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EDITORIAL
Pass by noise testing will have an impact
the EU.
At the beginning of April 2012 the ReTyre project got the green light from the DG R&D, the research funding was available to allow the project to begin.
The sourcing of the materials, the casings, the retreading materials is all up to BIPAVER. The intellectual element of how to build the retread is naturally to be established by BIPAVER and its members. So the collection and testing of casings, the buffing, the shearography, the measurement, the retreading processes, hot and cold, every element of manufacture is the sole responsibility of BIPAVER.
The project is supported by various consulting groups representing the SME sector, including AER-Spain, AIRP – Italy, BRV- Germany, VACO – Netherlands, BIPAVER – EU, SVP – Czech Republic – The UK’s RMA is not represented, though UK interests are covered by Bandvulc’s membership of BIPAVER.
There are of course retreaders involved in the project, Bandvulc, Insa Turbo, Reifen Ihle, Bandenplan and Carling CZ. Technical partners for testing are IDIADA in Spain, BAST in Germany and Vortech in the Netherlands.
The ReTyre project requires that a reference be established and that has to start with the selection of the right casings, buffing, brands, sizes etc. It is imperative that the materials used are correct and that the data collected is exact, Ruud Spuijbroek emphasised. “There is little point on building a database on false references, everything has to be just perfect.”
In order to establish a standard reference, all the initial retreading work will be carried out by Reifen Ihle in Germany. This is no reflection on any of the other participants in the project, but
rather a question of proximity to the key players and Brussels.
Step One
Step one is to create a virtual casing, and this will include data from new tyres. This will help establish the parameters of the definitions for the database, for example, how a casing ages is going to be ver y important in establishing the virtual tyre. The testing will start with a number of casings, each of new, two years, four years and six years old. These will be buffed to 2mm and than BIPAVER can start the measuring and creating the data. All that data must make sense in statistical and physical terms, so everything has to be correct, or else the project stumbles at the first hurdle. Michael Schwämmlein explains, “ It is critical that we can establish a base from which we can show some kind of homologation for the retreaded tyre. At the moment no- one can say what influence any element has on the rolling resistance or the wet grip, so we have to find constants for all the parameters so that we can create a virtual casing. To do that we need to examine only the casings. The aim is to establish the influence that the casing has on the performance of the tyre. So the casings will be buffed free of tread and drum tests carried out to try and establish the constants in the casing measurements. “
September 2012 will be the point of no return, the project will either be go or no go. There is no point in developing a tool if in fact there is no solid basis to work from. “This is the nail biting moment,” says Ruud, “This is when we need to have done our homework properly. If we have, then we can create the data for the virtual tyre, including sizes, weights, shape, ageing, everything we need to
establish the rolling resistance calculations, so that when we build the retread it will be a uniform tyre.”
Michael adds, “ If there is no constant, no correlation found, then we have to go back to square one and start looking for some other measurements. This homologation process is critical. Without it there can be no future for the SME retread industr y.
Step Two
Here BIPAVER has to create the database for the tread. Here there are a wide number of variables and BIPAVER can only measure the key tread patterns, sizes and compounds, but they will look at the variable for each retread, including the process type, tread pattern, depth, position and use. The measuring at this stage will be carried out in Spain and will follow the same measurements as are required for new tyres, ReTyre labelling will be 100 per cent in line with new tyre labelling.
There will be road and drum testing to meet the requirements of 117 homologation. The tests will be against a standard reference tyre, but the results can only be shown as “better” or “worse”. Building up a table of references and tolerances will be made against a new tyre. This can only be done in line with ISO standards and to 117 version 2, with existing common sizes (there can be no inclusion at this stage of exotic sizes or tread patterns).
This will be the longest period of the project as the measurements will have to be accurate and there are many variables to be accounted for. However, it is an important step as only the real data will be acceptable.
Step Three
In this stage BIPAVER will be looking at specific treads, compounds, shore hardness, design, position, weight, use and size of tread with testing both on drums and on the track again. Here once again the ability to meet with the requirements of R177 will dictate the future. If there is no compliance then there is no future.
Step Four
All the data has to be gathered to develop an algorithm to create a model, the virtual tyre, a tool that gives support to the SME retreader to enable him to know about the manufacture and design of his retread, and to be able to predict performance; to be able to state the retread’s predicted environmental performance. With this tool he can ensure that his products meet with R117 and he can create a label in advance using all the available data in an easy to access format. All the parameters can be utilised to design the tyre that the client wants and to create a label for that tyre.
The labelling tool will be published by BIPAVER and will give the SME retreader an advantage, and will allow the SME retreader to continue in the market and to update and improve.
ReTyre will by necessity be an open ended project with ongoing testing and data collection to build an improving database and algorithm.
The project, all being well, should be fully operational by 2014, well in time for the end of exemption in 2015/16.
Wet Grip tests will be part of the ultimate requirement
8 Retreading Business