Retreading
It’s now been about 18 months since Bridgestone launched its new U-AP 001 all-position truck tyre, and this line-up has now been joined by corresponding Bandag treads. Bridgestone says this new range of urban-application Bandage retreads “fits seamlessly” within the company’s Total Tyre Life offer and is available in sizes to match the Bridgestone U-AP 001 as well as for other brand casings.
The Tire Retread & Repair Information Bureau says it will be present as an exhibitor at The Great American Trucking Show in Dallas, Texas from 27 to 29 August. The organisation views trades exhibitions such as this as “important opportunities to speak directly to end-users to showcase the benefits of retreaded tyres,” and during the show will display a large-screen version of its two latest videos (The Environmental Benefits of Retreading and The True Causes of Rubber on the Roads) and distribute copies of its 16-page ‘Understanding Retreading’ brochure.
Vipal Rubber says it invests in technology and in the development of products that save money while minimising their environmental impact, and the latest Vipal release to arise from this focus is the VT170 ECO. The retreading materials producer reports that this freight haulage tread was recently verified by the SmartWay Transport programme in the USA. To date the Latin American market leader is the only retreading products manufacturer in South America to achieve this validation.
Goodyear has released announced the release of the company’s G186 MSA (mixed-service, all-position) UniCircle retread, which features spliceless UniCircle Technology. The G186 MSA UniCircle boasts three zig-zag circumferential grooves for extra all-season traction, a long-wearing compound for increased tread life, and other features.
Marangoni Retreading Systems reports the installation of a new Ringbuilder 3003 at the plant operated by Reifen Müller GmbH, one of Europe’s largest retreaders. The long-time Marangoni partner was the first European retreader to use the Ringbuilder technology, and this additional machine gives the Reifen Müller facility in Germany the capacity to turn out a further 200 tyres every eight hour shift.
Retreading specialist Marangoni intends to integrate the distribution of all product lines within its German operation, and to help achieve this goal Christoph Frost has joined the management of Marangoni Retreading Systems Deutschland GmbH as managing director, sales and marketing D-A-CH. He began in this role on 1 July and as such takes on responsibility for distribution of pre-cure retreading materials in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Frost retains his existing positions as managing director of Wenzel Industrie GmbH and of recently-acquired OTR tyre retreader Recamax Reifen GmbH.
According to several national and regional dailies, workers have responded with strong emotions to a jobs notification posted within the Goodyear Dunlop retreading facility in Wolverhampton, which the company proposes to close in response to changing market conditions. The notification in question, as reported by the Express & Star, offers Goodyear Dunlop workers job opportunities within the human resources, production and quality departments of a company plant in Mexico.
Vipal representatives gave a presentation on reusing raw materials, especially considering the technology used by the company in this respect during the recent International Rubber Conference 2015 in Nuremberg, Germany.
The Tire Industry Association (TIA) has released names of candidates for US association’s 2015 Board of Directors election. The TIA membership will vote in open elections to place four individuals onto the TIA Board for three-year terms. nominees for TIA’s Board of Directors are:
Retreaders in the developed European and North American markets often perform a balancing act – production levels must be high enough to ensure acceptable profits, but at the same time logistics need to remain manageable. The greater the distance between a retreader and its customer base, the more demanding and expensive the delivery of casings and finished tyres becomes. And while retreaders in non-mature markets face other issues, these must also be kept in check in order for retreading to be worthwhile. VMI, a market leader in the development, manufacture and supply of production machinery for the tyre and retreading industries, wants to tip the balance in favour of retreaders both here and around the world. This summer it is introducing a new product programme that may just do that.
Tamworth-based Polymer Recyclers Ltd (PRL) is putting together a case for a retread compound with recycled tyre crumb as a major ingredient. The company says it is currently retreading and trialling retread compound containing 35 per cent rubber crumb. It calculates that this method could yield a material saving of 25 per cent.
With more low-cost Asian-produced imports entering key European markets than ever, many within the retreading and wider truck tyre industry are anxious to address what they see as a growing concern. For them there are several problems with the continuing influx of Chinese tyres, but two points are particularly key: the increasing cost difference and increased quality disparities seen in the market. Both undermine the retread market and even its long-term future. As far as retreaders are concerned, the problem is that good quality and environmentally sound retreads are being priced out of the market by cheap first-life truck tyres bought as “disposable” items at virtually cost-price levels. All this raises questions that impact the whole market: How bad is the situation now? How has it got to this stage? What is the impact on new truck tyres and retreads alike? Tyres & Accessories recently met with representatives of the Retread Manufacturers Association (RMA) as well as leading retread and new tyre manufacturers in order to find out more.
The Tyre Recovery Association’s (TRA) Recycling Day, a one-day conference and dinner organised in partnership with the Retread Manufacturers Association, was held at the Ardencote Manor, Warwickshire on Friday, 19 June. Attended by representatives of the tyre and waste recycling industries, the conference included presentations covering the key themes of regulations and enforcement, best practise and innovation, and common causes and issues facing the industry. The unity of the various trade bodies struck a particularly strong note throughout the day, not just through the joint organisation of the event between the Retread Manufacturers Association (RMA) and the TRA, but with strong backing given to the event by association directors representing the whole of the UK tyre industry. The Recycling Day also marked an occasion for celebration, as the TRA celebrated its tenth anniversary.
Following Goodyear Dunlop Tyres UK’s proposal to close its Wolverhampton mixing and retreading facility, Tyrepress spoke to the managing director of Goodyear Dunlop UK, Erich Fric, who explained the business reasons for the decision. “We’ve taken the decision to put this proposal forward based on the economic environment, and in order to keep our companies competitive in the long term,” Fric said.
There’s been no happy ending in the insolvency proceedings related to German retreader Respa. Our sister publication Neue Reifenzeitung reports insolvency administrator Elisabeth Roggenhofer as confirming the permanent closure of the Respa retreading operation in Passau. The 19 employees at the Respa GmbH retreading facility have received their notice of termination.
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