Bridgestone Invests £400,000 in UK Retreading

Bridgestone UK has invested £400,000 in a twin head Alpha builder. According to the company, the purchase has been made following Bridgestone’s “rapid growth” within the UK retread market. Terry Salter, retread development manager, commented: “This is a part of a long term investment strategy designed to enhance capacity and quality.”

The cutting edge technology includes a twin head cold feed extruder builder (the Alpha twin) incorporating a 120mm cold feed pin barrel. It means that it is capable of processing more sophisticated and tougher tread compounds to meet current and future service demands.

Furthermore, the machine is said to enhance product and processing quality through the use of a robotic calendar building head, ensuring absolute precision during the tread building process. Twin hydraulic expandable chucks facilitate the ability to build tyres on one head whilst the other is being dismounted and re-loaded for the next cycle. As cycle time is reduced, output is maximised and efficiency is improved. The machine has also been ergonomically designed to optimise operator health, safety and performance.

David Gray, managing director Bulldog Remoulds, which is both home to and owned by Bridgestone’s retreading department, commented: “This investment will help Bridgestone to remain at the forefront of the retread industry and expand in a number of market sectors.”