Retread Tires: An Overview of Mechanism and Process

As manufacturing a brand new tire requires a lot of energy, oil, and other resources, the cost of products are significantly high. Retreading is one of the best methods to tackle these issues. It is the process of replacing old and worn out tread of tires with new ones. There are several benefits of adopting this method such as cuts down the cost of production, requires less energy, prevents dumping of tires in landfills, and functions similarly as a new tire. It also saves 90% of the old tire which results in the extension of tire life two or three times more than the original one.

Retread tires are widely used in passenger cars, light commercial vehicles, heavy truck & buses, off-road vehicles, and even in aircraft and racing cars. There are certain procedure and techniques to follow while retreading a tire. Pre-cure and mold cure is the most common processes of retread tires.

Important Procedure for Retread Tires

1. The foremost procedure of retreading tires is to inspect its features and structural faults.
2. It undergoes buffing which removes residual treads from the casing.
3. New material or tread is applied to the casing with the help of different treatments and automatic machines.
4. The tires with new materials are given for curing procedure to get desirable tread profile.
5. Lastly, the finished is checked for its quality standards including technical and aesthetical features.

Pre Cure Process for Retread Tires

It is also known as cold retreading which involves curing the tire without a mold at a lower temperature. The running performance of retread tires manufactured by the pre-cure process is almost equivalent to a new tire and are mainly used in trucks. As the process requires low temperature and pressure, it gives less stress on the casing. The pre-cure process is flexible for handling different sizes of tires and make it easy to access various tire properties. It requires heavily-processed products such as vulcanized tread which makes the materials costs as high as compared to another process.

Mold Cure Process for Retread Tires

Also called hot retreading, the process involves curing of the tire in a mold at a higher temperature. It enhances the appearance of tires as shape and tread are produced in a heating press. Retread tires build by mold cure process are suitable for all applications including aircraft. Here, specific molds are required for different tread and size but the material cost is comparatively lower than the pre-cure process.