The Chinese translation is being made; the original is shown for now.
Techking’s collaboration with an Australian mining haulage customer demonstrates why tyre development must begin with the application rather than the product catalogue.
A tyre can be the correct size and still be wrong for the work.
For Techking, that lesson became the starting point for an Australian engineering program and a nomination for Engineering Success of the Year at the 2026 Australian Mining Prospect Awards.
The nominated project grew from Techking’s work with an Australian mining haulage customer operating road trains in demanding conditions. Rather than treating the original tyre specification as the finished answer, the two companies developed an ongoing program in which operational feedback became an engineering input.
Techking vice president and general manager of the overseas sales centre Sheila Cui said the nomination recognised the collaborative nature of that work between Techking and its customer.
“It is amazing recognition of what Techking has achieved,” Cui told Australian Mining.
“I think it recognises the success of jointly designing and developing a product with the customer.”
The customer’s feedback was simple: although the supplied tyre was the correct size, that alone was not enough.
Techking’s research and development engineers travelled to Australia to examine how the equipment operated. Their assessment considered factors such as load, tyre pressure, and distance travelled rather than relying on a truck tyre specification.
“We discovered that it was not a typical truck-tyre application or a conventional set of operating conditions,” Cui said.
“It was specific to Australian mining and the road-train application.”
Road trains allow Australian operators to move loads across long distances, but the combination of weight, speed and extended travel places demands on tyres. Cui said these conditions required an application-specific product instead of an off-the-shelf selection.
The response illustrates the product-development model Techking calls Integrated Product Development (IPD). Under the principle “from the customer, for the customer”, operational feedback enters a cross-functional development process.
Techking’s global coordination connects Australian mine-site feedback with its wider engineering and manufacturing expertise.
The local team communicates changing requirements, while research, production and quality specialists translate those observations into product development and monitor the results in service. Requirements continue to be reviewed as mine plans, equipment and operating priorities evolve.
“Techking develops the product, but the customer is also part of that development,” Cui said.
“The purpose of the system is to ensure that the finished product is the product the customer actually requires.”
In this instance, Cui said the Australian haulage project was structured as a multi-year program, allowing tyre behaviour to be monitored as the application evolved.
Cui said the award nomination recognition reflected both the tyre solution and the development system connecting site observations, technical analysis, product engineering and in-service monitoring.
The same application-specific development approach informs Techking’s wider mining tyre portfolio, including underground mining tyres and rigid dump truck tyres. Techking Australia was established in 2018 as the company’s first localised international entity, providing technical services and site support for Australian customers.
The local team maintains inventory of tyres and associated components, helping improve product availability when maintenance is required. It also accompanies research and development personnel to mine sites, monitors tyre performance and follows changes in customers’ requirements.
“We say that we think globally but act locally. The team can respond quickly when customer requirements change,” Cui said.
This combines technical resources from across Techking’s business to be applied through people who understand the Australian operating environment.
Cui said the company’s role could also extend beyond the tyre to wheels and related components where a more complete solution was required.
This capability becomes increasingly important as the company moves into larger off-the-road products and has been progressively validated across global markets.
Techking’s portfolio spans truck, construction, surface-mining and underground-mining applications. Its open-pit giant tire range includes 49, 51 and 57-inch tyres.
Each application, especially in the mining sector, requires not only the right product to handle harsh conditions but also the right technical and aftermarket support.
In Australian mining, autonomous haulage is changing how tyre requirements are defined. Operating conditions need to be considered from the early stages of tyre development, while data collected in service supports condition monitoring and maintenance.
The joint-development model enables Techking to work with mining customers at an early stage to define these requirements and validate solutions in the field. Autonomous haulage can change duty cycles and operating patterns, potentially affecting tyre loads, wear and heat build-up.
Continuous operation demands reliability and consistent tyre performance.
“You cannot just take a tyre that fits the size and place it into the new application. The product needs to be developed for the way that equipment will operate,” Cui said.
Australia provides a demanding environment in which to advance that work.
For Techking, the country is a long-term strategic market where complex mining applications create opportunities to improve existing products and develop new ones.
“Volume is important, but it is not our first objective. The aim is to build a sustainable and consistent business. We have a long-term plan,” Cui said.
Cui said Techking aims to move beyond tyre supply by combining technical expertise, field insights and lifecycle support to improve reliability and reduce operating costs.
“We do more than deliver tyres,” Cui said.
“Techking’s product development is driven by the changing needs of its customers, with customers participating in the development process rather than simply receiving the finished product.”
This feature appeared in the November 2026 edition of Australian Mining.