On May 27th, it was revealed that tires, as one of the most crucial components of a vehicle, are essential. If the quality is subpar and a tire suddenly bursts while driving, especially on a highway, the consequences could be disastrous.
China, being a major automobile producer, has a growing demand for tires each year. Consequently, a large number of used tires are generated annually. The primary component of used tires is rubber, which can be recycled. Tire refurbishment is internationally recognized as the preferred method for reducing, reusing, and recycling tires.
According to the national standard for "Tire Retreading Technology," before retreading tires, a series of equipment is required to inspect and evaluate the tires to be retreaded. However, some small workshops completely disregard these requirements. As a result, the quality of the products they produce cannot be guaranteed. A recent report by CCTV exposed a related case (click the link for the full report).
This small workshop is located in Zhumadian, Henan Province. The workshop floor is dirty and messy, filled with rubber dust and scraps everywhere. The owner explained that these old tires are all used for "retreading." When asked about the testing and evaluation requirements in the national standard, the workshop owner replied that tires that cannot be used are discarded at a glance, based solely on industry experience.
The owner also mentioned that for a small workshop to engage in tire retreading, essential equipment such as vulcanizing tanks, grinders, and a tire surface rubber compactor are necessary, costing around 150,000 yuan. With three to five people, they can set up a tire retreading workshop, with production costs much lower than those of regular tire retreading factories.
The report also points out that during the tire retreading process in small workshops, there are two commonly used methods: one is the full-cover retreading method called "flexible mold," and the other is the "twin" retreading method. Both methods pose safety risks.
Furthermore, according to the national standard, retreaded tires should be marked with the word "retreaded," along with indicating the number of retreading times and the batch number. However, the "retreaded" tires from small workshops do not have these markings. If these substandard retreaded tires enter the market, it will undoubtedly increase driving safety risks.
