More and more, both individuals and companies are turning to high-quality retread tyres as an economical and environmentally-friendly alternative to new tyres, but buying retreads does involve some risk. Existing testing methods are not able to predict abrasion under real service conditions, making the accurate estimation of a retread tyre's lifetime a hazardous affair. European suppliers of retreads, for their part, still face stiff competition from new, low-cost, imported tyres.

This project was aimed at improving the retreading process through several innovative developments. First, an economical non-destructive testing (NDT) method for detecting rust and broken cords in used tyre casings was developed. Rust and damage detection, as well as abrasion prediction represent a considerable contribution to wider acceptance of retread tyres. NDT of used tyres was not previously possible. Second, a new water-based tyre cement was developed, replacing toxic solvent-based cements which are due to be banned in the near future. Finally, a new method for ranking wear resistance under service conditions was developed.

The project comprised 21 partners, predominantly SMEs, from eight different European countries, all of whom stand to gain from the project results.