DORAL, Fla. — Retreading product supplier Vipal Rubber Corp. has developed a tread for use in the U.S. for traction in off-road conditions.
The new VT850 tread has been developed for heavy work with vehicles such as motorgraders, wood grabber loaders and traction vehicles to operate off-road, according to Vipal.
The tread has "excellent" traction and self-cleaning capability that Vipal claims helps it perform in severe weather conditions such as snow and mud. The sculpture of the grooves prevents rock retention and other objects that can damage a tire.
The tread has a wear indicator that shows when the product should be retreaded, helping to keep the casing intact and extending the life of the tire in order that it can be retreaded multiple times while maintaining the required safety and quality standards.
Gabriel Fuma, Vipal NAFTA's commercial manger, said the tread has received excellent feedback from consumers.
"The tread proves, in practice, the excellent results it obtained during the tests," Mr. Fuma said. "We are confident that it will be widely succesful in the American market due to the great performance it has been presenting."
Vipal recently released a tread designed for high performance in snow and mud conditions, the VT250.
The retread materials supplier also said four leading U.S. retreaders upgraded their manufacturing facilities recently with the purchase of automated buffers and other equipment from Vipal: Pete's Road Services in Corona, Calif.; Retread Solutions in Mebane, N.C.; Jewell Tire Center, in Oxford, Maine; and Purcell Tires & Service Center in Portland, Ore.
Vipal Rubber — the Doral-based sales subsidiary of Brazil's Borrachas Vipal S/A — operates three distribution centers in the U.S., in Los Angeles, Miami and Norfolk, Va.
