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AUTOPROMOTEC
B&J Rocket Holding Ground
By taking casings with some tread left the company can buff the surface slightly, rebuild the tyres, and produce a retread with a much lower retread materials content and a greater integrity of the original casing.
Another option offered by Gomme Piave is the automated regrooving of OTR tyres. This is not recutting, but a buffing bit
recutting the grooves on the tyres where possible - essentially a regroove for OTR tyres.
Of course the company also offers a rebuild, smooth and groove option. So, today, in adapting to changes in the market, Gomme Piave can offer a wide range of technologies that offer a second or even third life to the OTR market.
The abrasives specialists had taken a corner stall at Autopromotec and were thoroughly occupied meeting and greeting customers old and new alike. Andreas Müller told retreading Business that B&J Rocket’s business reflected that of the retread and repair sector exactly and in the same way as they had seen trade, the first quarter of 2015, which had promised so much, had been, at
best flat. However, Müller was not overly concerned, the market goes through cycles and it will pick up again, he opined.
“You know, any business has to adapt to the conditions of the market, and we are no different. We have a new catalogue, but the rest of the plan is to keep steady and be in a strong position to serve the market when the upturn comes,” he added.
During the Autopromotec show in Bologna Italmatic presented its new, upgraded range of retreading equipment, the Matic Top Buffer, Matic Builder and Matic Cushion Gum Applicator. The upgraded Matic Top buffer has been made completely automatic in order to increase productivity and buffing precision. New developments include an automatic system for opening and closing the door and computer controlled
as speed. The machine allows the operator to put cushion gum onto the casing bead to bead. All software on the new machines has been developed by Italmatic’s own in-house software department and can be connected to each other so the progress of the tyre can be followed through the production process. Italmatic’s CEO Massimo Ghitturi commented; “The launch of this new equipment is at a very high level
Italmatic Shows New Range of Equipment in Bologna
Gomme Piave Making the Cut
Italian OTR retread specialists Gomme Piave have been looking at ways of adding value to their services and saving clients money at the same time.
Gomme Piave specialise in hot cure retreading of OTR tyres and their focus remains on hot cure, but with a difference.
The normal procedure is to take a good casing with a worn out tread, buff it, rebuild it, and either smooth and groove or remould it. Gomme Piave realised that proper tyre management could save more tyres and save on retreading costs.
20 Retreading Business
pivoting the change from carbide rasping to brushing.
The new Matic Builder, meanwhile, incorporates electronically controlled pre- tensioning of the tread and laser measurement of the diameter, in order to help guarantee that the tread join is both perfect and accurate.
The new Matic Cushion Gum Applicator is an evolution of the MRP extruder. The new machine is also completely automatic and has been designed to assure both precision of application as well
of sophistication and demonstrates our willingness to invest and be a protagonist in the market.”
Other developments by Italmatic include the introduction of a press with double moulds – helpful when space is limited, an improved autoclave with thermocouple control, a new software release for customers with MGT equipment, and the introduction of a new catalogue for TPMS accessories, an area in which Italmatic is particularly strong.