Tyres Shrewsbury

Early in history , carts and wagons were fitted with iron bands around the wooden frame to create a more robust vehicle. A wheelwright would heat the wheel over a forge fire until the heated metal contracted to fit tightly around the wood. The tyre derives its name from its earlier use of 'tying' the wheel parts together.

Although durable, the old iron (and later steel) tires did not make for a very smooth ride. With the arrival of vulcanised rubber, inventors could now create a durable tire that didn't cause headaches and bumps on the head for vehicle goers. Dunlop (yes, that Dunlop) was reputedly the first to use Goodyear's innovation when he patented a pneumatic rubber tyre for bicycles, after his son complained of headaches while cycling.

Pneumatic tyres were first used for bicycles but it was with the advent of the car at in the Twentieth Century that the rubber tyre really took off and the first tyre companies began to appear. Early on, there were tyre companies that are still well-known names to this day, including the American Goodyear, all bearing the names of their founders.

Now, three major tyre manufacturers dominate the industry, holding 60% of the market, although there are over 400 tyre factories across the world producing one billion new tyres each year. In 2010 alone $140 billion worth of tyres were sold across the world, double the revenue garnered in 2004, which reflects the rise in demand for cars and the rise in raw material prices. In 2015, the demand for tyres is expected to skyrocket again, with 1.74 billion tyres estimated to be sold.

The pneumatic tyre is assembled at a tyre factory (search Tyres Shrewsbury for local factories), where the raw materials are cured and processed into components, which are then assembled before being shipped to tyre depots across the world (see Tyre Shrewsbury for more information on the process).

The finished tyre usually consists of an inner tube and the outer rubber with tread. The tread has a pattern made of various geometrical grooves, which are there to channel away the water (Tyres Shrewsbury has more detail). There are different types of traction, including wet and dry traction (see pictures at Tyres Shrewsbury. Wet traction ensures that the tyres can grip the road in wet conditions (pictures at Tyres Shrewsbury), while dry traction ensures the same in dry conditions.

There are also different tyres for different seasons. There are winter tyres designed to wear well under freezing conditions and mud and snow. Their tread is usually softer than for summer tyres in order to better grip the cold road. Some winter tyres even have metal spikes installed so that the tyre may have more traction on very icy roads (pictures at Tyres Shrewsbury). Summer tyres (photos are at Tyres Shrewsbury) tend to have less deep channels but softer rubber that allows for greater traction on dry roads. There are also all-season tyres tyres (Tyres Shrewsbury, for pictures). They are adequate for most conditions (Tyres Shrewsbury has many of these). This is now the most popular kind of tyre in the United States.

As we buy and replace more and more tyres, so the dumping of tyres is becoming a greater problem. Tyres are recyclable, with new uses as varied as fuel and weights for tarps (search Tyres Shrewsbury for more uses). Tyres can even have their tread replaced so that they may be reused on other cars (for the recycling process, Tyres Shrewsbury). However, millions of tyres are dumped each year (read the facts at Tyres Shrewsbury). This is especially a problem in the US where 285 million tyres are scrapped each year. Dumped tyres are not only an environmental nuisance; they can also form a perfect breeding ground for mosquitoes, which breed in the stagnant water caught in the rims of many abandoned tyres.

Another danger from abandoned tyres is that they are highly flammable. A burning tyre-heap can burn for months.The tyres contain hydrocarbons, which poison water supplies and harm life .

Despite the dangers, most countries do not have adequate regulation for scrap tyres for the situation in the UK). However, some countries have strict regulations that call for old tyres to be recycled to provide raw materials for new roads. The rubber from the tyre is isolated and granulated so that it can be used to pave roads that are more waterproof than traditional roads . This use of old tyres was developed recently (see details at Tyres Shrewsbury) but it is not widely used.