Tyre Retreading

Tyre Retreading

We walk, we run. And then there are times when we leave skid marks to get of out of an uninviting situation. We have all been there! In all situations, it is our footwear on which we are depended on. And depending on the situation you get yourself into, the outer sole of the footwear is spent over a period of time. Most of us get a new pair of footwear when the previous ones are worn out. But there is alternative to that; bestowing an extension of life to your beloved footwear by recapping the outer sole.

Similarly, there is a process called tyre retreading in which the tread (Outer Skin) of a worn out tyre is recapped or remolded. This process is applied on the casings (the material under the tread, the sidewall and steel belts) of the tyre after proper inspection of its rigidity. This is simply done to ensure, that like your footwear, it doesn't skid on surfaces with less grip.

Tyre retreading is the alternate to purchasing a new tyre, at fraction of the cost. But should you risk on getting an extension of already spent tyre rather than purchasing a new one? Commercial airlines and the military certainly think so, as they prefer retreating of tyres on many of their fleet of vehicles. A recent study shows that the amount of retreads in use of the commercial airlines is as high as 80% and that an average aircraft tyre is retreaded six times. Some tyres, depending on their age and condition, are retreaded (we can even call it recycling) up to 12 times before they are sidelined.

Tyre retreading preserves about 90% of the material in used tyres and the material cost is about 20% compared to manufacturing a new one. This in turn brings the cost down of the new rubber for your car. On the other hand, there is less of everything that is involved in retreading when compared to manufacturing a new tyre; things like energy and oil topping the list. This makes tyre retreading an environmentally friendly option as well.

There are different processes of retreading a tyre but we are not getting into the details here. All in all, if you want to save a considerable amount of money and show that you are doing whatever it takes to be environmentally friendly, tyre retreading is in fact a good option provided you get it done from a renowned workshop. My suggestion would be to visit the workshops of recognized tyre manufactures – MRF, Michelin and Bridgestone.