Michelin Launches ‘Self-Generating’ Retread

(Akron/Tire Review) Michelin Retread Technologies has introduced the Michelin XDA Hypersipe tread stock, which it claims is the “first self-regenerating retread.” As the tread wears, Michelin North America said, sipes molded into the bottom of the tread appear “giving improved worn traction over the life of the retread.”

The bottom sipes appear at approximately half tread depth, said Michelin, and last “literally down to the last usable 32nd of tread.” The new tread will produced at Michelin Retread Technology’s tread pressing plant in Covington, Ga., and the product will be available in limited quantities in August. Michelin said additional quantites and tread widths will be added later.

“The Michelin Hypersipe maximizes the potential of pre-cure retreading,” said John Melson, research director for truck tires at Michelin Americas Research Corp. “The underside of the tread package had been a forgotten frontier for innovation. Now it’s delivering a real performance benefit that helps maintain the traction of the retread consistently over its entire life cycle.”