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NEWS EXTRA
Retreading with Pirelli
rebuilt then vary from country to country, as well as the proportion between cold and hot technology. In Europe, for example, 50 per cent of the reconstruction is hot, while in Brazil is all cold, with a market that is moving toward a qualitative increase, so that, according Viganò, in 2020 60 per cent per cent of the Brazilian market will be defined as Premium.
Pirelli's investment in the reconstruction started in 2009, when it introduced the precure Novateck. This was offered in a wide range of treads and complementary to the development of the Series 01. The
project was all encompassing, with the recovery of
carcasses and the creation of a network of 160 qualified retreaders, including 130 in South America (112 in Brazil). The goal is to retain the fleet clients, offering competitive operating cost management.
The hot reconstruction was the next step. Launched at Essen in 2014, the Novatread hot cure range demonstrates the commitment of Pirelli to provide similar services to new products.
"We always start from the carcasses of the Series 01”, explains Viganò, “that takes advantage of the latest technological innovations. We have also planned a series of marketing activities, on the one hand, to encourage the collection of carcasses, especially in Europe and in Italy, on the other, to promote the sale of new tyres with the addition of favourable conditions for retreading.”
The technology partner for Pirelli retreading is Marangoni, which recently launched and largely implemented a multi-year plan of investments worth around 8 million Euro destined to update the different production areas of its plant in Rovereto. The investment will be completed at the end of this year, The mixing room will be equipped with a new Banbury; the hot retreading of truck tyres will be equipped with fully automated island unit to rebuild and mould hot cure truck tyres.
Brenno Benaglia, commercial director of Marangoni, said: "We invest because we believe this is the only
way forward to keep pace with the development of new tyres. Retreading in Europe is characterised by the vast majority of premium carcasses and as new tyres evolve, so too must the retreading process that we offer evolve.
"We are seriously determined to strengthen our presence in the area, integrating product offering with multiple lives, including an offer of services to the fleet sector."
Pirelli’s Alberto Viganò
At Bologna in May, Alberto Viganò spoke about the importance of retreaded tyres. He stated that in order to give the market a complete offer there had to be a retread element brought into the package. Viganò outlined the global perspective: In addition to the 144 million truck tyres consumed annually there were an additional 48 million retreads. According to Viganò some 25 per cent of the truck tyre market consists of retreads, 77 per cent of which are cold cure and 23 per cent hot cure.
However, he added, there was a need to distinguish between the mature and the emerging markets. The mature markets, such as Europe, the NAFTA area and Brazil, aimed at reducing the cost of fleet management through the use of advanced technology products and production. Retreaders in these regions were only competitive when they offered the correct products for the market and took an integrated approach to the whole life of the tyre.
In emerging markets, however, the dynamics change substantially, since the quality levels are often lower and there is even stronger competition from cheap Chinese tyres. (It should be noted that even in the mature markets there is pressure on retreaders from Chinese tyres, and according to the tyre manufacturers it is the independent retreaders who are taking the brunt of that competition.).
The proportions between new and
Marangoni’s Brenno Benaglia
Spain’s Motor Industry
Calls For Ban on Used Tyres
Almost a third of Spain’s motor industry professionals believe sales of second-hand tyres should be banned, according to research by Continental.
Three-quarters of all road crashes caused by tyre problems occur in cars with used tyres fitted – and, in fact, over 300,000 cars on Spain’s roads have second-hand tyres, a figure that has been increasing every year as a result of the financial crisis.
Different cars wear down their tyres in different places, meaning if these are fitted to another make or model, they are likely to cause vibrations and reduce the vehicle’s stability.
They can even endanger the lives of drivers and passengers, since the minimum braking distance needed
for used tyres is much longer than for new ones, meaning motorists underestimate how much room they need to slow down or stop. Continental says tyre traders admit that 80 per cent of their sales come from supplying or fitting second- hand parts.
And six in 10 cars aged over 10 years have used tyres fitted when their existing ones become irreparably damaged or worn out. The research shows that 35 per cent of dealership workers, parts traders, mechanics, body repair staff and tyre suppliers believe second-hand sales should be outlawed.
This view is supported by 45 per cent of specialist motor industry journalists, Continental reveals.
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