Tires are one of those things that our society goes through a lot of, yet their disposal can be problematic. Being round and containing a large air cavity, they’re not exactly the most efficient things to store or transport. Those that don’t get recycled can end up collecting water and acting as breeding grounds for mosquitoes, or becoming part of giant “tire mountains.” A new device, however, is designed to cut them apart so they can be flat-packed – thus reducing the space they take up, and maximizing the amount that can be transported at once.
Made by UK-based Symphony Recycling Technologies, the SymTyre-S300 semi-automatic tire cutter can reportedly disassemble a standard automotive tire in approximately one minute ... with a little help from a human assistant.
The process starts with the tire being mounted inside the machine and locked in place. The SymTyre’s cutters then move in and remove both sidewalls. Once that process is complete, the user takes out the sidewalls and tread, then uses an attached platform and a built-in circular saw to cut width-wise through the tread – converting it from a ring to a strip.
The sidewall discs and tread strips can then be stacked and banded tightly together, or even stored in optional purpose-built stackable bins. According to the company, tires that are cut apart and stored in such a manner occupy up to 70 percent less space than whole tires.
Symphony is now hoping to sell or rent SymTyre machines to businesses such as tire depots or garages, and will offer a pick-up service for processed tires within the UK.
The machine can be seen in action in the video below.
Source: Symphony Recycling Technologies
