Michelin now makes retreads

Many individual consumers may pay scant attention to the tire retread market, but major tire producers have not overlooked that lucrative market.

Yes, there is still a market for retreads, particularly in the commercial vehicle industry, due to their significant cost savings, environmental benefits, and improvements in technology.

Many major tire manufacturers, along with specialized retreading companies, are making them. 

For example, Michelin, a global leader in tire innovation, announced on October 16 the full deployment of TreadEye, a proprietary technology developed to enhance the retread process and deliver measurable value to fleets. After a period of phased implementation, TreadEye is now available across the Michelin Retread Technologies franchise network in the United States.

TreadEye is an industry-leading tread depth assessment tool that helps fleets maximize their tire investment—because every 32nd of an inch counts. The system accurately and consistently collects 1,200 measurement points, providing precise insights into tread wear and casing condition.

“TreadEye is a game-changer for our retread operations and for the fleets we serve,” said Nate Kirian, Vice President of Sales and Distribution, Commercial Business Lines for Michelin North America, Inc. “It’s a powerful example of how Michelin continues to innovate in ways that directly benefit our customers.”

Key benefits of TreadEye include identifying pull points by fleet location, maximizing rubber on the road by avoiding early pulls, preventing casing damage, reducing DOT violations and downtime from late pulls, and improving efficiency in the tire removal process, which directly impacts a fleet’s bottom line.

Learn more about Michelin Retread Technologies: business.michelinman.com/retreads.