CIMA Impianti: From Italy to the World

Today, when we speak of and write about the European retreading market, it is all too often the major material suppliers or retreaders we refer to, even though machinery and equipment manufacturers are equally core to the quality of the retreading process and the finished product the end consumer finally receives. A company that – over the course of 50 years – has evolved into a prominent player in the European retreading business is Italy’s CIMA Impianti. And while achieving this, the manufacturer of vulcanising presses and moulds has also managed to secure a foothold in the new tyre industry with its products. Thus for many years CIMA has also supplied new tyre manufacturers. A third avenue for sales comes from the company’s supply of ancillary equipment for tyre retreading.

One of the latest developments within CIMA Impianti’s product line-up follows a general market trend; in recent years global demand for OTR tyres has been growing but supply has not been able to keep pace with this. Consequently, the demand for retreaded OTR tyres has also, in hand with the shortage of new tyres, increased during these years. Because one person’s need is always someone else’s order, CIMA Impianti has developed two retreading presses for the OTR tyre sector, and with these presses has established itself in the very profitable OTR tyre market.

In the words of the Italian company, which is based in Pistoia near Florence, these latest developments are a suitable addition to CIMA’s product portfolio. The two fully automated retreading presses, the RP11 and RP14, are respectively able to accommodate OTR tyres ranging from 35 to 49 inch (including 45/65 R45 and 27.00 R49) or from 57 to 63 inch. These state of the art units feature “all the positive and tested properties of our classical CIMA RP series,” says CIMA president Massimo Capecchi. The RP series also includes vulcanising presses for the retreading of aircraft, passenger car, light truck, 4×4, as well as agricultural tyres. Subsequently, CIMA Impianti can be regarded as manufacturing and distributing a complete line-up of vulcanising presses. Along with these retreading units, the long-established company offers several vulcanising presses for the production of new tyres, mostly passenger car and solid tyres.

Although CIMA also supplies products to the new tyre industry, the company has placed a clear focus upon its position within the retreading business, Mr Capecchi continues. In conjunction with the production of vulcanising presses, CIMA also produces moulds for the hot-cure retreading process plus pre-cured treads and moulds for the new tyre industry. Curing moulds are fabricated from steel or aluminium and cover sizes ranging from motorcycle tyres up to giant OTR tyres.

Following the founding of CIMA Impianti in 1953, the company initially engaged in the production of curing moulds. But very soon it expanded its line-up with the production of vulcanising presses, as described above. However it was only during the 1970s, when breakthroughs in radial tyre technology occurred and CIMA was able to supply suitable vulcanising presses, that the Italian company developed into an international market player. According to the company, CIMA vulcanising presses have long been the only presses available for the retreading of radial tyres.

At the same time the company has been able to establish itself as a leading provider of turnkey plants for tyre retreading. Today its mission is to supply customers with “reliable high-quality equipment, covering all retreading needs”, Mr Capecchi concludes. This includes not only vulcanising presses and moulds, but also casing inspection machines, buffing machines, extruders and builders, regrooving machines, autoclaves, although the latter are not produced at CIMA. Furthermore, CIMA Impianti also offers an extensive aftersales service.