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Description
Founded in 2006, Medina Med Ltd, a family-owned enterprise based in Stara Zagora, has become a prominent player in the tire repair industry. With a certified network of tire repair shops spanning major Bulgarian cities, including Sofia, Plovdiv, Pazardjik, Burgas, and more, the company specializes in processing retreaded cargo, agro, and industrial tires. Witnessing rapid growth, this segment has birthed its own brand of retreaded tires named Remedima. A retreaded tire is a tire that undergoes a process of replacing its worn tread with a new layer, allowing for cost-effective and environmentally sustainable tire reuse.
In pursuit of enhancing processing technologies for retreaded tires, the company has devised an extensive strategy, including investments in new equipment to bolster operations. The current project revolves around the introduction of a new production line, implementing an innovative hot-retreading process specifically designed for material handling vehicles in sizes 9.00R20, 10.00R20, and 11.00R20. Pneumatic tires play a pivotal role in material handling vehicles, providing maximum stability and traction, especially in challenging warehouse environments, outdoor settings with liquid spills, and adverse weather conditions.
The retreading process, developed internally, is poised to double the lifespan of tires at a more cost-effective rate compared to new tires. This not only translates to substantial savings for operators but also contributes to environmental sustainability by reducing CO2 emissions from the tire production process. Through these strategic initiatives, Medina Med Ltd aims to solidify its position as an industry leader and pioneer in advancing tire processing technologies.
Summary of project results
Pneumatic tire is used in material handling vehicles where maximum stability and traction is needed in a non-perfect warehouse environment – outdoors use, where liquid spills or meteorological conditions put obstacles in front of vehicle operators, where usage requires multi-purpose abilities. Therefore, pneumatic tires are not only widely used among the material handling vehicles industry, but in some sectors are the only way to properly equip vehicles. The average use of a pneumatic tire of this type varies from 1000hours/ operation (low quality, low cost tires) to 4800hours/ operation (world class quality, high cost tires). The aforementioned lead to significant amount of waste of used (end – of – life) pneumatic material handling vehicles tires – waste that needs to be ecologically treated in order to assure sustainable development and responsible approach towards future generations.
Often, after first life span tires suffer corrosion damage and repair is required, in order to successfully retread it. The problem is that after repairing the damaged part of the tire (for example puncture and corrosion at the same time), on the repaired spots of the tire shall be bonded plasters. The plaster will cover the repaired place and reliably seal the spot. In the curing process, usually when the diaphragm of the press is putting pressure over the plaster, there is an air residue which prevent the plaster from efficient vulcanization and thus in few hours of operation the tire starts to loose pressure, due to plaster malfunction.
Medina Med Ltd. is implementing for already several years the hot-retreading technology which was internally developed and is further investing in increasing its efficiency and effectiveness and expanding its coverage to all sizes of tires. The main objective of the current project was to introduce innovative, green manner to retread worn (end-of-life) pneumatic material handling vehicle tires, to put them in operation for a second life. The major part of the tire (the casing), consisting of approx. 77.5% of the entire new tire weight, at the end of the first life of the pneumatic tire, might be repaired, retreaded and put back in operation, with minimum added raw material – during innovative production process, only 20 kg of non vulcanized (fresh raw material) rubber is added to produce retreaded tire. Innovative process applies a special textile tape in the curing press, between the inflating diaphragm of the curing press and the repaired surface of the tire, and thus prevent air residue between plaster and tire surface. Thus repaired tires might be effectively and efficiently vulcanised and sustain high air pressure inside the tire – high air pressure is a result from load amounts generated in material handling vehicles operation. Second main innovative aspect of the process is related to effectively repairing damage and retreading sides of worn tire – casing damaged over the sides may not be retreaded otherwise if new layer of rubber is not put and vulcanised over damaged side/s of tire.
The capacity of the new production line is forecasted to be 1500 tires on annual basis.
The investment has lead to economic saving (the tire will be used twice, with only 20 kg added raw material) of approximately 40% of the price of new tire, but will also decrease the print of the human industrial activity over the environment in both green and eco-friendly manner. The project results will ensure that at least 1500 tires per year will be which will lead to preventing up to 94.5 tons of waste from worn material handling vehicles tires per year.
Two new jobs have been created.