ROVERETO, Italy (Feb. 20, 2015) — Marangoni Retreading Systems plans to double its production capacity for wide-base single radials — tires with tread widths exceeding 325 mm — in the coming years with the installation of a second “Ringtread” tread press at the company's Rovereto headquarters factory.
The company did not disclose its investment in the tread press, which will be capable of producing treads up to 450mm wide. The press has a high specific molding pressure, Marangoni said, thus ensuring the benefits of the Ringtread process. The press can be fed both in the traditional manner, with extruded sections of rubber, or using one or two extruders to make the process completely automatic.
Marangoni also will be devoting resources to designing and developing new tread patterns and customized compounds for the wide-base segment, which the company said has been growing exponentially worldwide over recent years.
Wide-base single tires are used in place of duals and are said to allow fuel savings of up to 6 percent, a wider tread footprint and better stability. Further advantages can include a reduction in overall vehicle weight, eliminating the need to rotate tire position on vehicles, easier maintenance and lower purchase costs.
The dimensions of these tires, according to Marangoni, favors retreading with its Ringtread system — due to “the circular shape and the absence of the usual joint and lack of uniformity in distribution of the material applied, typical of traditional precured strips.”