Retreading
The Fred Sherwood Group reports significant improvements in vehicle downtime since selecting Vacu-Lug to manage its fleet tyre requirements.
Starting from June 2016 the contract covers tyre supply and tyre management for all the transport companies within The Fred Sherwood Group, including Bulk Freight (Midlands), F. Sherwood & Sons (Shepshed), George Varney (Bulk Services) and KJ Transport.
Vipal has appointed Leandro Rigon as the retreading materials and supplies manufacturer’s new international business director.
Rigon has been part of the Vipal team for over 20 years. He began his career in the company as a technician in the Brazilian market in 1995. With a degree in sales and marketing, he also has more than 15 years’ experience in the international market
On the 4 July, as the USA began to celebrate its independence day, Continental AG’s UK subsidiary (Continental Tyre Group) announced it had bought Bandvulc (B.V. Environmental Ltd.), one of only two substantially sized independent retreaders left in the UK. Legally, the takeover establishes Bandvulc as a wholly owned subsidiary of Continental UK Group Holdings Limited. T&A understands Bandvulc’s existing management team are to continue to lead the business.
European fleets are gearing up for the changeover to winter tyres – and Kraiburg Austria is catering to this by offering its partners a new city bus design, the K702 plus. The drive axle pattern’s design, says Kraiburg, lends itself to outstanding traction and braking characteristics. These qualities are particularly noticeable in extreme climiatic conditions, such as on snow-covered or wet road surfaces. The use of the premium K_plus compound delivers high mileage, even levels of wear and lower operating temperatures. The use of an irregular tread design also ensures that noise development is reduced.
Bandvulc has added Refuse Vehicle Solutions (RVS) to its supply portfolio. RVS handpick all their quality used refuse vehicles and put each one through a rigorous 72-point check to correct all defects, a rigorous approach the two companies say they have in common.
Bridgestone Europe has released an all-new Bandag tread for winter use. The Bandag BDR-WXT drive regional tread is Three-Peak Mountain Snowflake (3PMSF) and M+S marked in recognition of its suitability in extreme, even Nordic winter conditions.
Vittorio Marangoni has taken over as president of Marangoni SpA. His appointment to the position was confirmed at a meeting of the retreading and tyre machinery specialist’s Board of Directors late last month. The Board also named Giuseppe Marangoni the company’s new vice-president, while company founder Mario Marangoni received the title of honorary president as a mark of respect for his more than 60 years of commitment in leading the Marangoni Group.
Continental Tyre Group has bought Bandvulc (B.V. Environmental Ltd.), one of only two substantially sized independent retreaders in the UK. Not only does the deal change the face of UK tyre retreading, it also has a significant impact on commercial vehicle tyre market shares owing to the fact that Continental can now count Bandvulc’s strong fleet management, service provider and independent truck tyre retreader amongst its own. The takeover will establish Bandvulc as a wholly owned subsidiary of Continental UK Group Holdings Limited. T&A understands Bandvulc’s existing management team are to continue to lead the business.
In recent months we have heard much about the decline of retread demand and production at the same time that Chinese truck tyre prices have plumbed to new depths. Of course this paints a very negative picture for the retreading business in the UK – where low-costs imports have historically been more popular than the average European state – and also across the European tyre markets. The premium new tyre makers have suggested they will weather the storm by pointing out their uniquely strong position with regard to large fleet customers. Because they also produce their own retreads, these firms pointed out that their businesses will remain relatively sheltered by the low quality, oversupply problems facing other independent retreaders. However, such a reading of recent history relies on two premises: 1) that the market remains in undeniable decline and 2) that premium manufacturers with their own retreading options are best positioned to get over this particular bump in the road.
Dawsonrentals truck and trailer has made an exclusive four-year agreement with Bandvulc. Bandvulc reports that it will now work closely with the individual managers at the company’s 30 branches around the UK, collecting tyres from the 11,000 strong truck and trailer fleet and retreading them as needed.
Six years after it began operating in Western Australia, Kal Tire has expanded into Eastern Australia where the majority of major mines operate by buying Klinge & Co. No figure has yet been disclosed.
“Even though our reputation is strong and recognized in many countries, it has been a challenge convincing customers of our credibility inside Australia as our experience there has been limited.” says Dan Allan, senior vice president, Kal Tire’s Mining Tire Group. “With Klinge, Kal Tire aligns with a well-respected, trusted company known to the Australian mining industry and secures our presence as a national tyre service provider.”
At its beach-themed Reifen 2016 stand, Dutch retreader Obo Tyres shared details of a new area it has branched out into. The company has begun retreading drive rollers and rubber agricultural tracks, and displayed a number of these products at the show. The tyre retreader considers the addition of these products to its retreading portfolio a logical step for the company.
According to Bipaver, the number of truck tyres retreaded in Europe has fallen by a third in the last five years, and it fears this trend will continue unless the European Commission moves quickly to implement legislation that protects against the dumping of low-priced new tyres.
Bridgestone introduced a further addition to its service portfolio for commercial vehicle operators at last month’s Reifen trade show in Germany – ‘The Bandag Contract of Trust.’ The tyre maker says this latest offers has been launched in order reassure fleets that Bandag retreaded tyres are not only a safe and reliable alternative to a new set of tyres, but also a solution for reducing fleets’ tyre related costs per kilometre. The Bandag Contract of Trust between Bandag dealers and fleet operators is being progressively rolled out across Europe and applies to tyres retreaded from both Bridgestone and Firestone casings.
Vacu-Lug Traction Tyres has introduced three new retread tyres for the heavier end of the commercial vehicle transport sector. A size 315/80R22.5 model has been added to its Logistik LD01 drive pattern, manufactured using the latest 12-segment, high pressure tyre press. The LD01 provides optimal performance and longevity to reduce operating costs with low rolling resistance and a competitive cost-per-kilometre.
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