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RETYRE
approx. 50 per cent in relation to new tyres:
Regional and Mixed Application: This segments contains the short and medium distribution traffic as well as the combination between regional and on-site (building site) traffic, called MIXED application. Due to small (mostly secondary) roads, often with a lot of bends and curves, rough road surface and a high frequency of STOP AND GO traffic these applications is characterised by a high tyre wear. Sometimes (MIXED Application) combined with a high risk of tyre injuries.
All types of vehicle and train combinations are found,
with medium and high powered engines, often combined with retarder systems (additional breaking device only active on driven wheel
positions) Dominating tyre sizes in this segment are 315/80 R 22.5 (DRIVE) and 385/65 R 22.5 (TRAILER).
Public Transportation:
Here the application is mainly dominated by extreme
STOP AND GO cycles, combined with sidewall abrasion (due to pavement contacts in the bays) and partially uneven road surfaces. Most of the cycles run in urban environment up to some medium distance connecting line to the outskirts of towns or commuting. On the vehicle technical side mainly 2- and 3-axle busses and articulated busses are used, often with air suspension, level regulation (in order to lower the entry height in the bays), retarder and sometimes electrical driven with elevated acceleration and braking torques. On the tyre pressure angle a "comfort pressure" is applied to improve the suspension properties of the bus which unfortunately often does not reflect the axle load requirements to carr y the load. Dominating tyres size is clearly 275/70 R 22.5 and the predecessor size in this particular application the 11 R 22.5. Of course noise emissions and safety aspects play an important role in this segment due to the fact that the vehicles
mainly run in highly populated areas and under all weather conditions.
In both segments the tyre consumption is very high, tyres are normally worn in a short time with low to medium mileage allowing the casing to be used for multiple retreading cycles. Often even new vehicles are ordered with steering tyres for all axle positions and immediately replaced by retreaded tyres on the drive axles.
It is clear that BIPAVER and its partners are very pleased with
Comment
This follows on the heels of the development and promotion of retreading by ETRMA members, not involved in this project, who, having access to vast ranges of data as manufacturers of new tyres, were able to quickly establish that the impact of the casing on performance was as low as 3-5 per cent. This clarification of the low level of influence of casings on performance has given the retread operations of all mainstream tyre manufacturers a huge boost as they race to offer the best possible deal to their fleet markets. All the leading manufacturers have long included retreading as part of their whole life tyre management package, and now they are aiming to back up their claims with products that can be proven to match new tyre performance, not only anecdotally but empirically. Retreads have grown in recent years from being a cheap alternative to new tyres, to being an essential element of tyre management and tyre sales
the first significant results and confident with the continuation of the project at IDIADA in Spain. It also means that anticipating on the final results that retreading is there to stay and formally wishes not only to comply in the near future with the environmental and safety performances as indicated by today’s labelling, but also sees a future in their efforts to establish a type approval for retreaded tyres as such.
Further information is available at the Retyre website www.retyre-project.eu/
plans.
Indian, Chinese, Korean and other manufacturers hoping to sell in the European market have all pressed on with development and improvements in quality to ensure that their tyres were capable of being retreaded – The first was GiTi, and the latest has been Hankook. We can be sure that more will follow as they find ways of verifying quality and performance to the new European Standards.
However, we must not be blinkered, there are similar projects under way in the USA where cross state trucking will require that all trucks will have to be fitted with Smart Way approved new or retreaded tyres, and in Brazil too, there are plans to establish a standard following US and EU models. Retreading is rapidly becoming mainstream, at least in the truck segment.
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