AUTOMATED TYRE MANUFACTURING: NO TURNING BACK

Goodyear Tire launches portal for fleet tyre management

There couldn’t be any industry that isn’t implementing, or at least knowing about, automation. And if there’s actually one, then it has probably been living under a rock. The tyre industry has already opened its doors to automation, and this helps make tyre manufacturing more sophisticated and reliable. The tyre manufacturing process itself has been experiencing constant changes – from different tyre sizes and constructions to targeting less usage of energy. Automation must be on every tyre company’s to-do list, if it hasn’t adopted it already. Don Heelis, Sales Manager, Cimcorp, gave Tyre Trends more insights on the different aspects of automation in the tyre industry and its absolute requirement, when we met him at the Tire Technology Expo 2022 in Hannover, Germany. Read on…

The philosophy of tyre manufacturing has changed dramatically. A part of the change in that philosophy relates to automation implementation in the tyre manufacturing process. However, we also find more technical perspectives being adopted and taken into account at new, modern tyre factories today.

This technical perspective can be considered to be coming from a few different areas, one of them certainly being from the actual production part of the tyre factory. Therefore, with production machinery, mixers, extruders and tyre building machines, the level of technology being implemented in these processes is increasing. Moreover, these processes are getting more sophisticated.

The other aspect of this is integrating the production across all the different areas (another factor for the dramatic change in the modern tyre factory). In the past, the different areas of production were not necessarily well connected. However, today we see them getting connected a lot more – and this is being driven and enabled by technology.

This is where companies like Cimcorp come in – who happen to provide material handling and automation technology so that different tyre manufacturing processes are better integrated.

Explaining this, Don Heelis, Sales Manager, Cimcorp, said, “When you produce your work in process, what you’re producing is in synchronisation with what’s being produced in other areas of the factory. This helps minimise the work in process and have a manufacturing process that’s more efficient.”

Going the modular way
But how does one integrate different machines and processes in the plant with all the different machines and manufacturing processes involved? Heelis let us in on this.

“The trick is to implement the automation and connectivity in a modular way,” he revealed and went on, “That way, the connectivity is physical and mechanical but involves software as well. Thus, we take an approach where the modules are flexible and can connect to various inputs and outputs; however, the module is in itself standardised. Hence, the modules can work for different factories – only the interconnection needs to be flexible.”

The green tyre
While implementing automation, one, of course, would want to implement it where they get the biggest value. “Traditionally, that has been in the palletising area – in managing and handling the finished product. Basically, palletising, storing and retrieving the finished product,” Heelis informed us and continued, “This is where everyone has traditionally looked in the past. However, a lot of focus has been put on the green tyre area in the past 10 years. That includes green tyre handling, storage and retrieval and its automatic delivery to the curing process.”

A green tyre is work in process – simply put, a tyre that has not been cured. “A green tyre is made up of a number of components. It’s built on a tyre-building machine,” Heelis further told us. “Once a green tyre is built, it is buffered, followed by being cured – and automation machines are required in order to do this. Hence, this is a key element of the modern tyre factory.”

He added, “This has been an area of key focus where productivity and simplicity can be gained. In fact, the whole process can be done with less plant floor space. Ultimately, factories that want to be competitive have to implement automation technologies in that area.”

Increased efficiency
There are many brownfield factories out there that have to modernise and be viable for the future. One of the key areas that they need to modernise and automate in is green tyre handling. Heelis asserted, “By having an automated storage and retrieval system, one can track and trace all of the work in process. Plus, one is able to store in a manner that maximises the quality of the green tyres. And then, one can deliver them from the storage system to the curing process in a very systematic and accurate way. This way, when a particular green tyre is needed in the curing area, it can be delivered there in the appropriate amount of time.”

“In this methodology, when the green tyre arrives at curing, it is at that point in time when it is needed, and the production does not have to stop,” Heelis further shared. “If this can be achieved, then the curing process can be run more efficiently; the efficiency can go from 80 percent to over 95 percent. In theory, one can increase the output of their factory by 10 percent. In such a case, one can imagine how many tyres can be produced in a factory by following this methodology.”

Automation – its role during the pandemic and inflation
While automation tends to bring in efficiency, how have companies managed to keep up their competence and productivity during the thorny period of the Covid pandemic? The pandemic has definitely brought some insights to the tyre industry from a management point of view, like it did to many other sectors. According to Heelis, automation has come to the rescue of the tyre industry in the pandemic as well.

“One important thing that the industry learnt from the pandemic was that it has a risk to its ability to produce products,” he mentioned and went on, “The absence of automation will make any company in the industry highly dependent on the labour force, which might not be available to keep the production going. On the other hand, with automated processes, a company is less at risk to events like a pandemic.”

Another issue we are dealing with right now in the global economy is inflation. Inflation equals to costs going up – from the cost of materials to the cost of labour. “Nonetheless, a company can mitigate some of the impacts of inflation if it has embraced automation. In fact, the ones who automated their brownfield factories three to four years ago are in a much better position today than their competitors who had not,” Heelis pointed out and went on, “This is because the former can mitigate some of the inflation costs, is less dependent on the workforce and is able to produce better-quality products – and at a higher level of efficiency at that. We know that there is a tremendous shortage of people in the workforce in the US right now. Therefore, automated companies have a significant competitive advantage.”

From the tyre industry’s challenges due to the pandemic and inflation, we turned to the challenges Cimcorp itself faces on the commercial side. Heelis responded that, commercially, the current challenge for them is being a low-cost, high-quality producer – which one has to be in order to compete in the market. “Furthering this challenge is how we become a low-cost, high-quality producer and stay that way. And from our perspective, the way to get there is through innovation and technology,” he stated.

Automation in the Asian tyre industry
CIMCORP opened up an office in India roughly three years ago. With its presence in the country and Asia, Heelis told us that the tyre companies in Asia are no stranger to automation and are implementing it. “As a move forward, the mentality is that if you want to be a world-class manufacturer and build a new factory, then you build the factory with automation. And this is a global perspective,” Heelis asserted.

Cimcorp’s customers in Asia range from traditional tyre manufacturers to new manufacturing entrants in the industry, so it’s a mix. Throwing further light on this, Heelis said, “We all know the traditional manufacturers like Bridgestone, Michelin, Goodyear, Continental and more. But beyond these, there are new companies emerging. And these new companies have an advantage in some ways because they are not constrained by the old ways of thinking. They are forward thinking, with a clearer mindset to do things in the current environment – the environment of automation and technology.”

“Moreover, the manufacturers who don’t invest in automation, and try to run the company with practices that were developed in the 1960 and 70s, will not be able to survive or compete,” he further added. “Their market will eventually consider them to be non-competitive, non-global and unable to produce the quality expected of them.”

Cimcorp has plans for India as well. “Our strategy is to continue to grow our business in India with the domestic tyre manufacturers, and we have been successful at that,” Heelis shared and went on, “When I say domestic, that goes for manufacturing facilities within India, from Apollo Tyres to MRF to JK Tyre to Goodyear to Michelin. Thus, we plan to continue to build our business with those factories and customers from an automation perspective, and then from a full customer service point of view.”

The other aspect comes to brownfield factories. Heelis averred, “With brownfield factories, whether in North America or Asia, the cost of automation is the same; there may be different payback scenarios between the two. However, it stands true that no matter where a company is present in the world, if it is operating a brownfield factory, then it needs a strategy to modernise. And the strategy to modernise is based on implementing automation.”

Automation in brownfield factories – what will it take?
The strategy to modernise when automating a brownfield factory is especially challenging in an already existing system. Therefore, when automating a brownfield factory, one of the most important considerations is to not interrupt their day-to-day production, Heelis cited. He mentioned that the factory has to continue making its certain number of tyres each day. Hence, a strategy that enables the factory to do that is needed – while concurrently implementing automation there.

“Besides, when you implement automation, you have to be able to do it in a standardised way,” Heelis further enlightened and continued, “This can be done with the help of flexible automation modules that can work in a lot of different scenarios. Therefore, you can deal with different brownfield factories depending just on how you arrange your automation modules. Thus, you can come up with a custom solution for every different brownfield factory out there with the help of a modular approach and on the basis of how you connect those automation modules together.”

Service provided
From providing standard modular systems to hardware to software, Cimcorp strategically has a service aspect to its business – Success Services. Therefore, the approach from its service side is to enable its customers to be as successful as possible.

“That could be achieved by providing a 24/7 support. So if the customers contact us due to an issue they are facing in the solutions provided by us, we are available at any time of the day or night to support them,” Heelis revealed and added, “We can do it remotely. In fact, as technologies emerge further, we’ll see how we can do this more remotely with virtual techniques. Here, their serviceperson could be using special tools, which enables our people (who are remote) to actually be in virtual situations in our customers’ plants. In such wise, we can be more responsive and be as if we are in place in real-time in order to provide a service.”

Tyre warehouse automation or manual operation – making the choice
Nevertheless, Cimcorp does not just stop at its 24/7 services or providing its automation solutions for tyre manufacturing processes. It goes beyond that – to the finished product warehouses. However, interestingly, that depends to a degree on which part of the world the automation is needed in; while some areas will need automation that is well advanced, some areas will use a more manual operation.

Heelis explained, “There are some key factors that determine whether the facility/area in question needs to be automated or not. For example, the cost of real estate. If it’s a manual operation, then that typically involves a very large warehouse, say around 100,000 sq mt.”

“For automating, on the other hand, you require lands that are much smaller,” Heelis further highlighted. “For instance, land is very expensive in Japan. Thus, one wouldn’t want a very big footprint warehouse over there. Which means, you go vertical wherever land is expensive.”

“On the flip side, land is very cheap in some areas and inexpensive to build the generic building (like in some areas of the US). So there is less incentive to go vertical with automation there,” he added. “But there might be other factors that could dominate.”

Choosing automation over manual operation – why?
While some main factors do influence the decision if a warehouse is going to be a fully automated one or a semi-manual one, an automated one is always preferred. For clear reasons.

“The benefit of an automated warehouse is that everything is extremely well controlled,” Heelis informed. “What’s more, you have complete control of your product – you know exactly where it is, how much of it you have and you can get on-demand access.”

“As for a semi-manual warehouse, there are fork trucks, people moving things around and putting them in different storage locations,” Heelis further clarified. “This process is much more manual, involves a lot more interaction and is time consuming. Therefore, you have much less control over the process.”

Automation – a need not to be confused as a luxury
The automotive industry has been one of the earliest industries to adopt automation. So it’s high time that tyres, an integral component of any vehicle, did so too. It’s clear that automation, today, is not a luxury but a need. No company can afford to not have it. No tyre company must be limited to older technologies, and they must invest in automation for the long term. This would not just help tyre manufacturers meet their customers’ demands without any delay, but also help modernise the industry with the world’s rapidly changing technologies.

Yokohama Rubber, dotData Partner On Human-In-The-Loop AI Agent For Manufacturing R&D

Yokohama Rubber, dotData Partner On Human-In-The-Loop AI Agent For Manufacturing R&D

The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd. and dotData, Inc. have announced joint development an AI agent to help engineers form hypotheses, interpret findings and make decisions in manufacturing R&D. Before full deployment, the initiative will validate the agent's required capabilities and technical feasibility.

The solution combines technical documents such as design specifications and experimental reports with engineers' accumulated expertise and features extracted from measurement data via dotData's Signal Intelligence technology. It will provide insights tailored to each project's objectives, circumstances and constraints.

The agent is not meant to produce a single correct answer. Operating in a human-in-the-loop framework where engineers retain decision-making authority, it will present multiple possibilities, perspectives and risks to broaden thinking and support professional development.

Manufacturing R&D generates diverse data through experiments, simulations, production and evaluation. Developing hypotheses requires specialised knowledge and context. Since new technology R&D rarely has one predetermined answer, abductive reasoning plays a key role. AI can add value by using data and organisational knowledge to widen engineers' perspectives rather than replace judgment.

The agent will explore measurement and experimental data patterns beyond factors engineers previously identified, combining quantitative insights with design documents and expert knowledge to reveal difficult-to-spot relationships. It will offer input from materials, design, analysis, production and evaluation perspectives, challenge existing hypotheses and raise questions about alternative interpretations and conditions. Engineers will then test hypotheses and feed results back into further dialogue, guiding Signal Intelligence processes so non-specialists can explore data features as needed.

Yokohama Rubber has advanced HAICoLab since 2020, using dotData as a foundational technology in tyre design and rubber mixing. This joint development expands those efforts, with engineers interpreting and evaluating the agent's suggestions using their own expertise rather than accepting them unquestioningly. The companies aim to transform R&D processes while strengthening engineers' creativity and judgment, establishing a new model for human-AI collaboration in manufacturing R&D.

Motoji Fujita, Head of Research & Advanced Development Division, The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd., said, “Since 2020, we have conducted research and development under the HAICoLab framework, drawing on the complementary strengths of people and AI to create a collaborative environment. We believe AI agents will give engineers access to perspectives beyond their own experience and enable them to evaluate hypotheses from multiple angles. Through this development initiative, we aim to advance our R&D capabilities while supporting the continued growth of our engineers.”

Ryohei Fujimaki, CEO, dotData, Inc., said, “Success in manufacturing R&D depends heavily on an organisation’s ability to connect its proprietary data and knowledge with AI. The quantitative context generated from data through automated Signal Intelligence provides a foundation for AI agents to engage engineers in practical, data-driven discussions. Together with Yokohama Rubber, which has many years of experience in advanced data utilisation, we intend to establish standards for using AI in highly specialised business domains.”

Bridgestone Deploys Easytrack At SR Technics Spain MRO Hub

Bridgestone Deploys Easytrack At SR Technics Spain MRO Hub

Bridgestone Aircraft Tire (Europe), a Bridgestone Corporation subsidiary, has announced the deployment of its ‘easytrack’ tyre management system at SR Technics Spain SAU, the tyre and wheel maintenance hub of global maintenance, repair & overhaul (MRO) provider SR Technics. The scalable digital platform is accessible on desktop and mobile devices.

Designed for airlines and MROs, ‘easytrack’ manages inbound and outbound tyre and wheel flows across single- or multi-site operations. It delivers real-time identification, tracking and documentation throughout each asset’s lifecycle. The project follows the solution’s first airline implementation in 2025, becoming its second customer rollout and first MRO application.

MRO providers handle large tyre and wheel volumes for multiple airlines, complicating operations. ‘easytrack’ simplifies asset management and improves traceability, accuracy, safety and productivity. At SR Technics Spain SAU, it digitalised paper-based processes, cutting processing time by 45 percent, reducing data-entry and identification errors and improving flow management across Palma de Mallorca and Madrid.


From left: David Sautois, ‘easytrack’ Product Manager, Bridgestone Aircraft Tire (Europe) S.A.; Antonio Colella, General Manager, SR Technics Spain SAU; Jean-Philippe Minet, Managing Director, Bridgestone Aircraft Tire (Europe) S.A.; Eugenie Baradzina, Commercial Director, SR Technics Spain SAU.

The results stem from a Bridgestone and SR Technics Spain SAU co-creation initiative built on long-standing partnership. ‘easytrack’ was adapted to support tyre and wheel combinations for the hub’s wheel and brake operations. Bridgestone’s expansion of airline and MRO solutions aligns with its E8 Commitment, emphasising efficiency and ecology.

Antonio Colella, General Manager, SR Technics Spain SAU, said, "The successful implementation of easytrack is a significant achievement for SR Technics Spain SAU and our teams in Mallorca and Madrid. From the very beginning, the collaboration with Bridgestone was built on trust, openness and a shared vision for innovation. Together, we have developed a solution that not only improves efficiency and traceability but also creates lasting value for our operations. We are proud to be the first MRO in the world to adopt this technology and look forward to continuing this journey with Bridgestone Corporation.”

Jean-Philippe Minet, Managing Director, Bridgestone Aircraft Tire Europe, said, “I’d like to thank SR Technics for their trust and another fruitful collaboration with Bridgestone. What the teams have jointly achieved is remarkable: co-creating through efficient teamwork and customising the Bridgestone easytrack application to digitise SR Technics tyre and wheel tracking operations. This is a brilliant example of how Bridgestone amplifies the value created at our partners.”

Michelin Connected Fleet And Doran Launch Integrated Tyre Management System

Michelin Connected Fleet And Doran Launch Integrated Tyre Management System

Michelin Connected Fleet, a subsidiary of Michelin North America, has entered into a collaboration with Doran to integrate the latter’s tyre pressure monitoring hardware with its own Smart Predictive Tire solution. This combined offering is now accessible through the Platform Science Virtual Vehicle Marketplace, marking the first retail platform to host the integrated system.

The partnership merges Doran’s commercial tyre pressure and temperature monitors with Michelin’s predictive analytics software, creating a unified tyre management ecosystem. By fusing real-time sensor data with connected vehicle intelligence, the solution aims to enhance fleet visibility into tyre health, thereby enabling more informed maintenance scheduling and operational strategy. This development follows Michelin Connected Fleet’s recent launch of Smart Predictive Tire on the same marketplace, now broadening access to a fully bundled hardware-software package.

Utilising advanced data analytics, Smart Predictive Tire identifies emerging tyre issues through pressure and temperature readings, allowing fleets to pre-empt costly roadside failures and minimise unplanned downtime. Doran’s sensors supply the critical digital inputs that feed this predictive model, delivering comprehensive tyre oversight. The joint effort underscores both companies’ dedication to progressing connected fleet capabilities via synergistic hardware, software and data integration.

Willem Moore, President, Michelin Connected Fleet, said, "Doran provides the signal, and our Michelin Smart Leak algorithm helps translate tyre data into actionable insights that support informed maintenance decisions. By providing visibility into potential tyre conditions, fleets can evaluate issues sooner and take appropriate action based on their operational needs. Our focus is on delivering information that helps fleets manage their tyre assets more effectively and helps to support safe, efficient operations.”

Jim Samocki, President, Doran, said, “Fleets do not just need more data. They need accurate and reliable information that they can trust to reduce tyre-related repair and maintenance costs, improve uptime and keep vehicles operating safely. By combining Doran’s proven TPMS technology with Michelin’s Smart Predictive Tire solution, fleets can move beyond simply reacting to tyre issues and take a more proactive approach to tyre maintenance.”

Vicissitudes Of Mexican Retreading

Renovacion Suarod

As freight operators across Mexico race to cut operating costs and meet increasingly stringent sustainability targets, tyre retreading is emerging as a critical tool for extending tyre life and reducing fleet expenses. Yet the industry’s growth is being tested by the influx of low-cost disposable imports, an expanding informal market and lingering misconceptions about retread safety. Against this backdrop, Renovacion Suarod is investing in advanced diagnostics, automation and lifecycle tyre management to position itself at the forefront of Mexico’s evolving retreading industry.

Mexican tyre retreader Renovacion Suarod is betting that rising demand for lower operating costs, improved fleet efficiency and corporate sustainability will accelerate the adoption of premium retreaded tyres even as the industry grapples with low-quality imports and the need to educate customers about the safety and performance of modern retreading technologies.

Speaking to Tyre Trends, Salvador Espinosa Perez, spokesperson and executive representative at Renovacion Suarod, characterised Mexico’s tyre retreading industry as entering a period of greater maturity and heightened competition.

“On one side, commercial fleet operators are facing increasing pressure to reduce operating expenses while meeting corporate sustainability targets. Those trends have renewed interest in tyre retreading as fleets seek to maximise tyre life and reduce environmental impacts,” he stated.

At the same time, the industry continues to face structural challenges.

One of the most significant concerns, according to Espinosa, is competition from the informal sector, where quality standards may not always match those of established retreaders.

Another challenge comes from increasing imports of inexpensive tyres that are often manufactured for single-use applications and lack the structural integrity required for multiple retreading cycles.

“The formal market in Mexico is resilient and moving steadily towards complete technical professionalisation,” Espinosa said.

The company, an authorised retreader for Industrias de Hule Galgo, has more than five decades of experience, investments in advanced manufacturing technology and digital inspection systems that have positioned it as a long-term partner for commercial fleet operators rather than simply a tyre supplier.

“Our history is synonymous with evolution, consistency and leadership in the Mexican market,” said the executive.

DEMAND DRIVERS

Espinosa identified three primary factors supporting demand for retreaded commercial tyres in Mexico.

The first is the growing adoption of circular economy principles. Companies across multiple industries are increasingly seeking measurable ways to reduce environmental footprint. Retreading extends the useful life of tyre casings, reducing waste generation and lowering raw material consumption compared with manufacturing new tyres.

The second driver is cost efficiency. “Commercial tyres represent one of the largest operating expenses for transportation fleets. By extending casing life through multiple retreading cycles, fleet operators can significantly reduce their total cost of ownership, making retreading an increasingly attractive financial proposition,” divulged Espinosa.

The third driver is the rapid growth of nearshoring. As manufacturing investment and cross-border freight activity continue expanding across North America, trucking fleets require highly reliable tyre solutions that maximise vehicle uptime and minimise interruptions along transport routes.

According to him, these factors collectively are reshaping purchasing decisions throughout Mexico’s commercial transportation sector.

RETREADING FOCUS

Founded more than 50 years ago, the company was established with the objective of providing a sustainable and efficient mobility solution for Mexico’s transport sector. Over the decades, it has expanded its operations by investing in modern production technology, implementing stringent quality-control procedures and developing services tailored to the operational demands of Mexico’s commercial transport industry.

According to Espinosa, these investments have enabled the company to build long-term relationships with some of the country’s largest fleet operators.

“Today, we are not merely a supplier but an indispensable strategic partner for transport operators,” he said.

Renovacion Suarod specialises primarily in retreading commercial tyres used in heavy-duty freight transportation, passenger transport fleets and off-the-road (OTR) applications.

The company uses the cold retreading or precured process, which Espinosa described as the benchmark for high-performance commercial fleets.

Unlike processes that require rebuilding an entire tyre, cold retreading preserves the structural integrity of the original tyre casing while replacing only the worn tread. A pre-vulcanised tread is applied to the inspected casing before being cured in an autoclave under carefully controlled pressure and temperature.

According to the him, the process allows the retreaded tyre to deliver mileage comparable to that of a new tyre while maximising the value of the original casing.

The company’s primary production facility is located in Metepec in the State of Mexico, a location that Espinosa says provides efficient access to the country’s major logistics corridors.

He added that the location enables faster response times and more efficient deliveries to customers throughout central Mexico and other regions.

The Metepec plant is equipped with modern production equipment and infrastructure capable of processing substantial monthly tyre volumes. It also maintains sufficient operational flexibility to accommodate increases in demand from major corporate fleets without sacrificing technical precision or product quality.

BEYOND RETREADING

Renovacion Suarod attributes much of its competitive position to its status as an authorised retreader for Industrias de Hule Galgo.

The partnership allows the company to use rubber compounds specifically formulated to perform under Mexico’s diverse road and operating conditions.

Espinosa said the company has shifted from offering conventional retreading services to providing complete tyre lifecycle management.

Rather than selling a single retread, the objective is to maximise the economic value of every casing throughout its usable life while delivering the lowest possible cost-per-kilometre for fleet operators.

Commercial fleet operators are also becoming increasingly sophisticated in how they evaluate tyre performance. According to Espinosa, purchasing decisions are no longer based simply on obtaining the lowest acquisition price.

Operators also demand greater predictability in maintenance planning. Rather than reacting to tyre failures, fleet managers want to know precisely when maintenance will be required in order to avoid unplanned roadside breakdowns and improve operational efficiency.

Fuel economy has likewise become a growing priority. “Fleet operators increasingly expect retreaded tyres to meet low rolling resistance requirements that contribute to lower fuel consumption and reduced operating expenses,” noted Espinosa.

INNOVATION GIVES QUALITY

Innovation remains central to improving retread performance, according to Espinosa. The company continues developing tread patterns and rubber compounds designed to dissipate heat more effectively, reduce irregular tread wear and improve traction on wet road surfaces.

Process innovation has also become an important focus. Renovacion Suarod has invested in increasingly precise vulcanisation procedures to ensure consistent product quality throughout the retreading process.

In addition, the company employs advanced bonding cushion technologies designed to strengthen adhesion between the casing and the replacement tread.

According to Espinosa, these technologies are intended to eliminate the risk of tread separation while improving long-term reliability.

Digitalisation is also becoming an increasingly important component of tyre inspection, retreading and fleet management.

Espinosa said the transformation begins before production even starts. At the company’s Metepec facility, every tyre casing undergoes a comprehensive digital inspection to determine whether it is suitable for retreading.

The company uses advanced inspection equipment and specialised software capable of performing predictive diagnostics before the casing enters the buffing or vulcanisation stages.

These technologies identify internal defects including micro-separations that cannot be detected through conventional visual inspection.

The resulting structural data is then linked with fleet operating requirements, allowing technicians to determine whether a casing can safely continue through the retreading process.

According to Espinosa, the objective is to deliver retreaded tyres that eliminate roadside failures by ensuring only structurally sound casings enter production.

STANDING ISSUE

Among the industry’s biggest concerns is the growing presence of imported single-use or disposable tyres. According to Espinosa, many of these products lack the internal structural characteristics required for safe retreading.

Because they cannot undergo multiple service cycles, they ultimately increase the volume of waste tyres entering disposal systems while limiting the environmental benefits associated with the circular economy.

Another major obstacle is public perception. Espinosa said the industry must continue educating fleet operators and the broader market to dispel longstanding misconceptions that retreaded tyres are inherently less safe than new products.

He argued that premium tyre casings retreaded under strict manufacturing standards can achieve safety and performance levels comparable to new tyres.

The challenge, he said, is replacing outdated assumptions with measurable technical data demonstrating the reliability of professionally retreaded products.

EXPANSION THROUGH AUTOMATION

Looking ahead, Renovacion Suarod plans to expand its manufacturing capabilities while further integrating automation throughout its operations.

The company intends to increase operational capacity and deploy additional technologies that improve the precision of casing diagnostics.

It also plans to strengthen relationships with commercial fleets pursuing ‘zero carbon’ initiatives, reflecting the growing importance of sustainability within the transportation industry.

Espinosa said the long-term objective is to reinforce the company’s reputation as a provider of technologically advanced retreading solutions while maintaining high levels of reliability across Mexico’s road transport network.

For Renovacion Suarod, the future of tyre retreading lies at the intersection of economic efficiency, technological innovation and environmental responsibility.

As commercial fleets increasingly seek to reduce operating costs while meeting sustainability objectives, the company believes modern retreading has evolved into a strategic fleet management tool rather than simply a maintenance service.

“We are driven by the technical expertise and commitment to sustainability that define us. We do more than just retread tyres; we extend the return on your investment and safeguard the future of mobility in Mexico,” Espinosa said.