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* Check the correct dimensions on the tread of your current tire.Reconstructed and regenerated tires are used tires that retain their intact structural characteristics, with the worn tread replaced by new material. Regenerated tires are widely used in aviation and heavy-duty road transport, but they are also becoming a viable alternative for light transport. While tires for heavy vehicles can be reconstructed up to three times, in the case of cars, it is possible only once.
Reconstructed tires offer an economic advantage to motorists as they cost up to 50% less than new tires. From an environmental perspective, while the production of a new tire requires between 20 and 28 liters of crude oil, in the case of reconstructed tires, the consumption is reduced to approximately 5.5 liters. Additionally, there are material savings as the reconstruction process preserves about 80% of the tire and nearly 70% of energy.
Tire reconstruction is only possible with a high-quality carcass designed to last multiple lifecycles and proper tire maintenance.
The reconstruction process involves several steps.
The tire undergoes various checks to assess its suitability for reconstruction. These checks include tactile and visual inspections carried out by a specialized technician who meticulously examines the tire. Advanced technologies like shearography are also used, which involves a highly sophisticated laser machine called a “shearograph” to detect potential structural damage and internal imperfections in the carcass that are not visible from the outside.
Carcasses with imperfections or structural damage are rejected and sent to a disposal center or waste-to-energy plant that produces electricity and heat from them. This ensures proper tire disposal without harming the environment while also recovering any unburned materials. Carcasses that pass all the checks are eligible for reconstruction and proceed to the next step: retreading.
Selected tires are subjected to the removal of the worn tread by an electronic rasping machine that, thanks to sophisticated software, is able to remove all tread residue.
This process creates a rough and even surface, which allows for better adhesion of the new rubber coating that will be applied to create the new tread.
After removing the worn tread, a thorough inspection of the carcass is carried out, which may also involve superficial repairs if necessary.
A thin layer of adhesive rubber, known as the bonding layer, is applied to the tire, preparing the surface for the application of the new material.
The application of the new tread can be done using either the hot or cold technique:
Hot technique: the carcass is mounted on a rotating machine that applies a new layer of pure rubber without any tread pattern.
Cold technique: a prefabricated tread strip with the new tread pattern is applied to the carcass and pre-vulcanized. This technique is mainly used for larger tires, such as those used in heavy-duty transport or earthmoving equipment.
All tires sold by EGOMMERCE are manufactured using the hot technique, ensuring superior performance and reliability equivalent to new tires.
The vulcanization phase can also be carried out using either the hot or cold technique:
Hot technique: the tire is placed in a vulcanization press equipped with a mold containing the desired tread pattern. Inside the press, the temperature reaches approximately 150-160 °C.
Cold technique: the tire is vacuum-sealed to remove residual air between the layers and the tire itself. Then, the new tread is fused with the carcass using a temperature of 110 °C for about 3 hours.
After vulcanization, the reconstructed tire undergoes a final internal and external inspection conducted using specialized machinery. Finally, it is aesthetically finished and ready for a second life.
Retreaded tires are regulated by the European ECE UN 108 standard for passenger cars and the ECE UN 109 standard for commercial vehicles. These regulations contain all the indications regarding the retreading process, the requirements that retreading facilities must meet, and the tyre marking. The facilities are also subject to strict controls and are required to periodically submit a specified number of tyres for load and speed tests, just like the approval process for new tyres.
An approved retreaded tyre carries an approval mark. To ensure that you are dealing with a retreaded tyre, it should bear the mark “Retread” on the sidewall and the “108 R” marking for European approval, while inside a circle the letter “E” followed by a six-digit number should be present. Additionally, make sure that the name of the retreader and the DOT indicating the week of retreading and the corresponding year are always present.
European labeling is mandatory for all new tyres manufactured from 1st July 2012. European labeling is not required for retreaded tyres, as they are exempted from it.
The DOT (Department of Transportation) is the product tracking code that indicates the week and year of tyre production. The DOT can be found on the sidewall of all tyres and consists of four numbers: the first 2 indicate the week, and the following 2 numbers indicate the year.
Example: DOT 1015
The tyre was produced in the tenth week of 2015, which is March 2015.
The DOT was created to facilitate product traceability for manufacturers and is used by consumers to determine if a tyre is recently manufactured or if it has been produced and retreaded for a considerable amount of time.
The load index (LI) determines the maximum load that the tyre can handle when driven at the maximum speed specified by the tyre manufacturer. The tyre load multiplied by 2 should cover the total load of your vehicle’s axle.
To determine your load index, you can simply read it from the sidewall of one of your tyres and compare it with the load index table. Alternatively, you can check your vehicle’s registration document, where the load index is indicated.
The load index of the tyres must be equal to or higher than the value indicated on the vehicle’s registration document.
The speed index is an alphabetical code that corresponds to the maximum speed at which a tyre can travel. To determine your speed index, you can simply read it from the sidewall of one of your tyres and compare it with the speed index table. It is prohibited to fit a tyre with a lower speed index than the tyres originally mounted on the vehicle or the one recommended by the manufacturer. However, it is permissible to fit a tyre with a higher speed index.
Winter tyres suitable for driving on snow, marked with the M+S (or MS, M-S, M&S) designation and mounted on the vehicle, must be marked with a speed category symbol not lower than ‘Q’ (corresponding to 160 km/h). In this case, the driver, as a rule of conduct, must comply with any more restrictive speed limits imposed by the maximum speed allowed for the tyre (indicated by a monitoring label inside the vehicle). For example, if the registration document specifies 145R13 74S, it is considered compliant when the vehicle is equipped with snow tyres bearing markings such as 145SR13 74Q M+S, or 145R13 74Q M+S, or P145/80R13 75Q M+S, and so on. Please note that even if the tyres you are using have capabilities well above the speed limits, no manufacturer recommends using tyres at unauthorised speeds. Also note that for tyres with a speed index of (Z), the index is included in the tyre description, which explains the ‘ZR’ designation.
Tyre labelling was introduced by the European Commission in 2009. The scheme has three main objectives: to assist consumers in making informed choices about tyres, to improve road safety, and to reduce the environmental impact associated with tyres.
Since November 1, 2012, all tyres for cars, 4×4 vehicles, SUVs, commercial vehicles, and heavy-duty vehicles manufactured from July 1, 2012, and sold in a European Union country must display a standard label. The label provides consumers with information on three tyre performance characteristics: fuel efficiency, wet grip braking, and external rolling noise.
Central criterion for Brussels: Tyre energy efficiency
You may have noticed the similarity in shape and colour codes used on the label to the energy labels found on appliances, cars, and buildings. This is not a coincidence. With this regulation, the European legislator aimed to raise awareness among drivers regarding a criterion that had been overlooked until now: tyre energy efficiency. In other words, the tyre’s contribution to the vehicle’s fuel consumption and thus to CO2 emissions.
Thanks to the label, consumers can easily purchase tyres that are well-ranked in terms of energy efficiency. The advantage is twofold: consumers save fuel on one hand, and on the other hand, they contribute to reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
Other parameters: Safety and quality of life
The European tyre label also highlights wet grip braking performance and external rolling noise, which are related to safety and quality of life, respectively.
With the European tyre labelling, consumers now have access to more information. Through the label, consumers can compare tyres based on aspects other than just price and brand, becoming more independent in their tyre purchasing decisions.
More and more drivers are using a double set of tyres, and every year, as the summer or winter season approaches, they face the challenge of properly storing their tyres for reuse in the next season.
It is important to store tyres optimally to preserve their structural characteristics and lifespan. Unsuitable conditions can lead to changes in the physical properties of the rubber and cause shoulder or tread deformation, reducing the tyre’s lifespan. In some cases, damage may prevent further use.
For any type of tyre, it is essential to store them in a well-ventilated, dry, and temperate place, protected from direct sunlight and the elements. Similarly, chemicals and solvents should be kept at a safe distance to avoid altering the properties of the rubber.
Once the tyres are removed, it is advisable to eliminate any residue by wiping them with a damp cloth and mark the wheel positions with chalk. Knowing the previous positions of the tyres allows for rotating the front and rear tyres during the next installation to maintain even tread wear and extend the tyre’s lifespan.
Different considerations apply depending on whether the tyres are stored with or without the rims. The arrangement of the tyre makes a difference in proper preservation.
Tyres mounted on rims should not be stored in a vertical position but should be hung on hooks or kept in a horizontal position, remembering to change the position approximately every month. It is also important to periodically check the storage pressure, which should match the manufacturer’s recommendation.
On the other hand, tyres stored without rims should never be hung or stored horizontally but should be placed vertically with the precaution of rotating them periodically.
Run flat tyres can travel up to 80 kilometres at a speed of 80 km/h in the event of a puncture. The vehicle maintains its stability, both in curves and straight roads, without any adverse effects. However, it is important not to exceed the recommended speed or distance and to stop as soon as possible.
Run flat tyres can be identified by the markings on the sidewall of the tyre. Typically, they are labelled with RSC or RFT. Major tyre manufacturers have specific designations for their respective run flat models:
Pirelli: Euforia
Michelin: ZP
Bridgestone: RFT
Continental: SSR
Goodyear: Run on flat
The run flat system is electronically connected to the vehicle. In the event of a puncture, a monitoring system called TPMS (Tyre Pressure Monitoring System) notifies the driver of the pressure loss in one of the four tyres.
A warning symbol or sometimes an audible alert will be displayed on the car’s dashboard to indicate the anomaly.
Electronic sensors are installed inside the wheel, specifically attached to the rim, and transmit radio signals at 433 MHz. These are known as direct method sensors.
Indirect method sensors, on the other hand, are connected to the vehicle rather than the wheel and utilize the ABS system. The wheel speed sensor measures the rotational circumference, and if an anomaly (such as a puncture) occurs, it promptly alerts the control unit.
Over 2 million tonnes of end-of-life tyres are discarded each year, and their recovery and reuse could lead to significant resource savings and contribute to environmental conservation.
The disposal and recovery of rubber waste, including end-of-life or worn-out tyres from vehicle scrapping or rubber industry waste, has been identified as a priority waste stream within community policies.
Our mission is to recover reusable residues and, at the same time, dispose of waste in compliance with regulations and with the utmost respect for the environment.
Through our activities, we focus on the recovery of car and truck tyres (including rims), mechanical shovel tyres, and forklift tyres.
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