New life for tyres!
Retreading is a safe, economical and environmentally-friendly way to give bald tyres a new lease of life: the worn tread surface is replaced by a new one. The end result is a tyre which can be reused!
Not every tyre is suitable for retreading, however. It is only possible in the following cases:
- The tyre has been looked after properly, handled with care, and driven with the correct air pressure in its "first life".
- The casing is in good condition and has not sustained any serious damage.
The question as to whether a casing can be reused also depends on the type of tyre.
The following principles apply in general:
- Car tyres: Once
- Transport tyres: Once as a general rule
- Truck tyres: One to three times
- Aircraft tyres: Up to 12 times
There are two retreading techniques:
Mould cure retreading and precure retreading.
We have the expertise to do both.
Retreads and their place on the market
The proportion of retreads on the replacement car and truck tyre market in Europe still varies widely.
- For car tyres, retreads make up only 1-2% of the market in Switzerland and the Netherlands, but this figure rises to over 20% in Scandinavia. In Germany, retreads account for around 10% of car tyres, a proportion which rises to 20% for winter tyres.
- For truck tyres, the proportion of retreads is much higher, ranging from around 40% in Spain to over 70% in Finland. In Germany and France, retreads make up around half of the replacement tyre market for trucks. Over 15 million truck and bus tyres are used every year across the EU. Of these, around 8 million are new tyres, and over 6 million are retreads.
Retreading plays a particularly important role in aircraft tyres, which are subjected to extreme stresses. Aircraft tyres have to withstand huge strain at speeds of over 250 km/h, and undergo retreading after around 150 take-off and landing manoeuvres. Retreading can take place up to twelve times. The testing procedures are naturally very stringent here, and safety takes top priority.
High-quality retreading is the alternative to new tyres for commercial vehicles, since it offers safety, top running performance and an excellent cost-benefit ratio. More and more consumers are recognising and coming to appreciate the positive image of high-quality retreads.