Do not throw away your tyre after it has lost a few millimetres of its treads. In case you didn’t know, your once brand new tyre now old can be brought back to life. You might be wondering what use it will be to you. Here is where I would ask you if you have tried retreading it? For those who have done it before sure know the answer. It goes back to the original status. I know what you are thinking. Extra is money saved.
Retreading basically means extending or prolonging the lifespan of the tyre. This improves the yields in miles, valorizing cover and completely exploiting your investment already done by getting a new tyre. Thousands of people choose to retread their tires every year as opposed to a few of those who opt to purchase new ones. Well, this helps in saving quite a substantial amount of money which now can be channelled elsewhere and of course on the issue of safety, the tyre yes is safe.
The Process of Retreading.
Of course, tyres are an integral part of the vehicle so there have to be given maximum attention. It is not a thing that you just wake up and do all by yourself, the way you wake up and brush your teeth. There are various stages involved in tyre retreading. So, you must get the person with the right skill to assist you with tyre retreading, unless you yourself are a mechanic.
The first stage is the inspection.
This is the initial stage in the process. What happens here is that the tyre gets to undergo inspection to make sure it meets the stringent quality requirements. Here both the tactile and visual testing on the casing is done, this is then followed by the non-destructive shearography examination. These are aimed to identify any type of separations in the casing that are normally undetectable by the naked eye.
Buffing is the second stage.
Here, your tyre undergoes the process of removing the treads that have remained on the casing. Side rubber is also removed in this process. This is done to the exact specification in terms of dimensions. This is achieved by use of a high-speed revolving rasp and brushes. The operator archives precise dimensions that are required by use of a computer controlled machine. This is to facilitate the buffed casing to meet the exact profile of its aimed matrix. A high powered fan extracts the granular residue produced in the buffing process. The residue is now ready for recycling.
Preparation stage.
In this stage, the casing undergoes a visual inspection to detect any visible cuts. Of course, only eyes with experience can do this. The casing undergoes more test using high voltage electricity as it rotates so that repairs on the casing can be done. Holes in the casing are filled with compounds and patched. Finally, it is brushed and thereafter sprayed with water.
Building stage.
During this stage, new treads materials are applied to the casing by use of a patterned computer-controlled machine. The tyre revolves on an inflated chuck as a continuous strip of a premium rubber is bundled around it. To ensure the right amount of rubber is wrapped around the casing, a computer-controlled machine is used. This makes sure the tyre is manufactured to exact dimensions specified for the particular matrix. This is done to ensure the tyre is balanced. For service, a continuous strip is used.
Curing Stage.
The manufactured tyre is inserted into a hot segmented radial matrix inside a curing press. Then it is heated to up to 155°C for around 90 minutes then it is inflated to reach a maximum of 300 PSI by a ladder placed on the casing. This combination of time, heat and pressure ensures the new rubber is properly vulcanized. The result is a tyre that has the same tread pattern and also the same depth as the matrix specification which was required. Just as the original manufacturing of new tyres.
Final Inspection.
Now, your retreaded tyre has to undergo the final and the last major inspection. The tyre is first deflated completely then removed and cooled. Later after cooling it is trimmed. The tyre is now ready for the final thorough testing. The testing involves three stages.
The first stage is the tactile and visual inspection. Here trained personnel will identify any imperfections on the sidewall or the tread pattern. Next, the tyre is subjected to an inflation examination. Here any weakness or any structure imperfection will be clearly shown.
The third and last stage of the final inspection is the tyre is put through a scanning procedure better known as shearography. This process detects even the smallest separations which are invisible to the naked eye and the whole retreading process is complete. Now you know.
