Kabat Company Increases Capacity 60%
At the beginning of 2009 Polish tyre tube and rubber product manufacturer Kabat Company reported that it increased its annual production capacity by 60 per cent after purchasing equipment from Goodyear-Debica.
Retreading
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TRIB Addressses Canadian Parliament, Prime Minister
Product NewsThe following is an open letter to Prime Minister Steven Harper and all members of the Canadian parliament, written July 28 by Harvey Brodsky, managing director of the Tire Retread & Repair Information Bureau:
Dear Prime Minister Harper and all Members of the Canadian Parliament,
The Tire Retread & Repair Information Bureau is an international non-profit, member owned industry association. I am writing today on behalf of our Canadian members in the tire retread and tire repair industries to bring to your attention the tremendous contribution our members make to both the environment and the economy throughout Canada.
Taray Sets up Team USA Domestic Group
Product NewsTaray International Corp. introduced team USA, headed by Craig Russell (formerly of Multi-Seal Corp.), to serve as the company’s domestic sales, marketing and service group. “For the past 30 years, Taray has provided its international customers with top quality products and unrivaled service at very competitive prices. With the introduction of Team USA, our domestic clients can now enjoy the same level of service and quality as our international clients,” the company said in a press release.
Team USA is a group of field representatives divided into three territories across the U.S., allowing Taray to meet the needs of customers much faster, according to the company. Taray supplies tyre retreading supplies, automotive service equipment and commercial tyre products, including Bosch rubber extruder sales and repair; expandable rim sales and refurbishing; hand and pneumatic tools; and much more. For more information, visit www.taray.com. (Tire Review/Akron)
Goodyear Adds Texas Dealer as Authorized Retreader
Product NewsHeintschel Tire & Service Inc. is converting its commercial truck tyre retreading operation to Goodyear’s pre-cure and patented UniCircle retreading processes at its retreading plant. “We feel Goodyear offers customers products that help provide fleets and truck operators the cradle-to-grave tire solutions they want,” said Garry Heintschel, vice president and co-owner of Heintschel Tire. “That’s why we decided to make the move to Goodyear. We feel Goodyear is moving in the same direction that we need to go and at the speed in which we need to respond to our customers.
Pat Demianenko, national sales manager for Goodyear Retread Systems, said Goodyear is pleased to have Heintschel Tire as an authorized Goodyear retreader. “Heintschel Tire has a strong reputation among its customers and its peers as a leading tire retreader that’s committed to producing quality products and supporting them with great service,” Demianenko said.
Suntex Promotes Retreads
Product NewsSun Tyre Industries Sdn Bhd (Suntex) Malaysia’s largest tyre retreading company, is promoting the safety and reliability of retreaded tyres. According to national news agency Bernama, Suntex’s general manager Chin Hon Meng said some people have a misconception about retreaded tyres, confusing then with some ‘over-regrooved’ tyres available in Asia.
Chin said that retreaded tyres are used by over 60 per cent of the industries in Malaysia, including agriculture, mining, public transport and cargo handling. “Many industrial and light commercial vehicles are using retreaded tyres. About 80 per cent of the world’s aircraft are using retreaded tyres too,” he said, adding: “To produce safe, reliable and good quality tyres encompasses various key processes, such as on selection of good quality casings it is essential to have proper screening using the shearography tyre test system, buffing and punctures repair, and final pre-delivery quality control checks,” he said.
UK Launch for Michelin Earthmover Tyre Repair Programme
Product NewsMichelin claims another industry first with the launch of its accredited earthmover tyre repairs programme, which is designed to raise the standard of repairs and ensure increased safety, performance and value for operators. Launched in partnership with Rema Tip-Top, this UK initiative has been developed by Michelin as a worldwide pilot ahead of its possible introduction in other countries.
“There are national standards in place for the repair of road tyres but currently no legislation which sets a standard for off-road tyre repairs,” explained Chris Logan, commercial director of Michelin Earthmover and Industrial Operations.
Thai Retread Plant to Boost Bridgestone’s Asian Activities
Product NewsAsian markets hold great potential for retreaders. To boost sales within this region and develop its solutions business in Japan, Asia and China, Bridgestone is investing some 5.2 billion yen (£34.7 million) in building a new precure retreading plant in Thailand. Construction at the 43,600 square metre site, located approximately 60 kilometres southeast of Bangkok, begins in July 2009 and the facility is scheduled to enter service in November 2010. The plant will employ around 100 staff when production commences and by the second half of 2013 capacity is anticipated to reach 30 tons per day.
M.I.G. Talk of New Retreading Factory
Product NewsM.I.G. is a major rubber industry company with headquarters located in Anagni some 50 kilometres south of Rome. During its 50 years in existence the company has gained extensive knowledge and experience in the tyre retreading field. Consequently, it says that it has been able to establish an outstanding reputation for product quality and service excellence. M.I.G. manufactures and exports curing tubes, bladders and envelopes throughout the world.
The company has recently completed the building of a new state-of-the-art factory covering an area of 30,000 square metres. From here M.I.G. says that it will be able to meet the demands of all retreaders, be it for hot cure process with tube or bladder presses or, for precure plants with double envelope, envelope/tube or a rimless envelope system.
TRIB MD Brodsky Writes Open Letter to Obama, Congress
Product NewsTire Retread and Repair Information Bureau managing director Harvey Brodsky has written an open letter to US president Barack Obama and the members of Congress in general, praising the work of the bureau’s members in advancing retreads as a viable, safe alternative to new tyres. Brodsky also included the bureau’s Retread Tire Information Pack, illustrating “the environmental and economic benefits of retreaded tyres.” The full content of the letter is reproduced below.
Kraiburg Complies Early With New Directive
Product NewsOn January 1st 2010, European Directive 76/796/EEC comes into force. The new Directive prescribes limits on the permissible percentage of processing oils containing PAHs (polycyclic aroma¬tic hydrocarbons) which are subject to declaration. It will be illegal to produce tyres which do not conform to the specified limits. Processing oils plasticise the rubber compound, making it more flexible and pliable during the blending process.
However, Kraiburg’s retreading partners needn’t worry, as the company started to adapt all its precure retreads back in 1997 and completed the process at the beginning of 2007. The aim was to ensure that customers adhering to the Kraiburg three-year shelf life policy for precured treads would not have non-compliant goods in stock at the beginning of next year.
Ellerbrock Mixing Plant Doubles Output After Fire
Product NewsEarlier this week Ellerbrock Reifenrunderneuerungs-Technologie GmbH puts its new North Hamburg (Henstedt-Ulzburg) mixing facility into operation. As a result of the six million euro investment, the plant has also taken on a completely new role within the Marangoni Group.
Bandvulc Retreader Best in the Country
Product NewsA Bandvulc employee has scored the highest mark in the country for Retread Process Workship Practice. Justin Holloway was one of eight from the Ivybridge-based company that successfully completed the City & Guilds course. The eight employees started the course in September 2008 with weekly in-house tuition and self study covering all 12 sections of the syllabus. The course ran until April 2009 and included all areas within the retread process from initial inspection to final inspection, quality, health & safety and rubber technology.
Participants in these courses, which Bandvulc has run for the last 15 years, include employees from all areas of the company. As well as classroom tuition time is also spent on factory floor where they get ‘hands on’ experience in activities such as patch repairing a tyre. They also gain a greater understanding of damaged tyres, reasons for removal and load and speed ratings, to name but a few. Even those not directly involved in the retreading process benefit greatly from the course. For example, staff in Bandvulc Tyre Contracts find the knowledge they acquire about narratives and terminology enables them to converse more fully with service providers.
Michelin Closes Mexico Tread Pressing Plant
Product NewsOvercapacity in Michelin’s North American retreading operations led the company to close its truck tread pressing plant in Querétaro, Mexico on July 7. Production from the Michelin Retread Technologies (MRT) plant, which employs approximately 80 people, will be relocated to the company’s retreading facility in the United States. Michelin states that the decision to stop production of this particular product line has no impact on the continuing operations of its passenger car and light truck tyre plant in Querétaro.
Conti North America Acquisition Strengthens S. America Position
Product NewsContinental Tire North America has announced that it has acquired the majority ownership of a leading passenger, light truck and commercial tyre company in Latin America, Compania Ecuatoriana del Caucho S.A. “Majority ownership of ERCO provides Continental with the ability to improve our entire value chain — from the rubber plantation to the retail stores — throughout the Americas region through ERCO’s strong competence in the tyre business,” said Matthias Schoenberg, chief executive officer of Continental Tire The Americas. “Our plan is to have ERCO manage the six countries of the Andean region so that we can expand our business in these critical growth markets which, together, have a larger population size than that of Mexico, but with faster growth.”
More than Just Rubber
Product NewsNo other tyres are submitted to as much stress as those fitted on earthmovers. As a result retreading these tyres requires specific experience and solutions, especially with regards to the development of the most appropriate compounds and tread patterns, says leading tread rubber, machinery and retread manufacturer Marangoni.
Earthmover and off-the-road tyres require compounds that have high resistance to mechanical stress and atmospheric agents, so as to guarantee the required working life. In many cases cut resistant compounds are needed, but at the same time the compounds must feature low hysteresis/heat generation (two technologically opposing characteristics when obtained using standard materials and processes). Consequently new reinforcing agents with specific characteristics need to be added.
