Retreading
According to Marangoni, its technologies are utilised for more than 25 per cent of the pre-cure retreading carried out in Europe – and this market share is growing. In order to meet increasing demand, the retreading specialist is increasing its Ringtread production capacity with a new facility.
From Mount Olympus to Grantham: Tyre retreader and fleet management solutions provider Vaculug has presented Zeus, a production system it has developed entirely in-house over a period of three years. This new system integrates state-of-the-art artificial intelligence (AI) technologies and for Vaculug “marks a significant leap forward” in the company’s operational capabilities, while setting “new standards for the industry.”
The Finnish Lapin Kumi and Swedish Colmec tyre businesses are forming what they call “a new sustainable and customer centric tyre services group”. This step follows a similar move by fellow Swedish firms Centrala Gummi and Colmec earlier in the spring. The transaction is expected to close in the third quare 2024, subject to customary closing conditions.
Keolis, a key player in Swedish public transport, has agreed a new long-term cooperation agreement with Colmec starting as early as 1 June 2024.Keolis, a key player in Swedish public transport, has agreed a new long-term cooperation agreement with Colmec starting as early as 1 June 2024.
Marangoni has engaged in a retread cooperation with Prinx Chengshan’s Austone brand of truck and bus tyres. Following the reorganisation of certain aspects of Prinx Chengshan’s commercial vehicle tyre business in the Germany, Austria, Switzerland (DACH) region, which specifically includes refreshing distribution of the company’s Austone and Fortune-branded products, Marangoni experts tested a number of the tyremaker’s casings in Italy.
Long before the topic became a priority in the corporate world, the frequent disposal of tyres in good condition caught the attention of Vipal’s founder, Vicencio Paludo who was at the time owner of a fuel station in Nova Prata, in southern Brazil. This prompted him to acquire machines to retread used tyres. Vipal’s business was consolidated to avoid waste and the generation of residues.
The race series we know as the Goodyear FIA European Truck Racing Championship enters its 40th year in 2024, and Goodyear is set to continue its title partnership and exclusive tyre supply for a ninth season. The opening round will take place at Misano on 25 and 26 May, where Goodyear will debut its next generation of truck racing tyres.
As part of efforts to expand its commercial presence in Africa and the Middle East, Vipal Rubber has announced a new addition to its European team. Alfonso Ibañez comes on board, bringing with him marketing experience within the Middle East and Africa (MEA) region as well as language skills – in addition to his native Spanish, Ibañez is fluent in English and French. He will cater to MEA-based customers, areas that Vipal considers strategic for the expansion and consolidation of the company’s business.
During The Tire Cologne 2024, VMI will form part of the exhibition’s Circular Economy area, and here it will introduce a new upgrade for the Retraxx retreading system. This upgrade comes in the form of an optional auto-wingformer setting for the Retraxx unit’s cushion gum extruder. Instead of the operator manually positioning the wingformers to match the width of the tyre, with the new upgrade this procedure is now completely automated.
One particular example with connections to both the new tyre and retreading businesses is Italian tyre manufacturing equipment specialist Cima Impianti, which is presenting the latest generation of its Ecoline range of vulcanisation presses at The Tire Cologne.
The Bulldog operation was founded in 1974 as part of the Sleaford Tyre Company Group and first supplied retreads to Bridgestone in the mid-1990s, before Bridgestone purchased it outright in 2005. A significant part of Bulldog’s recent history is made up of an increasingly close collaboration with Bridgestone. To be more specific, the two companies started working together in 1992, when Bulldog began making test tyres for Bridgestone. By 1995, Bulldog had become a major Bridgestone retreading partner. 10 years later, the working relationship became closer still when Bridgestone bought Bulldog. And next year market the 20th anniversary of Bridgestone’s Bulldog ownership. In the intervening years, Bridgestone global bought leading pre-cure retreading franchise, Bandag. Meanwhile, in the UK, Bridgestone grew to a position of market leadership in the bus tyre segment around 2017.
Roughly two years ago, Tyres & Accessories visited Alba Tyre Management Ltd for the first time and found a professional retreading operation taking on an increasingly influential position in the Scottish retreading business by following a premium retread strategy. 24 months later, the company has grown by something like 30 per cent. We spoke to director David Wilson as well as company found Alex Wilson in order to find out how Alba has grown at such an impressive rate.
Towards the end of 2023, Phil Robinson, Marangoni senior country manager for the United Kingdom, Republic of Ireland and United Arab Emirates, explained the importance of the UK tyre retreading sector to sustainability as part of the annual NTDA Tyre Industry Conference. A few months later the specific impact of Marangoni’s success on the wider retreading business in the region is now becoming apparent.
Bandvulc has widened the range of its fifth-generation BD5 ultra-high mileage drive tyre. Launched at the inaugural 2022 Road Transport Expo, replacing the BD08 in the Fleetmaster range, the BD5 will now also be available as a 315/80 tyre from March.
Supported by the University of Trento’s Department of Industrial Engineering, Marangoni recently conducted a lifecycle assessment (LCA) of one of its pre-cure retreaded truck tyre products, the Ringtread Blackline WSS 300 M. It compared this with a new tyre intended for the same application. Marangoni and the department tested both tyres in size 385/65R22.5.
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Cima Impianti