Kingsway invests in cost effective retread factory

By PATRICK GITHINJI

Tyre distributor, Kingsway Tyres has affirmed its top class service offering by opening a modern tyre retreading plant.

The firm marked its Golden Jubilee last year with the announcement that it would set up a bigger recamic factory that would see commercial transporters save upto 40 per cent costs for their tyres.

The factory will utilize Michelin- specific retreading technology called Recamic. The plant will be the fourth of its kind in Africa.

The factory is now complete and the process, which involves the replacing treads on a worn out tyres therefore extending its useful life, is opening a cost effective option in tyre reuse.

The plant is valued at Sh70 million and is located on Enterprise road in industrial area.

It has the capacity of retreading up to 15,000 tyres a year.

‘‘Nothing goes to waste as the shavings from the processed tyres are also collected by suppliers who use them to make products such as rubber mats and also in road construction amongst other uses,’’ the firm said a statement.

"The retreated tyre will cost substantially less than a new tyre, have the quality of a new tyre and an added life to a tyre that would have otherwise been disposed," said Kingsway Managing Director Manoj Shah.

Special fleet

Kingsway has commissioned a special fleet that will collect the tyre casing (worn out tyres) from the customers and deliver a retreaded tyre back to them as part of value-addion. According to Shah, the technology is among the best in the world and will ensure excellent quality retreaded tyres that will have a direct impact on improving road safety in the country."

Shah explained that the high percentage of the natural rubber to be used in retreading will lower the rolling resistance hence reduction in fuel consumption.

"Through our new factory we expect to give our customers, especially the fleet owners an opportunity to get premium tyres and at the same time reduce their cost. The major cost they incur is on fuel, tyres, and maintenance. If we can give them a huge savings in tyres and fuel, we will be making a great contribution," Shah said.

A retread is the remoulding of a previously worn tire, which has gone through a remanufacturing process designed to extend its useful service life. Shah added that the factory had been developed and approved by global tyre maker Michelin.

"The recamic cold-cure or pre-cured retreading system has the ability to create new truck tyres with the perfect pattern and adhesive, perfectly matched on the original casing. Recamic treads can accurately bond on all casing sizes. The technology comes with a tread that is backed with a special polyester film and cured cushion rubber for perfect adhesion and joint bonding," he said.