
Nitrogen carts
Oxygen carts
Personnel carriers
Push back tractors
Ramp maintenance equipment
Refueling carts
Scissor lifts
Skid Steers
Tow bars
Water carts
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Applications for Foam Fill
Surface and Underground Mining equipment such as:
Aerial lifts
Cranes
Drills
Fork lifts
Front end loaders
Graders
Haul trucks
Lube trucks
Mechanic trucks
Personnel carriers
Ram cars
Roof bolters
Scalers
Scoopers
Shield haulers
Other General Applications suitable for foam filling:
Amusement Rides
Beverage Carts
Bumper Cars
Carts / Wagons
Catering Truck
Compact Utility Loaders
Concrete Buggies
Golf Ball Retrievers
Golf Carts
Ice Grooming Equipment
Maintenance Carts
Mobile Vacuums
Roll-Off Trucks
Rural Mail Trucks
Snow Plows
Sweepers
Tow Tractors
Truck-Mounted Forklifts
Utility Carts
Shuttle cars
Skid Steers
Tractor/trailers
Tractors
Uni-haulers
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ISO 9001:2008 Certification
• Registered with NSF-ISR Ann Arbor MI.
• Chambersburg PA. Facility ISO Certified – February 2007
• Washington State Facilities (Moses Lake/Redmond) ISO Certified July 2007
• Las Vegas NV Facility ISO Certified October 2007
• Global Wheel – South Africa ISO 9001-2000
• North Shore Canada ISO 9001-2000
• Rome & Gainesville, GA passed audit June 2009
• All locations ISO 9001:2008 Certified – June 2010
ISO 9001:2008 Certification
OTR Wheel Engineering, Inc. 6 Riverside Industrial Park PO Box 1853 Rome, GA 30161 PH: 800-833-6309 PH: 706-235-9781 FX: 706-234-8137 WWW: www.otrwheel.com
Questions? Comments?