Goodyear plans to double its seamless tread production capability at its Social Circle, Ga., retread facility.

Goodyear will acquire six additional presses to produce treads for the UniCircle Retread System.
"The investment will allow us to keep pace with the tremendous growth of our UniCircle process," said Armond Boyes, general manager for Goodyear's NEXT-TRED operations. "UniCircle is the premier product in the retreading industry. It offers a fully automated building process and excellent on-the-road performance, which has made it a favorite among retreaders and truck fleets."
Goodyear and Ultima NEXT-TRED products, which include matching treads for many of Goodyear's most popular medium truck tires, are manufactured at 171 Goodyear retread plants and distributed by more than 700 Truckwise and independent dealers throughout North America.
Goodyear's UniCircle Retread System was introduced in 1991. Its new UniCircle 2002 Applicator now offers a more uniform product, ease of operation, and build-time comparable to typical precure builders.
The fully computerized automatic builder is self-centering and self-aligning, and it applies the specially designed tread with perfect tension, to ensure a precise fit that hugs the sidewalls for better adhesion to the tire casing. The UniCircle 2002 Applicator has an improved stitching mechanism which attaches the center of the tread first, working toward the shoulder of the tire.