Page 22 - CTB N11 - 2015-03

RETREADING
Goodyear to Close
Wolverhampton
terms of lateral stability and braking, above all on
roads covered with ice
or compacted snow.
The new pattern features a symmetrical tread incorporating 3D siping and exclusive twisterlock technology. The square tread profile means an exceptionally wide footprint that ensures
grip in the most
extreme conditions typical of Nordic
countries, while at the same time offering good mileage and exceptional braking and steering.
The wide transversal grooves on the shoulders ensure a mesh effect that brings
maximum performance when
stopping, and at the same time facilitate drainage and keep
the tread “clean” of snow and ice at all times.
The new WSS tread is Three Peak Mountain
Snow Flake (3PMSF) approved, meaning it is suitable for use in severe
winter conditions. The Blackline range is
manufactured using the Ringtread system, Marangoni’s proprietary retreading process that uses joint- free precured rings that adhere to the casing without tension or deformation of the tread pattern, ensuring excellent traction on demanding surfaces, thanks to the greater precision and directional stability of the siping and blocks.
Retread Plant
After what seems like a long and protracted death, Goodyear has finally done what many in the industry long expected it to do. It
closure of Wolverhampton would have. We will honour our responsibilities and will do everything we can to support all
has decided to close its facility at Wolverhampton.
The West Midlands plant had, in recent years, been replanned and the retread line fully modernised as Goodyear tried to capture lost ground in the retread sector. It had been slow to follow Michelin into whole life tyre management, and by the time Goodyear reinvested in Wolverhampton and the retread Facility, independents such as Bandvulc and Vaculug had also entered the tyre management
arena, often acting on behalf of Goodyear’s new tyre competitors. The plant first established in 1927 once employed some 7,000 staff, it had been reduced little by little to a mere 330 employees. Now, according to Goodyear, it will probably be completely shut down by 2017.
Erich Fric, managing director of Goodyear Dunlop Tyres UK, said: "We understand the impact the
employees who are affected.
"In the face of ever-increasing competition, we carefully considered several options. "However we believe these proposals are needed to strengthen our competitiveness and ensure we have a sustainable business."
Goodyear, like its competitor, Continental, plans to service the European retread sector from a central retread facility in Germany. It will collect casings from its dealers across Europe, ship them to Wittlich, where they will be hot cure retreaded, and then sent back to the dealers, whether they be in Portugal, Bulgaria or the North of Scotland. Local authorised retreaders will continue to offer the pre-cure package to their immediate markets, whilst acting as collection agents for the casings for hot cure.
BIPAVER Prepares Next Step for Retyre Project
During the BIPAVER General Assembly at Bologna recently, initial details were released on how the European federation of tyre retreading associations plans to market the predictive tool for the labelling of commercial vehicle retreads that will be created as a result of the Retyre Project. According to General Secretar y Ruud Spuijbroek all paperwork relating to the project has now been completed and a final audit is expected shortly. Meanwhile, BIPAVER is still seeking political alignment with ETRMA on the subject of retread labelling and talks are ongoing with the head of labelling within ETRMA. According to BIPAVER, a new legal body is now in the process of being established in order to market the predictive tool. According to Spuijbroek, the need for a separate body has arisen due to the recent formalisation of BIPAVER as an association, which precludes it carrying out profit-making activities. The new legal body’s shareholders will be BIPAVER’s member associations, and
BIPAVER will continue to act as an intermediar y in relation to the project.
During the General Assembly BIPAVER reported that correlations between certain measurements still needed to be established, but this work, once finished, would lead to the creation of a beta-version of BIPAVER predictive tool. The tool, said Spuijbroek, would eventually be implemented via a webshop environment and, although accessible to all who needed it, costs of access would be differentiated between members and non-members in order that those who invested in the project could recoup the investment. The aim, said Spuijbroek, is that BIPAVER members will be repaid for their investment within five years.
Ruud Spuijbroek paid tribute to those members who had paid large amounts into the project, sometimes under great difficulty and without full information being available to them.
Marangoni Extends Blackline Winter Range
In line with its strategy to boost sales on fast-growing markets in the high-end segments, Marangoni Retreading Systems has further consolidated its position in northern European markets with the completion of its winter line of tread rings. Following the introduction of the WS101, it has now released a tread ring for trailers: WSS, an
innovative profile designed for all winter conditions in European countries, especially Norway and Sweden.
This new generation pattern meets the requirements of the extremely selective Scandinavian market, where strict rules are in place and where super-single trailer tyres are expected to make an important contribution in
22 Commercial Tyre Business