The rundown on retreads!
Retreads are widely used in the South African transport industry. Get the hang of them and they can save transport operators a small fortune by slashing their tyre bill. Bearing this in mind, we asked Brian Clarke, sales manager at Bandag, to explain the ins and outs of retreading.
What does retreadability mean?
Let’s start at the very beginning. Clarke explains that at the heart of retreading is the so-called “retreadability ratio”. “This pertains to the average number of times a new tyre is retreaded in a fleet. A ratio of 1.0 means that, for every one new tyre used, one retread is produced. A ratio of 0.5 means for every 10 new tyres used, only five retreads can be produced,” he says.
Big environmental gains
Transport operators opt for retreaded tyres because they want to save money. However, according to Clarke, retreadability is also important because it has significant environmental benefits. “Yes, retreads generally cost less than new tyres but this is not the only advantage. Retreading is equivalent to recycling, and this is very good for the environment. Every retread means one less new tyre enters a landfill. Furthermore, less energy and non-renewable fossil fuels are used to make a retread (26 litres of oil are consumed to retread a truck tyre, versus the 83 litres required to manufacture a new tyre),” he points out.
What about financial gains?
So, retreads are a good thing. But how can a transport operator get maximum bang for his retreaded tyres buck? Clarke explains that this is all about the retreadability of a new tyre. “The more a new tyre can be retreaded, the lower its cost per kilometre – or CPK. Thus, new tyre selection is especially important,” he cautions.
Clarke warns that not all new tyres are created equal. “It’s often hard to tell the difference between a cheap import and a premium quality brand. Yet cheap tyres are cheaper for a reason! Even if they look identical to premium tyres they do not perform the same,” he notes.
Some new tyre manufacturers remove rubber and belt plies in order to make tyres cheaper. “However, this makes them less retreadable. Remember: reducing tyre components lowers the cost but it also results in reduced tyre performance,” Clarke warns.
But, if you cannot tell the difference between a premium tyre and a cheap import, what does an operator do? “One way to tell the difference is to weigh the tyres. The cheap tyres generally weigh much less than the premium products,” he explains.
Keep tabs on those tyres!
Another way of telling the difference between premium and inferior tyres is via proper tyre management. “It’s very important to track retreadability,” urges Clarke. “This starts with a scrap tyre analysis every month. Note the make, model and size of each tyre. Record the number of lives each tyre has had. For instance, if a new tyre is discarded, it has had one life. However, if that tyre has been retreaded once, it will have two lives. If it’s retreaded twice, it will have three lives – and so on. It’s especially important to record the cause of each tyre failure (with your tyre suppliers).”
All that data should be captured into a computerised scrap tyre analysis system. “Over time the data that has been captured will reveal which tyres have the highest retreadability,” he points out.
Moves to improve retreadability
It isn’t just enough to do proper tyre management; Clarke stresses that there is a lot that transport operators can do in order to improve tyre retreadability. “It is vital to maintain the correct air pressure for the load. Do not overload your tyres. Select the correct new tyre for your application. Match tyres in size, make and model across every axle. Remove tyres at the correct millimetres so they can be retreaded. Also, it’s important to do wheel alignment at regular intervals,” he says.
Big savings
Follow this advice and Clarke says transport operators can enjoy substantial savings. “It’s quite possible to increase retreadability from 0.5 to 1.10. Practically this means moving from 50 retreads for every 100 new tyres purchased to 110 retreads (a whopping 60 more!) Let’s assume that the average price of a new tyre is R5000 whereas the average price of a retread is R1800. This translates into a saving of R3200 per tyre. Multiply that by those additional 60 retreads you have – and this means a saving of R192 000!” he reveals.
The message is clear: proper tyre management doesn’t only make sense, it also makes cents.
Photo credits:
Photographs by Sobhith Ullas, David Edelstein Robert Laursoo and Goh Rhy Yan on Unsplash; photographs also by Prometeon Tyre Group and Bandag.
