What Happens to Old Tyres?
Page 43
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JNE of the most costly single items in the upkeep of a commercial vehicle is that of the res. A 10,00-20 12-ply cover, for ample, costs £33 Is. or £165 5s. for set of five. An operator who is not ejudiced against rebuilt tyres can place a set of such covers for £86 5s. for £61 5s. if his casings are in suitde condition.
There is, however, still a certain count of doubt existing as to the ilicy of using rebuilt tyres. It must : agreed that when the tyre-retreading dustry was first making a bold fight become established, some concerns iid far too little attention to the conlion of the casings which were subitted for treatment. Numbers of treaded tyres failed after running iall mileages and, in consequence, the at* industry suffered to such an tent that it has taken years to restore e operator's confidence.
Recent investigations that I have ade go to confirm the increasing fiance which is being placed on such res, but it is still necessary to entrust e casings to those concerns which sist upon the highest standard in irt-worn covers.
Only an expert can decide whether casing is suitable for rebuilding. Far o frequently, an operator, anxious to nain the last mile from a tyre, will run it until it is fit for scrap. 'He will probably feel annoyed when he is told that it is unsuitable for rebuilding, but in rejecting it the retreader is following a code which has been firmly established among members of the Retread Manufacturers' Association.
Here are a few of the main faults which will cause a part-worn cover to be rejected for reconditioning: Break-up of the casing cord; cord rotted through exposure; bead wire broken; cord separation associated with deflation damage; cracks on the side wall which extend into the outer plies; tread separation; severe contamination by oil; severe flint and stone cutting on the tread; casing fractures caused by impact; tyre too far worn or too old.
Old Tyres by the Ton
During my investigations I visited Tyre Disposals, Ltd., The Wharf, Clifford Road, Alperton, Middx. One of my objects was to find out what happens to those tyres which, for one reason or ancither, have been taken out of Service. .
This. coMpany buy used tyres by the ton, which means that 'each cover has ultimately to be examined before it is possible to grade it. As the standard recognized by British remoulders is so high, only about 1 per cent. of the casings which find their way to The Wharf are considered suitable for rebuilding.
Not all the casings are cut up for scrap, because a high percentage find their way back on to vehicles, but not in this country. Of an average inflow of about 10,009 casings per month, approximately half represents scrap.
Of the remainder, these are graded after individual inspection, and sold for further service as tyres. Most of the casings exported find their way to the Continent, where the top-grade ones are rebuilt for general use. The lowergrade covers, after repair, are used on low-speed vehicles, particularly for agricultural work.
During my visit I saw a number of tractor tyres which had been found unsuitable for further use. I was told that they would probably find their way to Italy, where they would be doctored up and again put into service on tractors.
Those casings which are considered to be beyond further use as tyres are sold as scrap and come, back into service in the form of footwear, rubber blocks for flooring, and so on.
For normal loads the company operate two Fordson 5-tormers, an Austin 5-tonner and a Comrner 7-ton articulated outfit. Both Fordson and Austin vehicles have Luton-type bodies which enable the maximum number of casings to be parried under cover. When the weight of a consignment is outside the maximum load capacity of a road vehicle, use is made of barges, which can be loaded directly from the wharf and unloaded at the docks.
The average number of casings held at one time. by Tyre Disposals, Ltd., is 12,000-15,000, equivalent to 300-400 tons. P.G.T.