50 years of British retreads: Bandvulc marks half-century at forefront of sustainable production
The importance of retreading as part of the circular economy is well-known in 2021. But when Devon-based Bandvulc started reusing rubber to make retread tyres back in 1971, sustainability was neither part of our everyday vocabulary, nor a standard manufacturing practice. 50 years on from its humble beginnings retreading just 30 tyres a week purely for local use, Bandvulc has grown to become the UK’s foremost tyre retreader, producing one premium quality retread tyre every three minutes to serve commercial vehicle customers across the country. To mark its half-century in operation, and five years on from Bandvulc’s acquisition by Continental Tyres in 2016, Tyres & Accessories looks back on the company’s history of pioneering retread technology, prolonging the lifespan of tyres, reducing waste ending up in landfill, and contributing to lower carbon emissions in tyre production, driving sustainability as it moves into its 51st year.
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Continental reopens Mazatlán, Mexico retreading factory
Continental has reopened its Mazatlán, Sinaloa, Mexico retreading factory in alliance with Vitallantas Servicio. The tyre manufacturing partners report that the implementation of a more functional and sustainable system helped make the reopening possible.
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Perivallon: Kraiburg Austria brings first water-based solution to market
Retreading companies face significant challenges these days due to growing demand upon them to ensure greater operational reliability, workplace health and safety, and environmental protection. This certainly applies to the conventional spraying and coating solutions used in both mould cure and pre-cure retreading. These products contain petrol and are classed as hazardous goods that are subject to strict specifications and restrictions, including in the transportation of these hazardous goods, their storage and the processing and disposal of the empty containers as special waste.
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Obituary – David Edwards (1944 – 2021)
It was with great sadness that we learned of the death of David Edwards on 15th May. David suffered a fall at home and passed away after a short spell in hospital. The Edwards family was well-known in the UK tyre business in the 1960s and the four brothers – John, Mike, Dennis and David – built up a successful group of 10 tyre depots in and around East Anglia, which they eventually sold to Dunlop in 1961.
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Bandvulc introduces Wastemaster 5
The latest tyre in the Bandvulc Wastemaster range is ready for launch following extensive testing and field trials. Bandvulc developed, tested and produced this fifth-generation product at its Ivybridge factory. The Wastemaster 5 will replace the Wastemaster III, a proven product in the waste sector that has been around for more than 20 years.
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Marangoni’s Rovereto workforce concerned for future as Vipal deal looms
Marangoni’s positive recent business figures could have a sting in their tail for 188 workers at the manufacturer’s Rovereto, Italy plant. Negotiations with Brazilian retread supplier Vipal Rubber about a potential majority takeover of the Italian Marangoni Group are at an “advanced stage”, according to local press. According to the Corriere del Trentino, the regional edition of the Corriere della Sera, unions are increasingly worried about the future of Rovereto.
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Marangoni finances improving, Vipal Rubber pushing for takeover
The Marangoni Group made money again last year despite significantly declining sales. With key figures improving, questions of the future relationship between the Italian firm and global retreading supplier Vipal Rubber reappears. The Brazilian company acquired a majority share in Marangoni Tread North America via a joint venture in 2019 and is reportedly about to take over the Marangoni activities in Latin America, which are currently being restructured. It would very much like to take over the entire company. Vittorio Marangoni, president of the Marangoni Group, confirmed that negotiations were ongoing between the firms three years ago to Tyres & Accessories. These could now also end positively in the interests of Vipal Rubber as part of a capital increase, according to company sources.
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Bandvulc launches mobile-first technical website
Bandvulc has unveiled a new website, which has been created as a mobile-first tyre information portal, providing technicians with easy to view detailed, technical information about each Bandvulc retread tyre whilst giving customers an overview of tyres by application type, to aid tyre choice.
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Italmatic acquires Go Energy and continues focus on technologies
Italmatic has announced the acquisition of Roverto, Italy-based Go Energy Srl (previously SD Meccanica), a specialist in the field of tyre manufacturing robotics. The acquisition adds to Italmatic’s status as a global leader in terms of technology and comprehensiveness of the range of machinery and accessories it offers the tyre retreading and repair industries.
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Romanian car tyre retreader Radburg prospering in adversity
Founded in roughly 1994 as a casing collection company which focused on imports, Radburg is now one of the leading retreaders in Europe and certainly the biggest car tyre retreader in Eastern Europe and Romania. What’s different about Radburg compared with most of the other retreaders across the continent, is that the majority of Radburg’s annual retreaded tyre output (70 per cent) is made up of passenger car products.
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Marangoni Retreading Systems raising prices in June
Marangoni is raising prices for retreading materials in all global markets. It reports that as of 1 June, sales prices for the tyre retreading rubber materials offered by its Retreading Systems division will increase by 0.20 euros to 0.30 euros per kilogramme, depending on the product.
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Continental investigating the feasibility of car tyre retreading
In spite of weaker volumes in recent times, truck tyre retreading remains an established part of the commercial vehicle tyre market. In contrast and despite obvious environmental advantages, the use of retreading to give car tyres a second life has long been little more than a niche business. But this may change and car tyre retreading may one day re-enter the mainstream.
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Vaculug launches new Waste Protektor
Vaculug has launched a new tyre designed for the waste sector. The Waste Protektor urban all position tyre features a five-rib Protekt+ dual sidewall protection system. The company says the system provides “the best defence against kerbing damage.”
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RMA quits BIPAVER, Vaculug joins as individual member
The association representing the UK’s retreading industry is no longer a member of European retreading trade association BIPAVER. According to the Retread Manufacturers Association (RMA), its departure from BIPAVER on 31 December 2020 is unrelated to Brexit.
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Marangoni celebrates 20 years in Brazil
As of 24 April, the Marangoni factory in Brazil is 20 years old. Inaugurated in 2001, the plant in Minas Gerais state was instrumental in introducing the Ringtread system to markets throughout Latin America, and as such has fulfilled Marangoni’s mission of providing tyre retreaders and their customers with “a higher quality product” suited to a continent that’s home to one of the world’s largest road networks.
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