Automotive Equipment
Army Tank-automotive and Armaments Command. The U.S. Army Tank-automotive and Armaments Command (TACOM) in Warren, Michigan established the first APP in the Department of Defense for retread tires. Seeking to develop a program that would consistently produce retread tires that perform as well or better than new production tires, a task force dubbed "Team Tire" launched the Retread Program by inviting tire and rubber trade associations and other interested parties to participate in the program. The program developed a retread tire specification, and retreaders had the opportunity to test their tires both in the laboratory and at the proving ground against new production tires. For those qualified sources that passed, the final step was a facility inspection to ensure that their facilities would produce consistent high quality retreads. Once the inspections were complete, Team Tire issued two-year Basic Ordering Agreements to the qualified retreaders.

In Fiscal Year 1998, more than 2,500 tires were retreaded through the Retread Program, producing a cost-savings of $540,000. The program also prevented 637,000 pounds of old tires from being landfilled.

For more information about the Retread Program, contact Keith Howey at howeyk@tacom.army.mil, (810) 574-6126.