Compound Growth

Marangoni Pneumatici has been active in the industrial tyres sector for 20 years with percentage growth figures around the double-digit mark for each of those years. Now in order to fulfil growing demand for its products, Marangoni is evaluating the possible expansion of its total production capacity through a project in “a competitive labour cost country.” Marangoni’s existing industrial tyre capacity offers a range of products including resilient solid tyres, press on bands tyres and pneumatic tyres. The current manufacturing site is ISO 9001 certified.

Marangoni is one of Europe’s leading producers of solid and pneumatic forklift truck tyres. Its OE customers include forklift producers like Linde, Toyota and Nacco. Not wishing to give too much away, Marangoni representatives say the company is also the largest supplier to one of the most influential forklift manufacturers. We’ll let you guess which one that is. Either way, from Marangoni’s perspective the “determining factor” as far as quality is concerned is the compounds used in the development of its tyres.

First off, 95 per cent of the company’s super-elastic tyres are produced with natural rubber, with significant advantages in terms of resistance to wear and tear, abrasions, reduced energy consumption and greater overall performance. These products can also be manufactured in a range of special compounds – from “non marking” to high-load and even antistatic tyres specifically designed for environments at high risk of explosion. The product range includes three classic types (super-elastic, cushion and pneumatic) and covers a wide range of applications: from forklifts, raised platforms, port equipment, trailers, crane, bulldozers to airport trailer carts.

“Our premium product is the super-elastic Eltor, especially our latest version, the Eltor 4, has some very unique characteristics. More specifically, the tread is wider and of greater diameter with a deeper tread in respect to most tyres of similar make. It also offers a longer durability as well as greater grip,” company representatives told Tyres & Accessories. The novelty of the 2006 line up, however, is a special asymmetrical tyre designed for forklifts used in ports. The product offering is completed by a series of accessories, which include rims, ring protectors and fitting presses.

Marangoni’s main distribution channel is through owned subsidiaries and a selected network of retailers managed trough a growing sales force. According to the company, “the constant effort in the development of its geographical presence has led to strong partnerships with experienced industrial specialists like Wenzel Industrie in Bremen, Germany.

Wenzel-Industrie says it plans to work even more closely with Marangoni Pneumatici since the company a minority stake in the company in June, according to managing director Wolfgang Wenzel. In addition to Marangoni products Wenzel-Industrie will keep distributing its other ranges. Massimo De Alessandri, managing director of Marangoni Holding, agrees and says he is glad to cooperate with the company. This examples fits in nicely with Marangoni’s efforts to develop a wide and efficient network of after sales services to the fork lift end users.

Who needs roads?

Marangoni describes itself as the “undisputed leader” in the OTR/earthmover retread sector. “Today, our range is the largest available in the retreaded sector. It goes from tyres for loaders to those for rigid and articulated dumpers, to specific sector like those developed for industrial service. We create rubber compounds, patterns and moulds for every type of use as well as those made ad hoc. The possible combinations of designs, tread depth (from standard to extra-deep), and specific rubber compounds are vast and are able to meet the most particular of the market’s demands,” reports company literature.

The larger sized industrial tyre lines are further examples of Marangoni’s emphasis on the importance of rubber compounds. The introduction of new sizes is also an important technological breakthrough for the company, having released the (27.00 for 49-inch) only last year. In this extra-large range, the 27.00-49 for rigid dumpers – up to 100 tonnes – leads the programme. “By the end of this year, we will have developed the retread of the 51 inches up to the 36.00 – 51 for rigid dumpers and from 39 and 45 inches up to 45/65-45 for loaders,” company officials told Tyres & Accessories.