Bridgestone shifting to 'hot-cure' retread tires

Warwick, UK – Bridgestone Corp. is expanding its retread offering in Europe with a “mulit-million-pound” investment at its retreading plant in Bourne, UK.

The upgrade is focused on Bridgestone’s manufacturing processes, enabling more hot-cure products to be produced at the Lincolnshire factory, said the group 25 May.

Branded ‘Bandag Hotread’, the retread offerings are claimed to be “some of the most advanced in the UK”, featuring 17 new products manufactured in Bourne.

The products, said Bridgestone, cover the HGV and bus & coach markets and will mark a shift in emphasis from cold- to hot-cure products – in response to market demand.

“There is a move towards the lowest total cost-of-ownership of product,” explained David Almazan, Bridgestone’s commercial business unit director, Bridgestone north region.

In addition, Almazan said, there is increasing awareness in terms of sustainable and circular economy.

“Bridgestone is fully committed… which is why we have made such a significant expansion of our retread range,” the Bridgestone director added.

According to the tire group, the retreading sector currently accounts for 24% of the UK’s annual commercial tire sales.

Last year, the Bourne-based ‘Bulldog factory’ recycled 520 tonnes of rubber dust and 4,400 tonnes worth of scrap tires.

This, estimates Bridgestone, is equal to savings of 4 million litres of oil, 2 kilotonnes of rubber and 900 tonnes of steel.

In addition, it said, the retreading process reduced CO2 emissions by 4 kilotonnes, compared to the manufacturing process of new tires.