ESCAPING THE INSPECTION TRAP!
Restoring Quality & Margins Through Automation
Imagine stepping onto the factory floor, the scent of rubber thick in the air, and feeling the familiar weight of expectation. The tire retreading industry is relentless. There’s always another customer report to review, a fresh defect to investigate, a board meeting where figures—especially those nagging scrap rates—stand in judgment. For manufacturing leaders, it’s more than just numbers: it’s about preserving reputations, protecting team morale, and defending the legacy built on decades of reliability. But lately, the hurdles just keep multiplying.
THE CHALLENGE NOBODY TALKS ABOUT (But Everybody Feels)
Let’s face it: even the most disciplined retread production operations are running headlong into a common—and costly—wall. Human inspectors, fatigued and juggling constant turnover, are missing casing defects that slip by unnoticed. Each missed defect that reaches the field isn’t just a blip on a spreadsheet—it’s a blow to customer trust, a threat to hard-earned esteem, and a silent drain on profits. As frustration builds, so does pressure from customers, boards, and the teams relying on steady leadership.
When a miscured retread reaches the customer, and fails after being placed into service, there is a significant cost; REPUTATION. The pain is universal, but so is the hope: Isn’t there a way to catch every anomaly before it becomes tomorrow’s headache? Is there a path beyond fire drills, stop-gap overtime, and “almost good enough”?
The current process for pinpointing flaws in casings is the use of NDT machines that send high-voltage currents through the casing, producing a visible spark at damage points. Operators are then responsible for marking those flaws so the casing can move on to repair. However, human error is a major challenge.
“MODERN” NDT LIMITATIONS:
• Operator dependent to mark the tire. The NDT is only as effective as the operator
• False negatives (missed holes) by human decision
• Probe design limitations and maintenance challenges
The movement toward automation in tire retreading isn’t just about keeping pace—it’s about restoring the industry’s core promise: that every tire leaving the facility is worthy of the brand and the people standing behind it.
MISSED NAILHOLES ARE COSTING OUR INDUSTRY $75 MILLION PER YEAR!
Retreaders report miscures (re-runs) as 3%-5% of production annually.
With our industry producing around 15 million units each year (multiplied by the low end average at ~3%) that is 500,000 units miscured annually.
Take those 500,000 units times an average cost of $150 per miscure unit (modest materials, labor & overhead) and you’re at $75 Million in scrap rates!!
Missed Nail hole Defect
in 11R22.5 radial precure retread
CHASING SUSTAINABILITY AND PRECISION—Without Burning Out the Team
The solution to help prevent miscures isn’t in doubling down on human effort or multiplying inspection checkpoints. The answer is in technology with The Automatic Marking System professionally equipped to existing NDT equipment in your plants!
Field tests over thousands of tires indicate that the Automatic Marking System is identifying more than 4% of casings with nail holes that were missed by human inspectors.
Automatic Marking of the Casing on the outside
AND the inside! 
Industry leaders are seeing proof—peer plants that once limped along with 5%+ scrap rates are regaining control, reputation, and profitability.
- – AUTOMATIC FLAW DETECTION – No fatigue factor, defect free output at scale
- – PROCESS CONSISTENCY – Reliably repeatable
- – RESTORED CONFIDENCE – A lot less reruns, customer claims drop and pride returns
The movement toward automation in tire retreading isn’t just about keeping pace – it’s about restoring the industry’s core promise: that every retread tire leaving the plant is worthy of the brand and the people standing behind it!
Ready to move beyond firefighting and reclaim your place at the forefront of tire retread manufacturing?
To learn more about Shamrock’s Automatic Marking System and watch a video demo, Click to fill out this form. You can also email: order@shamrockmarketinginc.com or call (502) 266-7403!