OTR tire retreading is a business that covers very different market segments and therefore requires special knowledge in order to be successfully performed, in particular for the very large sizes above 49”.
The technologies used are different: the most common are the “Mould cure” with vulcanization in curing presses , and the “Cut tread”, with vulcanization in autoclaves and then regrooving of the tread in order to design the desired tread pattern. While the vulcanization in presses has the advantage of having a uniform aspect similar to a new tyre, it has the disadvantage of the high investment needed for the curing presses and all the moulds.
There are big differences in retreading smaller OTR tyres if compared to the very large tyres, we prefer to divide this segment in three areas:
- Small OTR tyres, from 24” up to 35” rim diameter, which is normally done with the hot method similar to the one used for truck tyres, with final vulcanization in curing presses;
- OTR tyres from 35” up to 49”, where lately the most used method is the “Cut Tread” because it requires a lower investment and allows a higher versatility since tread pattern can be programmed in the software and therefore can be changed according to the market requirement;
- Large OTR tyres from 51” up to 63”, a niche market that is covered by very few retreaders in the world because it requires a know-how especially in repairing the casings that can be acquired only with several years of experience. Even though there are some curing presses around the world for these tyre sizes, the “Cut Tread” technology is definitely the selected method.
Marangoni Meccanica has always been leader in OTR retreading machinery, and now TRM is continuing this role with several OTR plants in recent years; all top OTR retreaders worldwide successfully use Marangoni Meccanica / TRM equipment.
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