Uth touts technology to reuse material in process

AKRON—German machinery maker Uth GmbH is beginning to shop one of its newer technologies on the open market following a period where it could only be used by its original customer.

Fulda, Germany-based Uth was touting its TRP Reworker System for the economical reworking of material in rubber processing and fine mesh straining solutions at the International Tire Exhibition & Conference in Akron.

The system is based on Uth's two-roll plasticizer (TRP) with an integrated gear pump, according to the company.

"The main advantage, when you look at it, is the environmental situation," Manuel Bessler, Uth general manager of sales and project management, told Rubber News at ITEC. "When you compare electricity consumption with classical technology in the marketplace, our machine is using one-third of the energy."

The system incorporates technology that combines gentle processing based on an open-roll system, utilizing cracking, homogenizing and discharging.

"The innovative new TRP Reworker System is designed to gently process unvulcanized material generated during tire production and return it back to the production process," Uth said in a statement. "In just one single step, the TRP Reworker automatically and continuously homogenizes and fine-mesh-strains treads, sidewalls, profiles or sheets at a low temperature."

Uth added that it can run throughputs of up to 2,500 kilograms an hour per line. The technology has such features as slab feeders, cutters, metal detectors, weighing equipment and a variety of discharge dies.

Bessler said the TRP Reworker typically is used in the mixing area of a tire manufacturing operation. The machine recovers material and can rework roughly 97 percent of the material back into the process, saving on material waste.

One thing that sets it apart is how it handles the compound.

"I compare rubber compound with baking a cake," Bessler said. "The batter is cooked/vulcanized, and in the handling of the dough our machine is more gentle compared to other machines."

Since the exclusive period with the initial customer expired, he said the German firm has had interest from several of the top 10 global tire manufacturers, though the initial push had been blunted somewhat by the COVID-19 pandemic.

But the TRP Reworker is starting to gain traction in the market, with some customers who tried an initial machine starting to reorder more. One reason, he said, is that the Uth machine has lower total cost than its competition, when taking into account initial equipment cost along with added savings in energy and waste.

"Those having the first machine installed are ordering second and third machines," he said. "If they had not been satisfied with the first one, they would not be talking with us about (additional purchases)."

After making initial inroads nearer its home market, Uth now is working on introducing the technology to the North and South American markets, said Bessler, who also made a presentation at ITEC on Uth's fine-mesh straining technology.

The firm had good discussions at ITEC with potential customers, and also had visits with several tire makers in the region, he said, adding that they have installed some of the machines in North America at global companies with which Uth already had established accounts.

"Everything starts with a conversation and goes from there," Bessler said. "... We can say this is a proven technology in the market, and it offers new opportunities. You win a certain flexibility by adding such a machine."