Like every technology sector requires testing, so do the tyres that come with any vehicle. It is important that the tyres of a vehicle function smoothly on different roads and under all weather conditions. This results in tyre manufacturers conducting a number of vital tests to ensure that their tyres perform when the end user sits behind the wheel. Dr Dieter Barz, Director – Sales and Service, and Executive Board Member at Altracon, a company that provides tyre and material property testing solutions and configurations, throws light on tyre testing standards, how the Indian market is one of the major markets of the future for tyre testing and how the future is about sustainability.

What is the role of testing in tyre development as a whole?
When a customer buys a tyre, they, of course, have to be sure that the tyre is safe, comfortable to ride and not noisy. Therefore, tyre testing is essential.

The tyre is a very complex, built-up element. As for tyre testing in general, it is split up into several areas. For one, there’s subjective testing, like the feeling of driving a car, for instance. This would be the tyre performance.

Then there’s tyre measurement. When it comes to tyre measurement, it’s very important that during the development process, one proves that the tyre is fulfilling various standards. These standards are different for different countries – there are European, American, Japanese or Asian standards and so on. But on the whole, the tyre has to show that it is capable of fulfilling those standards. And that is the role of tyre testing.

What kind of regulation, according to you, will fuel more demand for testing businesses?
The future is about sustainability. Energy consumption is one of the most important factors and is influenced by a lot of things. If we look at compound development, we have to find compounds that have low rolling resistance and low damping in order to be energy efficient. So the focus on tyre testing will be in terms of sustainability and energy consumption, looking into the compounds and the complete tyre as well. These are two very important elements to look into.

Does the Asian market require different testing machines?
In general, no. You have different standards to prove, although the test machines are more or less the same. The software program that you run for the test is what stands.

Which is the most exciting market for Altracon right now?
As sustainability is a global project, there are no priority markets. However, we also see that India is developing very fast. Therefore, the demand for tyre testing, now and in the future, will be very high in India. Hence, India will definitely be a focus market in the future.

Can you elaborate more on this? What is Altracon’s scope in the Indian market?
Altracon is already very well known in the Indian market. In fact, we offer machines that directly suit the country’s requirements. Plus, along with our machines, we also provide tools that are sustainable. For example, we offer special energy management to operate the machine. Besides, we also offer machine programmes that help shorten development processes, thus enhancing sustainability by reducing manufacturing and testing efforts. This saves fuel and reduces emissions and pollution.

Can you tell us a bit about the services provided by Altracon? How do you make sure that your customers receive timely and the most effective service possible?
In the past, we have experienced that the online service we provide fulfils more than 90 percent of customer requirements. If there is any issue with the machine, we start a remote service via the internet in order to look into the machine and solve the problem along with the customer. We have a very fast response time and low costs as there is no travelling involved. We go out to the customer in person and fix the machine only if it is really needed.

MarketsandMarkets has said in its latest report that the tyre recycling market is expected to grow from USD 7.44 billion in 2024 to USD 8.92 billion by 2029 at a CAGR of 3.7 percent.

The report titled ‘Tire Recycling Market by Product (Rubber, TDF, TDA, Carbon Black), Process (Mechanical Shredding, Ambient Grinding, Pyrolysis), Type (Service, Material), End-use Industry (Automotive, Construction, Manufacturing) and Region – Global Forecast to 2029’ attributes the growth in this market to increasing environmental awareness and the implementation of stringent government regulations in different countries in reducing waste and pollution in the environment. Key players in the tyre recycling market, according to the report, are Liberty Tire Recycling (US), GENAN HOLDING A/S (Denmark), ResourceCo (Australia), GRP LTD (India), Lehigh Technologies, Inc. (US), Entech Inc (US), Emanuel Tire LLC (US), BDS Tire Recycling (US), Contec (Poland) and CRM (US).

According to the report, the Asia Pacific region is expected to be the fastest growing market for tyre recycling during the forecast period because of rapid industrialisation, urbanisation and economic growth in the region. Apart from this, government regulations in the Asia Pacific region are also playing a big role in shaping the tyre recycling market.

The report explains that govt incentives and regulatory benefits created by policies around sustainability and carbon reduction are significantly boosting opportunities in this sector. The report cites the Extended Producer Responsibility or EPR programme, which makes it mandatory for the producers of tyres to collect and recycle the tyres at their end-of-life. Additionally, the availability of government incentives and grants for the tyre recycling plants plays a favourable role for the sector.

The report further highlights that construction is the fast-growing end-use industry segment in the market for recycling tyres, explaining that the demand is partly driven by the growing use of recycled tyre products in infrastructure and building projects. These tyre-derived products are used in road construction and as building foundations, insulation and roofing materials. The demand for shock-absorbent, low-maintenance and durable materials in public space and recreational facilities, as well as sports fields, also plays and important role, says the report.

A new survey by OnePoll for Apollo Tyres has revealed that all-season tyres are preferred by a majority of drivers across Europe.

The findings, which took into account 1,000 respondents in each market, point to a constant increase in the popularity of tyres designed to perform throughout the year, including in dry, wet and snow conditions. Spain took the lead among the European countries with 82 percent respondents voting in favour of all-season tyres, followed by France (78 percent), the Netherlands (74 percent), Poland (72 percent) and the UK (65 percent).

For the customers of Apollo Tyres, its Vredestein brand’s Quatrac portfolio offers a lineup of tyres designed for a range of vehicles in a wide choice of sizes. The lineup includes the Quatrac, the Quatrac Pro and Pro+ for muscle cars and SUVs and the Quatrac Pro EV all-season tyre specifically designed for electric vehicles (EVs). All Quatrac tyres come with the ‘Three-Peak Mountain Snowflake’ mark and are fit for year-round use.

Yves Pouliquen, Vice President – Commercial, Europe, Apollo Tyres, said, “All-season tyres are becoming increasingly popular among motorists who want the reassurance of being able to safely tackle fast-changing weather conditions, year-round. With over three decades of expertise in all-season products, drivers can trust the Vredestein brand.”

Vaculug Limited, a leading commercial tyre retreading specialist based in Grantham, UK, has reshuffled its senior management team with the appointment of three new roles. The reshuffle is done with an aim to enhance the organisational structure and drive sustainable growth while prioritising employee development.

As part of the reorganisation, Philip West, Vaculug's Commercial Director, will now be responsible for managing all sales and RTM activities in addition to operations, marketing and customer service. West has been in the business for more than 42 years, and his leadership and depth of expertise make him a great fit for this position.

In his new role as Sales Director, Craig Rudkin will oversee the team responsible for sales and national accounts. Rudkin began working for Vaculug in a position located in a factory and has been with the firm for more than 33 years. Jason Humphries is now the Director of IT and Logistics. Humphries has over 20 years of experience in operations, logistics and IT and has played a key role in putting strategic plans into action since joining Vaculug in 2001.

Professor Joseph Adelegan, Secretary-General of the International Rubber Study Group (IRSG), has been confirmed as a featured speaker at the 2nd Edition of the Global Labour Market Conference (GLMC), which is slated to be held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on 29-30 January 2025.

The theme of this year's edition is ‘Inspiring Innovative Global Solutions to Labour Market Challenges’, which will further delve into six important topics related to the complex issue. The main points slated to be discussed in the conference include upskilling and reskilling of the workforce, bridging the gap between young workers’ aspirations and expectations, formulating smart policies to help identify and signal in demand skills, rolling out drivers of productivity universally to create a more level field, improving the supply of green skills through enhanced demand forecasting and training to create more green jobs and the role of SMEs in generating more meaningful and productive jobs.

The GLMC is a leading platform bringing together policymakers, employee representatives, business leaders, researchers and youth to tackle critical labour market challenges. This collaborative approach is essential for establishing a more equitable and advantageous environment for everyone, since the workforce is being impacted by rapid worldwide developments. Professor Adelegan's experience will be important in addressing the intricate problems that the global workforce faces.