Page 51 - RB-83-17-4

COMPANY PROFILE
output. Obo has the solution for the demand for greener tyres.” Obo Banden is currently looking for the right French speaking sales person to cover the territory of Belgium, Luxembourg and North- East France to add to its team. The process at Obo Banden differs only in size compared to the average truck tyre retreader. Tyres are inspected, buffed, skived, repaired, and built in exactly the same way as they would be in any truck tyre plant, except everything here is heavier duty and larger.
Schrijver says, “The key to sustainability is in streamlining our facility. We have put in a new production line, there is less of a mix of old and new, and we now clearly divide the hot cure and precure production. This gives us a better efficiency and a better understanding of lead times. In fact, we can now operate with a shorter lead time, which is important when dealing with customers’ own casings.
“In 2018, we will be installing a new software system and will shortly hold ISO14001. These actions will give us the opportunity to reduce costs, improve quality and reduce lead times. We will have a better view of our supply chain.
“All of this has been made possible through the partnership with Magna Tyres.”
Obo operates both hot cure and precure on a roughly 65/35 split. Though there has been a slow move in some sectors towards precure. The growth in the market and the wide range of precure suppliers means that there is an almost limitless range of options available. However, for heavy duty use there remains a preference for hot cure.
In the coming months Obo is adding another buffer/ builder and another new hot cure press. It has already added a third autoclave that it relocated from Leipzig.
At Reifen Essen 2016, Obo launched its rubber track reretreading to the market. The track retreading and drive wheel remanufacturing process remains a relatively secret operation. However, Schrijver reported that field tests on the tracks were progressing and that the track products would be commercially available shortly.
“The rubber track market is growing. Farmers are seeing the benefits of tracks and there are more tracked vehicles appearing in the sector. From small loaders
through to combine harvesters. Tracks can cost as much as 15,000 euro, so, if we can retread tracks at 60 – 75 per cent of the new track price, then we have a great potential in this market.” Concludes Schrijver.
So, in short, the Magna takeover has revitalised Obo Banden and has given the company a longer view of the future, with new markets and new possibilities.
Obo has a range of autoclaves for pre-cure as well as a growing number of presses for hot cure