Skip to main content
EVENT TRACKER
Keep track of rescheduled, canceled industry events with our COVID-affected event tracker - Powered by Snap Finance
Close
Sister Publication Links
  • Rubber & Plastics News
  • European Rubber Journal
tb-logo
Subscribe
  • Login
  • Register
  • Subscribe
  • News
    • OPINION
    • CORONAVIRUS
    • AUTO INDUSTRY
    • BUSINESS/FINANCIAL
    • COMMERCIAL TIRE
    • FACTORY FIXES
    • GOVERNMENT & LAW
    • INTERNATIONAL
    • MOTOR SPORTS
    • NEW PRODUCTS
    • RETAIL TIRES
    • SERVICE ZONE
    • SEMA/AAPEX
    • SMALL BUSINESS
    • TIRE MAKERS
    • SPONSORED CONTENT
    • Tire Cologne canceled; rescheduled until 2022
      New round of Paycheck Protection Program funding opens
      Vaccine may usher sense of normalcy
      Cover-up: More retailers requiring face masks to curb COVID
    • DTM switches horses mid-stream; awards race tire contract to Michelin
      Icahn Auto trims fiscal 2020 operating loss despite 14% lower sales
      Oshkosh unit gets contract for new USPS local delivery vehicle
      Sumitomo adds treadwear-detection to 'Sensor Core' toolkit
    • CarAdvise partnering with RepairSmith mobile repair services
      Goodyear to raise prices by up to 8% on all passenger tires on April 1
      Point S posts strongest year ever in sales profit, growth, store growth
      Conlan Tire buys BestDrive locations in Ark., Okla., Texas from Continental
    • Conlan Tire buys BestDrive locations in Ark., Okla., Texas from Continental
      Michelin upgrades 2 lines of Energy-branded truck tires
      TravelCenters plans 6 TA Express sites in California in 2021
      Carlisle TyrFil broadens recycling technology options
    • USTMA joins coalition supporting passage of Equality Act
      McMahon's Best-One increases its minimum wage to $15
      Oshkosh unit gets contract for new USPS local delivery vehicle
      Conti recalling 94,000 Conti-, General-, Barum-brand LT/SUV tires
    • DTM switches horses mid-stream; awards race tire contract to Michelin
      Sentury's 10-year global expansion strategy will include plants in North America, Europe
      Rebound in car tire demand drives USTMA market forecast for 2021
      Michelin driving for '100% sustainable' tires by 2050
    • DTM switches horses mid-stream; awards race tire contract to Michelin
      Bridgestone World Solar Challenge canceled due to pandemic restrictions
      Pirelli, Goodyear ink sedan racing series contracts in Canada, Europe
      Goodyear extends partnership with Nürburgring race circuit
    • U.S.-sourced Milestar Weatherguard AS710 offers all-season value
      Michelin upgrades 2 lines of Energy-branded truck tires
      Falken revamps winter tire lineup with studless Eurowinter products
      Michelin launching ‘eco-responsible' performance tire for sporty EVs
    • U.S.-sourced Milestar Weatherguard AS710 offers all-season value
      New Nexen Tire Garage offers dealers digital resources
      CarAdvise partnering with RepairSmith mobile repair services
      Goodyear to raise prices by up to 8% on all passenger tires on April 1
    • Pennzoil offering carbon-neutral lubricants for passenger cars
      Washington dealership uses new-school solution for recruiting auto techs
      Marinucci: Customers may ignore dangerous conditions
      Automotive Lift Institute introduces Check360 inspection, label
    • SEMA survey shows resilient auto aftermarket in 2020
      SEMA scholarships and loan forgiveness now available
      WTC hosting webinar Jan. 20 on load-capacity standards
      Denver's Brian Sump named AAPEX Shop Owner of the Year
    • SEMA survey shows resilient auto aftermarket in 2020
      Trade groups oppose minimum wage increase proposal
      New stimulus package fixes PPP loan confusion
      Vaccine may usher sense of normalcy
    • U.S.-sourced Milestar Weatherguard AS710 offers all-season value
      New Nexen Tire Garage offers dealers digital resources
      Goodyear to raise prices by up to 8% on all passenger tires on April 1
      Sentury's 10-year global expansion strategy will include plants in North America, Europe
    • Sponsored By Yokohama Tire Company
      7 questions to ask consumers when they need tires for a crossover SUV
      Sponsored By Yokohama Tire Company
      Stocking Tires for Crossover SUVs
      Sponsored By AppointmentPlus
      Three Important Lessons Learned for the Tire Business During a Pandemic
      Sponsored By Yokohama Tire Company
      7 questions to ask consumers when they need tires for a crossover SUV
  • SHOP FLOOR
    • BALANCING
    • DEMOUNTING
    • SAFETY
    • TIRE REPAIR
    • TPMS
    • TRAINING
    • VEHICLE LIFTING
    • WHEEL TORQUE
    • Video: Balancing Tire
      An introduction to wheel balancing
      Wheel weights: Balancing form with function
      Choosing the right balancing equipment
    • Video: Demounting
      Tire changer types, tips and trends
      How to clear rim rust and corrosion
      An introduction to demounting, mounting and inflation
    • Video: Safety
      Customers
      Considerations for shop safety policies
      Introduction: Creating a culture of safety
    • Video: Tire Repair
      Essential tools, materials and equipment for tire repair
      An introduction to tire repair
      How to properly patch a puncture
    • Video: TMPS Service
      The life-saving work of TPMS
      An introduction to TPMS service
      The importance of proper relearn procedures
    • Video: Training
      Internship ideas to attract tech talent
      Choosing the right auto service tech school
      Intro: Finding and training technicians
    • Video:Vehicle Lifting
      The gravity of proper lift points
      Safety essentials when using jack stands
      An introduction to lifts and lift safety
    • Video: Wheel Torque
      The importance of torque specifications
      Introduction to proper wheel installation
      Torque check and recheck recommendations
  • Multimedia
    • VIDEOS
    • PHOTOS
    • PODCASTS
  • Events
    • ASK THE EXPERT
    • LIVESTREAMS
    • WEBINARS
    • SEMA LIVESTREAMS
  • Data
    • DATA STORE
  • Resources
    • DIRECTORY
    • CLASSIFIEDS
  • ADVERTISE
  • DIGITAL EDITION
  • Awards
    • Tire Dealer Humanitarian Award
MENU
Breadcrumb
  1. Home
February 01, 1999 01:00 AM

PAYING ATTENTION TO DETAIL: MICHELIN RETREADING OPERATION LEAVES VERY LITTLE TO CHANCE

Bruce Davis
  • Tweet
  • Share
  • Share
  • Email
  • More
    Print

    WOOSTER, Ohio—If there's any single distinguishing characteristic to a Michelin Retread Technologies Inc. (MRTI) plant, it's attention paid to detail. That's the message Ken Smetzer, owner of Smetzer's Tire Center Inc. in Wooster, is trying to relay to his commercial customers. Mr. Smetzer recently converted his retreading plant from Oliver Rubber Co.'s process to the MRTI system.

    From casing inspection to final inspection, the personnel at MRTI plants have undergone extensive training and are supported by the latest technology, Mr. Smetzer told customers attending an open house at his MRTI plant in Wooster.

    An MRTI precure plant starts and ends with U.S.-made equipment, but in between the shop floor is a showcase of European engineering.

    Starting with German-engineered Steinbichler shearography machines, casings are buffed on Danish-built SIO buffers, followed by cushion gum application from German-manufactured A-Z roller die extruders and treads applied by automated SIO tread applicators, and finally secured in envelopes with the aid of Italian-sourced TRM envelope spreaders.

    The process starts off, however, with visual inspection aided by Hawkinson NDT II nail hole testers. Curing takes place in chambers by Cure Tech Inc.

    After the visual/nail hole examination—where the casing inspector also checks for possible body-ply problems by scanning the sidewall with a fluorescent light—each casing goes through shearography. When coupled with computerized imaging, it becomes the ``Michelin Casing Integrity Analyzer.''

    Michelin has developed its own computerized imaging software—called Automatic Casing Evaluation—to help the operator identify belt-edge separations by flagging irregularities as yellow (needs further inspection) or red (reject) highlight boxes on screen.

    Depending on the results of the visual and shearography inspections, casings then may be X-rayed (Fluoroscan X-ray equipment) to check possible damage to the steel body and tread plies as well as to inspect the integrity of existing section repairs.

    Buffing begins with an automated undertread sensor measuring residual tread rubber, a value that the buffer's computer program uses to set the buffing parameters.

    The buffing wheels on the SIO machine cut perpendicular to tire rotation, creating a ``crepe-like'' buffing texture running across the tread surface radially. While this type of buffing is not widespread now among retreaders, it earlier was commonplace when the industry was still predominantly bias-ply, according to Marvin Bozarth, executive director of the International Tire and Rubber Association.

    Michelin seeks to assure repair integrity by thorough training of a franchisee's personnel and by follow-up audits. As part of its retread/casing guarantee, MRTI requires that section repairs in casings not done originally by an MRTI franchisee be removed and redone for over-the-road haulers.

    The A-Z extruder used in the ``Cushion to Casing'' extrusion system is designed to recognize skives and buzzouts and adjust the flow of rubber automatically to fill these indentations. This frees up the repair department from having to do these manually and yields a precise bonding layer, according to Michelin literature.

    Michelin promotes heavily to the end user that the rubber and tread patterns used for its precured treads are the same as that go into its new tires. For the time being, Oliver Rubber Co. is molding the treads for Michelin using Michelin-specified compounds and parameters.

    The built-up casings are double vacuum enveloped ``to assure uniform curing and complete integration of repairs,'' Michelin literature states. The curing cycle runs no more than two hours, and averages about 90 minutes for shallow tread retreads. The chambers hold 25 tires at a time.

    Michelin franchisees agree to refrain from ``sleeper cures''—starting the final batch of the day at closing time and allowing the next day's first shift to remove them—to preclude the possibility of overcuring tires.

    The extra attention to casing inspections allows Michelin to offer a limited warranty on MRTI franchisee products that includes covering the casing—regardless of whether it's a customer's casing for an MRTI franchisee-procured one—for up to 34 weeks after retreading, or through the first 25 percent of tread life.

    Letter
    to the
    Editor

    Do you have an opinion about this story? Do you have some thoughts you'd like to share with our readers? Tire Business would love to hear from you. Email your letter to Editor Don Detore at [email protected].

    SIGN UP FOR NEWSLETTERS
    EMAIL ADDRESS

    Please enter a valid email address.

    Please enter your email address.

    Please verify captcha.

    Please select at least one newsletter to subscribe.

    Newsletter Center

    Staying current is easy with Tire Business delivered straight to your inbox.

    SUBSCRIBE TODAY

    Subscribe to Tire Business

    SUBSCRIBE
    Connect with Us
    • Facebook
    • LinkedIn
    • Twitter
    • RSS

    Our Mission

    Tire Business is an award-winning publication dedicated to providing the latest news, data and insights into the tire and automotive service industries.

    tb-logo
    Reader Services
    • Contact Us
    • About Us
    • Site Map
    • Industry Sites
    • Order Reprints
    • Customer Service: 877-320-1716
    Partner Sites
    • Rubber & Plastics News
    • European Rubber Journal
    • Automotive News
    • Plastics News
    • Plastics News China
    • Urethanes Technology
    RESOURCES
    • Advertise
    • Privacy Policy
    • Privacy Request
    • Terms of Service
    • Media Guide
    • Editorial Calendar
    • Classified Rates
    • Digital Edition
    • Careers
    • Ad Choices Ad Choices
    Copyright © 1996-2021. Crain Communications, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
    • News
      • OPINION
      • CORONAVIRUS
      • AUTO INDUSTRY
      • BUSINESS/FINANCIAL
      • COMMERCIAL TIRE
      • FACTORY FIXES
      • GOVERNMENT & LAW
      • INTERNATIONAL
      • MOTOR SPORTS
      • NEW PRODUCTS
      • RETAIL TIRES
      • SERVICE ZONE
      • SEMA/AAPEX
      • SMALL BUSINESS
      • TIRE MAKERS
      • SPONSORED CONTENT
    • SHOP FLOOR
      • BALANCING
      • DEMOUNTING
      • SAFETY
      • TIRE REPAIR
      • TPMS
      • TRAINING
      • VEHICLE LIFTING
      • WHEEL TORQUE
    • Multimedia
      • VIDEOS
      • PHOTOS
      • PODCASTS
    • Events
      • ASK THE EXPERT
      • LIVESTREAMS
      • WEBINARS
      • SEMA LIVESTREAMS
    • Data
      • DATA STORE
    • Resources
      • DIRECTORY
      • CLASSIFIEDS
    • ADVERTISE
    • DIGITAL EDITION
    • Awards
      • Tire Dealer Humanitarian Award