There’s more to producing an agricultural tyre than just mixing rubber. We visited the Vredestein plant at Enschede in the Netherlands, where, alongside car tyres, the firm also manufactures large agricultural tyres
Take some natural rubber, one part synthetically produced rubber, a pinch of carbon black, two parts silicate, and a little mineral oil; fold this in with wire; and apply the mixture onto a textile surface. Stirred together until smooth, it is then put into a large pressure cooker to make the agricultural tyre … until it’s ‘done’. Of course, the job’s not quite that simple, although the list of ingredients is almost right. Just like every cook, each manufacturer has its own secret recipe.
