IAA: Conti to use tread buffings in tread compounds

ERJ staff report (DS)

Frankfurt, Germany -- Continental is investing euro 10 million in a new retread plant for truck and bus tyres as well as a facility to recycle rubber from used tyres at its headquarters in Hannover.

The facility is the first of its kind worldwide and makes use of the synergies between the retreading and recycling production.

“In the face of limited raw materials, we see it as our obligation to come up with sustainable solutions in tyre production and retreading. We are now able to process used tread buffings and ground end-of-life tyres in such a steered and controlled way, that it can be reused in the production of new and retreaded tyres,” comments Dr. Andreas Esser, Head of the Business Unit Commercial Vehicle Tires at Continental.

Continental has developed a new recycling process that allows high shares of recycled rubber in compounds for new and retreaded tyres. By implementing Continental's new approach, the amount of recycled rubber in a tyre can be doubled.

Based in Hannover-Stöcken, the new retreading factory will start production together with the recycling factory in 2013. The projected annual capacity will be 180,000 retreaded tyres once reached full capacity.

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Press release from Conti