A Goodyear innovation designed to extend the life of truck tyre retread cushions, while improving quality and performance, has been named “Tire Manufacturing Innovation of the Year” by Tire Technology International in Europe. The Retread Multi-Piece Cushion technology was awarded by an independent, international jury of tyre professionals, engineers, and academic scholars.
“Goodyear is focused on delivering market-driven innovation to our customers and consumers around the world,” says Jean-Claude Kihn, Chief Technical Officer at Goodyear. “We are honoured to be recognised by Tire Technology International for the innovative Multi-Piece Cushion technology, which will be highly valued by our customers.”
Goodyear’s Multi-Piece Cushion contains three distinct layers, according to Jay Hofner, General Manager, retread for Goodyear’s North American business. “One of these layers is a barrier extending the product’s shelf life. This is a big advantage for Goodyear Authorised Retreaders,” he explains.
The Multi-Piece Cushions other layers consist of carefully selected ingredients that, when mixed together, complete the curing package. According to Hofner, Multi-Piece Cushion is heat-resistant, eliminating the need for refrigeration, another advantage for Goodyear’s retreads.
“And its round shape is unique, making it more user-friendly,” he says. “Traditional truck tyre cushion gum is flat, with edges and corners that can stick to other layers of cushion gum.”
Commercialisation of the award-winning technology is already underway, with availability planned for North America in 2012, after which expansion to other markets around the world will be considered.