Italmatic Group made a significant impact at Autopromotec 2025 with the presentation of a new range of retreading machines, demonstrating the company’s continued commitment to innovation and technological advancement. Their efforts were recognised with wins in two categories at this year’s Recircle Awards: Best Retreading Equipment Supplier and Best Retreading Equipment Innovation.
Retreading Innovation on Display
Among the highlights of Italmatic’s exhibit was the IS1 Inspection Sidewall machine, designed to read all information on the tyre sidewall of incoming casings at a retreading plant. This data is used to generate a barcode, which is then loaded into the ERP system, streamlining operations and enhancing traceability.
The company’s shearography machine was also on display, offering a solution suitable for all applications and testing capacities. Notably, this system includes an optional automatic defect recognition feature based on artificial intelligence.
A key advancement is the COMBI builder, a next-generation cushion gum extruder. It is compatible with both traditional precured tread systems and ring systems, and incorporates a sidewall extruder for building purposes.
Automation was a central theme of Italmatic’s presentation, reflected in several robotic solutions. These included:
-
Robot Cementing applies cement and water-based solutions to buffed casings with high precision and no operator involvement.
-
Robot Skiving, available in both single and double configurations, for the automatic detection of anomalies and subsequent skiving.
-
Robot Filling Craters, which automates the filling of rubber into skiving craters.
-
Robot Hammer, designed for the automated application of rubber camelback into the skiving craters of OTR tyres.
-
Robot GRV51J, a high-tech robotic plant capable of anomaly detection on OTR buffed casings. It includes automatic skiving, for the first time globally, of the tyre sidewall, as well as grooving and regrooving, all based on automatic profile scans.
Also introduced was a new generation trimming machine, a fully automatic system specifically for truck tyres, and the AIT autoclave. The AIT features 24 positions and incorporates two new worldwide patents. These patents enable the control and traceability of each individual tyre before and after vulcanisation. The unit also features a motorised loading system, a single envelope vacuum test, and a SCADA system for complete process supervision.
In the curing segment, the VR6 EVO truck press represents the latest generation of presses for moulds with configurations in 6, 8, 10, or 12 segments. These presses operate at working pressures of up to 20 bar, making them suitable for high-mileage tread applications.
Massimo Ghitturi, CEO of Italmatic Group, highlighted: “the strategy of Italmatic in proposing to their customers innovative high technology equipment with fast ROI (return of investment), by less labour costs through robots replacing operators, increasing production capacity and energy saving and, mostly important, generating a significant increase of safety in production replacing the man labour with robotic systems and solving the lack of skilled staff”.
With these innovations, Italmatic continues to position itself at the forefront of technological progress in the retreading sector, reinforcing its role as a leading solutions provider in an increasingly competitive global market.
