Published: April 29, 2025 |

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Bridgestone Corporation and Komatsu have launched a proof of concept (PoC) for a collaborative initiative aimed at providing new solution services to mining customers.

The new program works through the real-time exchange and analysis of tire data from Bridgestone’s advanced tire monitoring system for mining vehicles, Bridgestone iTrack and vehicle data from Komatsu’s large mining equipment monitoring system, Komtrax Plus. By utilizing this data, the companies aim to improve fuel efficiency and extend tire life of mining trucks.

This PoC is being carried out using Komatsu’s mining trucks at a site operated by a mutual customer of Bridgestone and Komatsu.

“We are very pleased to work with Komatsu as a partner to create new customer value in response to our customers’ challenges. Through the further evolution of our mining solution, Smart On-site, developed in partnership with Komatsu, we will contribute to enhancing the safety and productivity of our mining customers,” said Nobuyuki Tamura, executive vice president and representative executive officer, Bridgestone.

“Through this collaboration, we will be able to provide a new DANTOTSU solution that combines Komatsu’s expertise in machinery with Bridgestone’s tire expertise — something neither company could achieve alone. We are thrilled to establish this partnership with Bridgestone and engage in such collaborative efforts. Moving forward, both companies will accelerate our co-creation initiatives to generate new value and become even more valuable partners for our mining customers,” said Shingo Hori, executive officer vice president, Mining Business Division at Komatsu.

Bridgestone collects data such as tire temperature, tire pressure, vehicle location information, and speed through Bridgestone iTrack and analyzes this information. This not only allows them to monitor the tire’s operating environment but also helps in offering mining customers solutions that contribute to the optimization of operations.

Komatsu, through Komtrax Plus, monitors the health and operational status of the mining trucks enabling early detection of anomalies, reducing repair costs, and improving productivity to support customers. By combining the expertise of both Bridgestone and Komatsu, they aim to provide mining customers with higher value-added services and innovative solutions.

In mining operations, one of the critical onsite problems for customers is operational downtime and unplanned stoppages, both of which can be triggered by unexpected external tire damages resulting failure to reach their expected tire life. By integrating data, Bridgestone and Komatsu strive to quickly identify the causes of failures and implement appropriate emergency measures and preventive strategies to extend tire life.

Through the partnership, several key factors that significantly impact fuel efficiency will be analyzed, including:
• Unique features of the haul road (such as slope and surface conditions)
• Vehicle usage patterns (such as driving routes, speed, and load)
• Tire specifications (pattern and material)

Bridgestone and Komatsu are committed to enhancing safety and productivity for customers in the mining sector, contributing to the improvement of total cost of ownership (TCO) while also aiming to reduce CO₂ emissions through decreased fuel consumption and enhancing tire productivity and longevity. Both companies will continue to accelerate our co-creation initiatives to generate new value.

Bridgestone is a global leader in tires and rubber building on its expertise to provide solutions for safe and sustainable mobility. Headquartered in Tokyo, the company employs approximately 130,000 people globally and conducts business in more than 150 countries and territories worldwide. Bridgestone offers a diverse product portfolio of premium tires and advanced solutions backed by innovative technologies, improving the way people around the world move, live, work, and play.

Komatsu develops and supplies technologies, equipment and services for the construction, mining, forklift, industrial and forestry markets. For more than a century, the company has been creating value for its customers through manufacturing and technology innovation, partnering with others to empower a sustainable future where people, business and the planet thrive together. Front-line industries worldwide use Komatsu solutions to develop modern infrastructure, extract fundamental minerals, manage forests and create consumer products. The company’s global service and distributor networks support customer operations to help enhance safety and promote productivity while working to optimize performance.

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