How to retread a truck tyre
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2025/06/18
Bringing tyres back to life
ContiLifeCycle
From its UK base in Ivybridge, Bandvulc has been a pioneer in the world of specialist heavy vehicle tyre retreads for more than 50 years. In 2016, Bandvulc became a wholly owned subsidiary of Continental, and its heritage and expertise make it the ultimate technical innovation hub our ContiLifeCycle operation.
Our innovation sees our ContiLifeCycle plants employing some of the most cutting-edge tyre technology in Europe. Recycling tyre carcasses also brings significant benefit for fleet operators including a more sustainable tyre policy and significant cost savings.
After a tyre is removed from a customer’s vehicle, its suitability for retreading must be determined. Our Ivybridge team operates a 24-hour, three-shift system to assess around 2,000 tyres every day.
Continuous training and sharing best practice between our plants in Ivybridge and Hannover in Germany ensure the highest quality inspection standards. Here we follow one tyre on its journey through the inspection process. A tyre’s unique details are entered into our bespoke plant management programme ensuring every tyre can always be traced during the process. To guarantee their future safety, only tyres without significant damage can be retreaded.
This thorough inspection enables our team to diagnose specific types of damage that tell them if tyres have been fitted to the wrong axle, misaligned and either under or over inflated. We can then inform our Conti360 Fleet Solutions operation, who will discuss any damage that’s reoccurring on their fleet with our customers.
We believe that every tyre deserves a second life, however only tyres that have been properly maintained in service can become retreads. But those that are too badly damaged to have a new life don’t go to waste. They’ll be collected and recycled
Testing isn’t only subjective; the next step is shearography. This non-destructive process takes a photograph of the tyre. It then creates a vacuum in the inspection vessel and takes a second photograph. When the system’s software compares the two pictures, it highlights any separations or deformations to the casing which may be
If after all this, casings are deemed suitable for retreading, they continue their journey towards getting a new life. We have been recycling truck tyres for over 50 years and so our team of specialists can always offer expert advice to improve fleet performance, efficiency, and safety. All the while giving used tyres a second or even third lease of life that doesn’t compromise their quality or safety.
Recycling truck tyres also reduces the raw materials used in tyre production, benefiting our environment for future generations.
