Monarch: At Home in a Niche Market

Ever since tyres first rolled onto the scene, there has also been a need for tyre repairs. For users of earthmover tyres, which are often used in intense operating conditions, tyre repair represents a particularly substantial contribution towards the maintenance of their value – the costs incurred with these tyres can quickly amount to a high five-digit figure. Since the early 1970s British company Monarch Vulcanising Systems has entirely dedicated itself to this niche market – with continued success, as company president Toni Elderfield shared during Tyrexpo Asia.

Monarch Vulcanising Systems – including the Guernsey based factory it opened about two years ago – is the only company in the world that exclusively focuses upon tyre repair equipment without also supplying the corresponding repair materials. Nevertheless, the company is a world leader in providing earthmover tyre repair. One reason for this is that Monarch possesses a lightweight, and thus easy to transport, repair system. According to Toni Elderfield, even the equipment required to repair the largest earthmover tyre in the world will fit without a hassle in the boot of a car. Damage to a tyre’s sidewall can also be fixed in the same way as tread damage using the mobile “Monaflex” repair system. The particular advantage of the Monaflex system is that it requires only a low temperature and low pressure for the vulcanisation of the applied repair materials.

As Monarch Vulcanising Systems has a strong concentration of customers in Southeast Asia and Australia, the British firm decided that this year it would maintain a presence at Tyrexpo Asia for a third time. These regions are, incidentally, the world’s largest mining regions, and therefore a particular need for a mobile earthmover tyre repair system exists. Although the company has been based in the UK from the very start, Toni Elderfield adds that Europe is not considered to be the principal market it supplies.