Michelin Retreads

The Process - Video Plant Tour

To revolutionize retread performance, Michelin® Retread technologies, Inc™. (MRTI) took a radically new approach to every step of the retreading process.

The end result is new Michelin Retreads - the first and only retread built with:

  • Michelin precision for:
    • Maximum reliability
    • Minimum downtime
  • Michelin new-tire tread designs and tread rubber compounds for:
    • Outstanding driver acceptance
    • exceptional wear-per 32nd
    • Michelin new-tire fuel efficacy with "No Compromise" traction and handling
    • Lower operating temperature and extended casing life
    • Lower cost-per-mile


THE CHALLENGE

The casing is:

  • undamaged or fully repaired
  • buffed to correct under tread depth and crown contour


The cushion layer is

  • applied to a properly prepared casing which has all voids filled
  • durably bonded to both the casing and new tread at all points


The new tread is

  • precisely applied, cut and joined
  • uniformly and completely cured onto the casing, without overheating


The challenge comes down to re-engineering the retreading process to eliminate guesswork and provide consistency. MRTI has stepped up to this challenge.

 


MRTI Grazing Light Inspection

Feature: A unique lighting technique for inspecting sidewalls from shoulder to bead.

Advantage: Helps our trained technicians better detect subtle irregularities that may indicate internal damage such as zippers

Benefit: Saves you money by identifying potential problems.

  • It may sound simple to give the eagle eye to each incoming casing. But it takes special expertise, and precise illumination to perform this first, vital step properly.
  • Typical retreading shops do not consistently enforce lighting standards for inspection. At MRTI Retreading shops, exacting lighting wstaqndsars for inspection help our trained technicians accurately assess each casing.
  • When Grazing Light inspection raises concerns about sidewall, bead or shoulder conditions, we don't guess; we verify with x-rays. this helps save you money by keeping damaged casings off your truck and keeping sound and repairable casings out of the scrap pile!


MRTI X-Ray Inspection

Feature: Advanced x-ray system for visually inspecting the steel belts and cables hidden within the casing.

Advantage: Reveals the status of suspected conditions such as zippers, road hazard damage, run-flat abuse, and prior repairs.

Benefit: Positively identifies problem casings so they can be repaired or scrapped before they cause you problems out on the road.

  • We have designed our retreading technologies with a clear understanding of your needs. You need retreads that are affordable to buy and reliable to run.
  • For this reason, we have carefully designed our retreading technologies to balance high production efficiency and high product reliability.
  • The way we user our Fluroscopic X-Ray system is a good example of this balancing act. All MRTI shops include the Fluroscopic X-Ray system as standard equipment. However, we do not automatically x-ray every casing. Why? Because this would add unnecessary cost and turnaround time. Instead, we use the industry's most through preliminary inspection process - our Grazing Light Inspection, to accurately determine which casing require further inspection by the Fluroscopic X-Ray system.
  • The system is capable of providing a photographic copy of its findings.


MRTI Electronic Liner Inspection

Feature: Electronic system for detecting inner liner penetrations.

Advantage: Pinpoints inner liner penetrations too small to spot by eye.

Benefit: Leak-free casing which better maintain optimal inflation pressure for longer life and lowered downtime.

  • Can your eyes spot individual air and water molecules? Neither can ours! Which means that even inner liner defects too small to spot by eye can let air pressure out. That's why we use a sensitive electronic inspection system to pinpoint liner penetrations.
  • This system works by exposing the casing to powerful electrical currents as it slowly rotates. Where the casing has been penetrated, a bright arc pinpoints the otherwise invisible injury, and the technician marks the spot for repair.
  • By reliably finding and repairing inner liner penetrations, we help reduce premature casing separations. The benefits to you?
    • Increased reliability
    • Lowered downtime
    • Lower cost per mile
  • All MRTI shops require this equipment and procedure. Other retread shops do not require electronic liner inspection.


MRTI Casing Separation Detection - Casing Integrity Analyzer

Feature: A highly advanced system that detects casing separations and grades casings accordingly.

Advantages: Eliminates the guesswork, human error, and inconsistencies associated with less-sophisticated systems.

Benefit: Helps to lower your tire related downtime while maximizing your yield of dependable retreads.

  • In the MRTI Casing Integrity Analyzer® (CIA®) chamber, laser beams photograph the inner contour of the casing.
  • Then, the casing is photographed under vacuum, which causes any trapped air separations to swell slightly, changing the contour. Differences between the first and second images represent separations.
  • Casings that contain separations may be scrap, or suitable for restricted service, or fully sound, depending on the size and location of the separations. Accurately making these distinctions helps us lower both your downtime and your cost-per-mile.
  • The ACE™ (Automatic Casing Evaluation™) proprietary software aids the operator in identifying trapped air separations and does not require the operator to view the screen during operation. All images are stored and print-ready to provide to the customer.
  • Other retreaders use less-sophisticated technology that may not detect as many separations and is highly dependent on operator interpretation.


MRTI Undertread Control And Buffing

Feature: An automated, Computer-Controlled Radial Buffing System guided by a casing specification database and an Undertread Proximity Sensor.

Advantage: Consisently creates undertread of the optimal contour, depth, and buffed texture.

Benefit: Cooler-running retreads for longer tread and casing life.

Precise buffing is critical to retread performance because:

  • Correct undertread contour promotes long, even treadwear.
  • Ideal undertread thickness is key to cool running for lower downtime and longer casing life.
  • Proper buffed texture strengthens the tread-to-casing bond.


Here's how our automated, Computer-Controlled Radial Buffing System creates the optimal undertread, casing after casing...

  • The system's comprehensive database "knows" the undertread contours designed into virtually all of today's common casings.
  • Proximity sensor technology measures undertread depth in real time during buffing, which enables the buffer to precisely cut down to the ideal undertread depth with no need for pilot skives. Competitive, manual buffing systems rely on guesswork, templates, and require pilot skives.
  • Unlike most other buffers, our system cuts perpendicular to tire rotation, producing an ideal, crepe-like buffed texture every time and reducing the chance that air will be trapped between casing and tread.


MRTI Cushion Extrusion

Feature: A system that extrudes hot cushion gum onto the casing to promote a strong tread-to-casing bond.

Advantages: Automatically fills skives and buzzouts while depositing and ideal bonding layer.

Benefit: Raises retread reliability by eliminating unfilled skives and buzzouts due to operator error.

  • To give you bonds that will endure, our MRTI Cushion To Casing™ System extrudes hot cushion gum onto the casing. This flexible, flowing bonding rubber fills skives and buzzouts while providing an ideal adhesive layer.
  • Most competitive retreads use a cold, non-pliable layer of cushion gum that makes it necessary to manually pre-fill skives and buzzouts. Missed spots can lead to separations in the finished retread.
  • MRTI's Cushion To Casing System reduces the chance for errors, and raises retread reliability.


MRTI Pre-Mold™ Treads

Feature: Treaeds built with genuine Michelin® new-tire tread rubber compounds and tread patterns.

Advantage: Michelin's industry leading technology, materials, and designs.

Benefit: Retread performance that rivals the performance of corresponding new Michelin tires.

  • Michelin® Treads are built using genuine Michelin new-tire tread rubber compounds and proprietary, road-proven Michelin new-tire tread patterns.
  • These tread rubber compounds and tread designs draw upon over a century of research, innovation, and industry leadership in heavy truck tires, plus 60 years of worldwide experience in truck tire retreading.
  • Michelin's status as the world's leading tire manufacturer both reflects and enables its extensive investment in advanced research and proprietary production facilities.
  • These corporate strengths bring you down-to-earth benefits. For example, Michelin Retreads not only offer exceptional wear-per-32nd - they also feature an outright advantage in tread depth. It takes the unique properties of genuine Michelin tread rubber compounds to deliver compelling benefits like this.
  • On quality casings of any brand, Michelin compounds and tread patterns produce outstanding retreads. On Michelin casings, they extend Michelin "No Compromise" performance throughout the full life-cycle of your tires.


MRTI Pre-Mold™ Building

Feature: Computer controlled tread builders for our Pre-Mold™ processes.

Advantage: Built-in precision reduces tread-building variables

Benefit: Maximized tire durability and smoothness, with like-new appearance.

  • In simplified terms, a key goal of tread building is to approach like-new dimensions, and then apply a new tread which mates with the acasing just as the original tread did.
  • The MRTi Pre-Mold™ Tread Builder automatically centers the tread on the casing, eliminating the variables associated with joint seams found in conventional retreads.
  • Because Michelin retreads look and drive more like new tires than like ordinary retreads, they help you satisfy and retain discriminating drivers, and reassure your most demanding, time-sensitive customers. This is image enhancement that builds your bottom line.


MRTI Pre-Mold™ Curing

Feature: Curing process that uses Michelin® technology and Michein specifications for time, temperature, vacuum, and pressure.

Advantage: Raises curing uniformity and enhances full integration of all repairs.

Benefit: Maximized retread durability, dependability, and longevity to help lower your cost-per-mile.



MRTI Pre-Mold™ Curing

  • Unlike most other retreads, which are vacuum enveloped from the outside only, Michelin® Pre-Mold™ Retreads are double vacuum enveloped.
  • Double enveloping means that all surfaces of the retread - inside and out - are subjected to uniform pressure and temperature. This promotes uniform curing and complete integration of any repairs - from the crown to the bead.

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