Petlas celebrates its 50th anniversary: AKO Group builds a tire lifecycle ecosystem, with its second factory on the horizon

Petlas 50th Anniversary: From a single tire factory to a collectivized ecology

According to Tyrepress, Türkiye’s tire manufacturer Petlas held its 50th anniversary celebration at the end of September, with representatives from all over the world participating in the event. In his speech, Hakan Yalniz, General Manager of Petlas, introduced the company’s positioning within the AKO Group, as well as its development trajectory and future plans in recent years. Yalniz stated that Petlas is a member of AKO Group, which has multiple sister companies that complement its tire business, including AKO Battery Factory, AKOJANT Wheel Factory, AKO ELT Recycling Factory, AKO Distribution Logistics Business, and AKO Refurbishment Factory. As a result, Petlas embeds an ecosystem covering the entire lifecycle of tires through the AKO Group: from the use of new tires, to refurbishment and reuse, to the final recycling of scrapped tire bodies.

“Europe’s largest single unit tire factory” and second factory plan

The report states that Petlas is currently the largest single unit rooftop tire factory in Europe, and it has been confirmed that a second Petlas factory will be built.

. This expansion plan means that its tire production capacity and product supply capability will be further improved, and it will also have an impact on the regional tire manufacturing pattern. The report did not disclose the specific location, investment scale, design capacity, and production time of the second factory. From the perspective of product structure, Petlas’ tire business covers categories such as passenger tires and commercial tires, and its expansion will simultaneously drive the procurement demand for rubber raw materials and additive systems. In tire formulations, the vulcanization system determines the cross-linking network and vulcanization efficiency, while reinforcing fillers such as white carbon black affect the balance of rolling resistance, grip, and wear resistance. Antioxidants and antioxidants are related to the aging and weather resistance of tires during long-term use and outdoor storage.

The significance of the refurbishment and recycling loop for formulas and materials

The refurbishment factory and ELT recycling factory within AKO Group extend Petlas’ business chain to the “second life” and scrap disposal stages of tires.

. Refurbished tires have clear requirements for the condition of the tire body, adhesive properties, and aging resistance, which makes the stability of anti-aging agents, antioxidants, and vulcanization systems important factors affecting the reliability of retreading. The recycling process involves the reuse of waste tire rubber powder, providing a raw material basis for the use of recycled materials in rubber formulations.

For the polymer additive industry, Petlas’ expansion and group closed loop release two types of signals: first, the addition of tire production capacity will bring sustained demand for rubber additives, especially conventional systems such as vulcanizing agents, accelerators, anti-aging agents, and antioxidants;; Secondly, with the widespread application of white carbon black in low rolling resistance tire formulations, the demand for supporting additives such as silane coupling agents will also receive attention as the proportion of high-performance tire products increases.

Information to be observed

Currently, publicly available information only confirms the construction plan for the second factory, and has not yet provided production capacity, investment amount, product direction, and schedule arrangements.

. The scale of Petlas’ renovation and recycling business, as well as the utilization rate of waste tires in the AKO Group ecosystem, have not been disclosed. Subsequent attention can be paid to the actual impact of its expansion project on the regional rubber additive supply chain, as well as the specific application ratio of refurbished tires and recycled materials in the formula.

Information source:Already Europe’s largest tyre factory under one roof, 2nd Petlas plant coming， Organized by Herun Chemical.