What kind of products does Uzer Makina offer to global tyre industry?

Uzer Makina has been serving top tyre makers all around the world with its tyre curing presses and molds since 1978. Our press product category consists of mechanical and hydraulic presses for all kinds of tyres; while mold category includes tread segments, sidewall plates, container mechanisms, AG molds and bladder molds.

Tell us about the evolution of the company as a global leader

The company was founded by Selahattin Uzuner and his nephew Bahattin Ertuğ. At first, the company was working for petrochemical industry in Turkey and later on started to make mold maintenance activities for various tyre companies in Kocaeli. First mold was manufactured 1984. Nearly 10 years later, Uzer Makina started to manufacture tyre curing presses again for plants in İzmit. In 2000, the plant was moved to Kartepe, Kocaeli, where it  is currently located. In 2004, first hydraulic tyre curing press is manufactured and in 2007 Uzer Makina designed, manufactured and internationally patented its popular product Floating Column Hydraulic Press. Until late 2000s, the company mostly served domestic market. After 2010, we started to supply a good amount of its products abroad as well. With an aggressive growth strategy, Uzer Makina invested in buildings, brand-new equipment, human resources and expanded production in last five years to become a global player in tyre curing equipment market. We now serve top tyre makers and their plants in more than 40 countries.

What is the latest step in your expansion process?

After doubling capacity in 2018 by separating press and mold factory, Uzer Makina has completed another expansion by June 2020. This new facility is entirely dedicated for pre-production activities, including storing steel raw materials, cutting, bending, construction, welding, sandblasting and heat treatment serving both for tyre curing press and mold categories which used to be a part of press manufacturing facility before. Uzer Makina also moved its HQ office from mold factory to press factory.

Investment decision was made at the end of 2019 by the top management before Covid-19 pandemic with the goal of decreasing the costs by decreasing the amount of manufacturing activities which are outsourced. Following this decision, Uzer Makina has acquired 9500 m² land just next to existing press manufacturing facility and finished 6500 m² building in less than 7 months.

Uzer Makina also has added brand-new pre-production equipment like heat treatment furnace, sandblasting machine and bending machine. With these new machinery investment, Uzer Makina is planning to decrease the cost per product and production time while increasing the total quality of the processes by taking these operations in house rather than outsourcing them.

This expansion enables Uzer Makina to better use the existing press manufacturing facility. Since pre-production occupied a good amount of space before leaving the building, remaining place is now used for press manufacturing and assembly. Therefore, Uzer Makina is able to manufacture more presses at the same time compared to previous set-up. Uzer Makina has also made machinery investments for existing press area as well including automated spray-painting booth for painting press bodies/parts and vertical turning machine with 3 meters turning diameter which would mainly be used for parts of bigger (over 85”) mechanical presses.            

What are the features of the new SUV & TBR Floating Column Hydraulic Press?

A new era for SUV & TBR tyre curing has begun as Uzer Makina announced the development of SUV & TBR version of its most popular and internationally patented Floating Column Type Hydraulic Press in the last Tyre Technology Expo. Uzer Makina dispatched the first 65” Floating Column Hydraulic Type Curing Press at the end of 2020. This new version outweighs the existing solution Frame Type which used to be the industry standard almost in every aspect. It offers a simpler design, the construction weights much less, has fewer components, maintenance requirements are lower and finally the energy requirement is lesser compared to Frame Type. Besides, most importantly, pricewise there is no significant difference between these two types.

On the other hand, tyre manufacturers will be able to benefit all the advantages of the internationally patented Floating Column Technology for curing of larger tyres. Floating Column Technology provides fully automatic mold height adjustment and therefore eliminates the need for conventional mold height adjustment systems. The technology features two squeezing cylinders under the columns on both sides of each cavity. The piston rods of these cylinders are directly connected to the columns. Besides applying squeezing force, these cylinders also change the position of the locking point, which is located on the columns for adjustment of mold height. Therefore, the press does not need multiple locking points and can work perfectly well with just one. Columns rise at the end of each cycle and release the locking plates from grooves, meaning the locking mechanism can work without jamming.

In addition to these, Uzer Makina is able to construct this new size Floating Column Type Hydraulic Press as V-Shape as well in order to save space. The V-Shape design enables tyre manufacturers to use the curing press area at least 12% more efficiently, in other words, tyre producers would be able to place 112 curing presses in an area that was previously large enough for 100 machines. This concept was developed by Uzer Makina engineers in response to the recent market demand for upgrading existing machines in tyre production plants.

On the other hand, Uzer Makina have been recently putting so much effort to increase energy efficiency on the presses and therefore help tyre manufacturers to comply with the latest European regulations. With this object in mind, Uzer Makina has developed “Energy Saver Steam Hoses” as a subsidiary product that would work both with Uzer Makina presses and others. With these hoses, one can save up to 5% energy per press which is equal huge amount of energy considering the fact that tyre curing is the most energy consumer process of tyre production. These hoses also prevent curing area from overheating. In case there is an effort to cool down the area, there is no need for it or at least it requires much less effort to keep the curing area at normal temperature.

Uzer Makina is not solely a tyre curing press and mold producer – the company also strives to improve the efficiency of the entire curing process. Uzer Makina places great emphasis on digitization and designs its presses to be fully compatible with Industry 4.0 requirements such as EMS, AGV, SCADA, MES and ERP systems. In addition, the company conducts its own research and also works with leading industry companies to offer solutions such as mold pre-heating presses, mold changing pickup cranes and RFID mold management systems – to help tyre manufacturers achieve the most efficient curing processes.

How did the company take on the pandemic?

Even though pandemic conditions were very challenging for tyre industry especially in terms of demand last year, 2021 is very promising also for Uzer Makina. There are many reasons for this: firstly, because of US tariffs against Asian tyre makers, Turkey & Eastern Europe has become a very attractive country for capacity increase for tyre production. Almost all tyre makers in Turkey runs at full capacity and some of them already is expanding. Secondly, there has been a global change in transportation as many people now prefers to move more individually than ever, this probably will eventually affect the number of tyres produced globally. Uzer Makina started to feel this rebound in the demand as many existing customers has decided to restart their previously on hold orders and requesting inquiries for new equipment, and it is also a known fact that quite a few tyre makers are making new greenfield & expansion projects. As Uzer Makina continues to improve its reputation in the market year by year, this rebound will have much more positive effect on the company.

In the pandemic period, like all other companies, Uzer Makina also had to transform the way to operate business into more digital. Now in Uzer Makina, all internal meetings are video meetings. Since travelling abroad is still an issue, nearly all the meetings with customers and suppliers are done via video calls too. Uzer Makina enriched the content of the installation and commissioning materials and provided remote support in order to help the customers which cannot accept people to their plants because of travelling bans. (TT)

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Falken has been named the recipient of the prestigious BRV Service Award, as announced by the German Tyre Retail and Vulcanisation Trade Association during its General Meeting on 8 June 2026. As a brand operating under Dunlop Tyre Europe GmbH, Falken emerged victorious from a competitive online survey where over 250 tyre trade members cast their votes to determine the industry’s most outstanding partner.

This accolade specifically recognises Falken’s superior service standards and its commitment to fostering a reliable and cooperative relationship with its retail partners. The overwhelming vote of confidence from the trade serves as a significant form of recognition for the company, while simultaneously acting as a powerful incentive for the entire Falken workforce to maintain their high-performance levels.

Thomas Langer, Sales Director Germany, Dunlop Tyre Europe GmbH, said, “The news of a top ranking in the BRV Service Award was already a special honour, as it comes directly from the specialist tyre trade. We are now even more delighted to celebrate the overall victory. We would like to express our sincere thanks for this recognition. First place confirms our commitment to offering Falken partners not only reliable and safe products, but above all, dependable service, personalised support and a truly partnership-based collaboration. The fact that the trade has voted the entire team’s efforts into first place motivates us to continue pursuing our goals with determination.”

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The Alliance for the Future of Tires (AZuR) has concluded its participation at The Tire Cologne 2026 with a positive assessment, operating through a network of 19 affiliated organisations across Europe. Their shared exhibition space in Hall 7.1 emerged as a central meeting point during the industry's premier global gathering. Key episodes included a governmental visit, a strategic industry forum and recognition for emerging enterprises.

An immersive installation greeted visitors to the AZuR area, with the entire floor surface consisting of resilient tiles produced from recycled tyre rubber supplied by network affiliate MRH Mülsen. This practical display offered a compelling illustration of how discarded materials can be transformed into functional products. The collaborative exhibition model proved highly favourable among attendees and participating companies alike.

The initiative broadened its collaborative base during the fair, securing commitments from new entities in Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands to advance shared sustainability objectives. North Rhine-Westphalia's environment minister, Oliver Krischer, toured the exhibition as part of a broader initiative to spotlight regional excellence in circular practices, observing demonstrations spanning digital monitoring, alternative materials and recovery processes.

A dedicated assembly on tyre retreading drew roughly 40 specialists from manufacturing, materials supply and trade associations. Conversations revolved around the technology's track record and adaptation to market conditions, referencing recent environmental performance data. Survey feedback indicated robust confidence in retreading's financial and environmental merits, though participants identified competition from lower-cost imports as a primary obstacle.

The programme concluded with the LOOP THE TYRE competition awards. The top honour went to Machine-Vision.io from Reutlingen for its optical evaluation system streamlining used tyre assessment. Sustainable Rubber Solutions from the Netherlands received second prize for its chemical innovation enabling rubber reintegration into new compounds, while Austria's ReTyre project claimed third for developing a scalable devulcanisation method for tyre-to-tyre recycling.

Anna-Maria Guth, AZuR Network Coordinator, said, “TTC impressively demonstrated the high level of interest in a functioning tyre circular economy. We were particularly pleased with the exceptionally positive atmosphere at our joint stand. Our partners see themselves as equal contributors to a common goal and as partners in a strong alliance for the future.”

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Prinx Chengshan marked a significant milestone at The Tire Cologne 2026 in Germany on 9 June, where it officially introduced its Prinx-brand commercial vehicle tyres to the European market. The launch event, held during the prestigious trade fair, served as a commemorative highlight for the 50th anniversary of the Chengshan Group. While the company showcased its full portfolio of brands, including Chengshan, Austone and Fortune, the European debut of the Prinx commercial tyre line commanded the primary focus of industry attendees.

Senior company representatives provided comprehensive insights into the strategic initiative during the event. Officials from the Europe and Americas Sales Center, the R&D Center and the European Technical Center outlined the company's developmental trajectory, manufacturing scale and proprietary technological advancements. The presentations emphasised the integration of intelligent manufacturing systems and global research capabilities, with particular attention given to how the Prinx brand is developing future-oriented commercial solutions tailored specifically for European fleet operators.

The Prinx brand, positioned as a premium offering, leverages three intelligent manufacturing facilities located in China, Thailand and Malaysia, combined with the localised expertise of its European Technical Center. The company has concentrated its research efforts on six core technologies, including low rolling resistance and high wear resistance features, complemented by an intelligent tyre monitoring system. A strategic partnership with Marangoni, a prominent European retreading material manufacturer, further strengthens the brand's comprehensive service capabilities.

For its market entry, Prinx launched three initial product series covering nine tread patterns suitable for long-haul and regional mixed road conditions. Future product expansion plans include tyres for mixed-use applications, city buses, long-distance coaches and winter conditions. Since announcing its European passenger car tyre initiative in Milan in 2023, the brand has rapidly enhanced its product matrix and reinforced its market presence through branding initiatives and sponsorship of major racing championships.

With five decades of industry experience, Prinx Chengshan is accelerating its global strategy through a product-plus-service philosophy. The company aims to deliver customized solutions addressing the complete tyre lifecycle by combining Chinese manufacturing heritage with international research and development networks. This approach positions the company to precisely meet localised European market demands while inviting global partners to contribute to a sustainable transportation future.

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Grady County, Georgia, has successfully addressed the persistent issue of flood-damaged roads by implementing an innovative and sustainable construction method on Lower Cairo Road. The project tackled chronic washouts that had long plagued the area, where conventional repairs consistently failed during heavy rainstorms. The chosen solution involved a significant elevation of the roadway and the reinforcement of its foundation, moving beyond temporary surface fixes to target the root causes of the flooding.

The county utilised a technique known as Mechanical Concrete, which employs recycled tyre cylinders to create a durable and flexible road base. In this process, scrap tyres are processed into cylindrical units and arranged in a grid pattern. These interconnected cylinders are then filled with aggregate, in this case, reclaimed asphalt pavement, to form a robust foundation. This system effectively distributes the weight of traffic and provides superior resistance to erosion, directly countering the forces that previously caused washouts.

The specific work on Lower Cairo Road covered a length of 880 linear feet and a width of 18 feet, raising the road's elevation by 12 inches. The project successfully incorporated 3,300 recycled scrap tyre cylinders, demonstrating a significant commitment to sustainability by diverting waste from landfills. The enhanced drainage and structural stability provided by this method are expected to drastically reduce the frequency and cost of future maintenance, offering a long-term solution to the community's flooding woes.

The success of Grady County’s initiative highlights a scalable and cost-effective approach for other municipalities facing similar infrastructure challenges. This method proves particularly beneficial for rural networks and low-lying regions with limited budgets. By demonstrating how to build resilient roads using recycled materials, Grady County has provided a practical model for enhancing infrastructure durability while promoting environmental stewardship.

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