15594. registered members from 168 countries of 6 continents.
KRAIBURG Austria presents innovative technology
31-05-2012 03:35:32 PM
New curing system for EM retreads set to reduce energy costs and process time
KRAIBURG Austria has been supplying quality materials for mould cure and precure retreads for 65 years. Ever since the company formed in Upper Austria it has been seeking to stimulate the retreading industry by delivering innovative solutions and attempting to make work easier for the retreaders. Two years ago KRAIBURG Austria launched its new K_wide technology for premium precure processes. The retreading specialist will be back at this year's REIFEN trade fair to present an innovative curing system for EM tyres, namely K_Inno.
K_Inno directs energy to bonding gum layer
K_Inno is designed to reduce the energy and time required for the retreading cycle. The whole carcass, which can weigh as much as three tonnes in some cases, must be heated to a temperature of about 110 degrees Celsius. Retreads on large tyres can therefore take up to 14 hours. The actual curing process only takes three to four hours, however, leaving eight hours of energy consumption in-between. This is exactly where the new process developed by KRAIBURG Austria comes in, delivering the energy required for the curing process to the very place where it is needed – the bonding gum layer. This is because the KRAIBURG experts have developed an electrically conductive rubber compound. It is applied to the underside of the tread as a heating coating. The electrical connection is established from the outside surface – without a metallic conductor in the heating coating. The bonding gum is then brought to curing temperature by means of resistance heating.
Initial results look convincing
"We developed K_Inno in response to the rising energy costs coupled with the increasing delays in the production of EM retreads. It is our intention to lead the way to greater energy efficiency in retreading", said Dieter Hasenkopf of the Innovation team at KRAIBURG Austria, "and this will allow retreaders to increase their capacity and reduce their energy costs". Initial estimates put the potential cure time saving at as much as 65 per cent (see graphs). The company filed a patent for the new process in 2011. The staff in the Innovation department are currently calculating all the necessary process parameters, such as voltage, current and time. KRAIBURG will present the first results at the REIFEN trade fair. Having assessed the market, the aim is to take K_Inno through to serial production – in keeping with the slogan: we power your retreads!
