Retreading
On January 15 the first precure was manufactured at Rösler’s new retreading facility in Perth, Australia. The retread bearing the serial number RA 001001 was made on a 27.00R49 casing owned by Rio Tinto, and will go into service at one of their iron ore mines in Western Australia.
Vacu-Lug Traction Tyres has invested £150,000 in a latest-generation, twin-headed fully-automated buffing machine to ensure the greatest possible accuracy in the preparation of its retread tyre casings. Capable of working to a tolerance of one millimetre, the new Danish-built SI0 buffing machine is reportedly being used in the production of Vacu-Lug's Duramold range of premium quality retread tyres.
"Our new machine is fully computer-controlled and has been pre-programmed with data for every tyre in the Duramold range," said Vacu-Lug Plant Manager, Brian Barron. "Our casings typically require between two and three millimetres of rubber above the steel belt and this machine can achieve that with pinpoint accuracy. In practice, this enables us to work to the most exacting quality standards, with a perfect result every time for any retread tyre from 17.5-inch through to the largest super-single."
Visitors to Tyrexpo Africa in Johannesburg in early March will have more than 140 exhibitors to talk business with as they look to take advantage of exclusive brand opportunities with tyre suppliers and improve the efficiency of their businesses with the latest workshop equipment, consumables and services. According to the show’s organisers, the third staging of Tyrexpo Africa (4, 5 and 6 March 2010 at the Sandton Convention Centre (SCC), Johannesburg) has experienced a late surge of exhibitor bookings taking the show to near stand space capacity.
Italian OTR retreading specialist Gomme Piave reports having been granted ISO 9001:2008 certificated through TÜV Austria. The company also states that from now on it can supply all tyres in its entire retread range with a treatment that protects the casing structure from the effects of hazardous substances, thereby making them particularly suitable for use in industrial waste disposal duties that pose a risk of oil contamination.
Vipal Europe has announced plans to increase the prices of its retreading materials and repair products by 10 per cent on 1 February 2010. According to the Brazilian-based company’s European manager, Alessandro Bottesini Campos, the increase is due to market conditions and adjustment of some raw material costs: “Like all other manufacturers Vipal Europe has been impacted by the increases in transport, energy and labour costs.” Vipal Europe’s price increase, applies to all European countries served by the company. Different price increases may apply to other “specific regions or products.”
The US recently imposed tariffs aimed at preventing Chinese manufacturers from dumping cheap tyres in the market, and now China faces its own dumping problems of a different nature – customs officials there report seizing more than 8,500 tonnes of smuggled waste tyres sent from the US. According to the General Administration of Customs, some 366 shipping containers filled with tyres arrived in the coastal city of Guangzhou via Hong Kong between December 2008 and February 2009, where they remained until their discovery in December 2009. Three suspected smugglers were subsequently arrested.
Vipal has launched a new logo for 2010. And, according to the company's launch announcement, "a new attitude is arising" along with the company's refreshed corporate identity.
New premium brand OTR tyres used in the mining and construction industries can costs as much as US$25,000 each, yet TRIB, the Tire Retread & Repair Information Bureau, reports a number of its members are able to produce retreads that fully match the hour/mileage performance of these products – for a price that is around 30 to 40 per cent less.
The third Reifen China exhibition, held in Shanghai between 11 and 13 November 2009, hosted 6,693 visitors (1,333 international visitors) during the show’s three days. These were welcomed to the show by exhibitors mainly from the world's largest production market. In addition to the wide variety of Chinese and international tyre manufacturers and traders at the show, the 2009 event featured an increased number of retreading equipment and consumables companies (such as tyre valve suppliers) over previous years.
Off The Road Tyre Mart Inc. of the Philippines has joined TRIB, reports Tire Review. The new member is a well-established tyre distributor and is considering adding a medium truck radial retreading facility in the Philippines, TRIB said.
Marangoni and Pirelli Tyre have signed a collaboration agreement covering the retreading of heavy vehicle tyres. This new agreement reinforces the previous deal signed in 2003 for Europe, and recently extended to incorporate South America, a region where Pirelli holds undisputed truck tyre segment leadership and Marangoni has developed an important, qualified presence in the retread market.
Bridgestone recently completed its 2009 series of Truck Point Roadshows, presenting to 240 people at five venues across the UK. The roadshows are a vehicle for Bridgestone to communicate with its network of servicing dealers and present the latest news regarding fleets, products and business growth. The main messages from these roadshows were the growth of the business, and how to improve further on the service to their fleet customers, through IT tools and tyre husbandry.
In the last four years Bridgestone’s UK truck tyre fleet business has evolved from an influential player into a market leader. This includes major fleet gains such as SITA waste, ARR Craib, TRL, Rotala and Shearings in 2009 alone. When you consider that fleet sales through from Bridgestone’s Truck Point network of independent dealers have tripled in the same period, it is clear that Truck Point has and will play a key part in the company’s future development. If the title of this year’s Truck Point roadshow (Into the Next Decade) is anything to go by, Bridgestone is banking on the continued and long-term prosperity of this key distribution channel. To this end Bridgestone also gave details of how the Bandag integration is progressing and news of a new product launch scheduled for 2010.
TRIB, the Tire Retread & Repair Information Bureau, reports the addition of German retreading machinery manufacturer Collmann GmbH & Co to its ranks. The Lübeck based company, which began manufacturing buffers and other retread related machinery more than 70 years ago, is today recognised as a world leader in retread and other tyre related machinery.
Speaking at last week’s Bridgestone Truck Point roadshow, Bridgestone UK retread sales manager Les Lawrence and Bandag UK sales manager Ross Medlyn explained the latest developments in the continuing process of integrating Bandag into Bridgestone. While everyone agrees that the process of integration remains an ongoing project, Ross Medlyn specifically described the two operations’ current status as “fully integrated.” What this means is that Bridgestone and Bandag products are already being sold side-by-side, with the two ranges evolving to reflect the influence of the merger. It is also representative of what is and will happen in other European markets.
Trelleborg Wheel Systems has opted to use extender oils that comply with limits on Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) ahead of the January 2010 deadline. According to the company, the new extender oils will maintain “the excellent overall performance of Trelleborg tyres” while respecting the environment. European Directive EC/2005/69 and REACH Regulation EC/1907/2006 impose restrictions in the use of polyaromatic hydrocarbons in extender oils and tyres. Ahead of these regulations coming into force, Trelleborg says its entire range of agricultural, forestry and industrial tyres will now comply.
Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAH) are traditionally ingredients of extender oils that are used as plasticizers and compound viscosity reducers in the manufacturing of tyres. EU Directive 76/769/EEC places restrictions on the marketing and use of certain dangerous substances and preparations and has been amended on several occasions since it was first approved in 1976. The 27th amendment makes reference to PAH and was published as a separate directive, EU Directive 2005/69/EC, to highlight the restriction in the use of PAH in extender oils and tyres.
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