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NEWS
Andreas Müller, Managing Director of B&J Rocket
10 Retreading Business
Marangoni Expands Its Presence In Industrial Handling Equipment
complete range that covers sizes 12.00x24 to 21.00x35 and that currently includes 25 different products. Marangoni’s expertise in research and development has also allowed it to produce specific compounds that guarantee excellent resistance to abrasion, combined with low heat generation.
One of the most significant products in the range is the MRL
profile, specifically designed for retreading the 18.00-25 and 18.00- 33 diagonal casings used by straddle carriers and reach stackers. The objective is to ensure greater reliability and longer life even when the casings are subjected to significant sideways stress, exerting strong twisting forces on the structure of the tyre.
Exploiting its extensive experience in the retreading of earthmoving tyres, for several years now Marangoni has been making significant investments in the sector of retreading tyres used for industrial handling equipment.
This important strategic decision is the result of the increasing need among companies operating in the port and intermodal sector to keep down costs, and has been possible thanks to the technological knowledge acquired by the Group from Rovereto, Italy, as well as to its solid partnerships with highly- specialised service providers operating in the main areas of the European market.
Keeping down hourly costs means helping users choose the best tyres for their needs, providing them with information on the most suitable profiles for the various applications, on where to fit the retreads and on how to use the products correctly throughout their life cycle. This major challenge is the result of teamwork by Marangoni
professionals operating in different areas: research and development, technical service, production, product marketing and sales management.
The result of all this is a range of products for industrial handling equipment - specifically the equipment used to handle containers in ports and transport hubs - whose performance has to meet the expectations of the most demanding users. Luca Mai, Executive Manager Earthmover Tyres, stressed the importance of this strategic decision: “The company had been analysing the port and intermodal sector for some time, monitoring its increasing needs. It was therefore a question of matching demand with the supply of a specialist product, which Marangoni was able to create by giving a second life to the best tyres available on the market”.
Today, Marangoni supplies retreaded tyres that guarantee lower hourly costs for the companies operating in the sector, with a
In April 2013 B&J reached an out-of- court settlement in the USA with its former steel provider. The American supplier had delivered several coil rolls to the B&J factory in early 2010, among which a batch that consisted of low-grade steel, but - accompanied by false certificates – was declared as being of a high quality. Based on these certificates the parameters for the production of buffing blades were adjusted as usual, and, unknowingly, the inferior quality steel was utilised as well. However, after receiving blades made from this steel, customers soon recognised that these did not achieve the long life times they were used to from B&J.
The Quality Assurance of B&J Rocket analysed the faulty blades immediately. However, the occasional complaints at this point in time showed no technically detectable defects during the internally conducted tests, when for instance degree of hardness and geometry were examined. Consequently, all production processes were checked and analysed. Wherever there was a possible influence on the life time of the blades the processes were optimised. Several additional sensors and checking mechanisms were to adjust or check miscellaneous parameters during the manufacturing process more precisely in order to better maintain a consistent quality. However, it soon became apparent that despite these extensive measures the problem could not be eliminated – in fact, it appeared with increasing frequency.
Therefore, further external test were conducted on the buffing blades in question. These very expensive and unconventional tests - during a normal production process - then quickly revealed the actual cause: the steel quality, especially the micro structure of the utilised steel, did not correspond with the usually trustworthy certificates and were distinctly inferior. B&J responded immediately and informed their potentially involved customers of the problem. Since it was not a clearly identifiable batch of faulty steel but a mixture of low grade and high quality steel, the tracking of blades produced with flawed steel turned out to be
extremely tedious and difficult. Nevertheless, B&J Rocket managed to withdraw almost 100 per cent of the defective buffing blades and replace them with faultless ones.
The related damage was negotiated in a 2 1⁄2 year long litigation with the steel supplier which has now ended with an out-of-court settlement. “We are relieved and happy that we can finally close this case,” explained Andreas Müller, Managing Director of B&J Rocket: “Looking back, the whole story also had a positive angle”, he continued. “A complete and intensive recheck was conducted on the entire production plant, resulting in considerable improvements along the line. We now have the most technologically advanced facility for the production of buffing blades and can guarantee an even more consistent and therefore better quality of our blades – all for the benefit of our customers.”
Müller further comments that in these difficult times the great many customers and partners worldwide have maintained their loyalty for B&J. “I wish to express my sincere thanks to our customers for their trust in the excellent quality of our products.”
Every Cloud Has a Silver Lining