Retreading of tyres – Autonrengasliitto Ry

ECE-REGULATIONS 108 AND 109 FOR RETREADING OF TYRES

ECE, (European Economic Commission), member of the UN has established two regulations that apply retreading of passenger car´s and commercial vehicle´s pneumatic tyres. These regulations were established 1999. Regulation for passenger car tyres is 108 and for commercial tyres 109. ECE-regulations are applied for safety of motor vehicle´s parts and accessories.

ECE 108 and 109 are mandatory as from 13.9.2006 in every EU member country. According to ministry decision (2006/443/EY) ECE 108 and/or ECE 109 type approval is required for retreaded tyres as from 13.9.2006. This means that retreads that do not have e-marking and are therefore not produced according to regulations 108 and/or 109 are not allowed to be sold in any EU member country.
Type approval and certification according to ECE-norms requires testing of retreaded tyres and approval of the documented quality assurance/control system, sc quality system.

Type approval according to regulations 108 and/or 109 can be applied in Finland or in another EU member country. In Finland traffic security bureau TRAFI is an approving authority. Granting a type approval requires testing the tyres in a test facility that has been notified by Finnish authorities. In Finland traffic security bureau TRAFI notify approved test facilities. TRAFI has notified Test World llc from Vantaa, Pruflabor Nord from Bad Bramstedt in Germany and Osrodek Badawczo-Rozwojowy Przemyslu Oponiarskiego from Poznan in Poland as approved test facilities for tyre testing.

Control and certification of passenger car and commercial vehicle type approval shall be done separately. This means, that even if same production facility produces both of them, applicant must go through both type approval procedures.

In order to receive type approval must minimum of 5 tyres be tested. After approval, 0, 01% from annual production or minimum 2 tyres (ECE 109) and minimum 5 tyres (ECE 109) must be tested every year. All tyres must pass the test. Annual test report must be sent to TRAFI. Testing procedure is the same as the one for new tyres.

Applying for type approval in Finland

Requirements for type approval:

Letter of application for type approval is sent with required appendixes (f.ex. produced tyre sizes) To Traffic safety bureau TRAFI (Application form can be found at TRAFI´s web page www.trafi.fi).
Product quality assurance, certified quality system or Trafi´s inspected quality system ensures that producer´s manufacturing process is suitable for producing type approved products.
Contract between applicant and TRAFI for inspection of production’s accordance.
Testing of 5 tyres in test facility that has been notified by Finland.
Original test report will be sent to TRAFI.

After this, traffic safety bureau TRAFI will grant type approval according to ECE108 and/or ECE 109.

Retreaded tyres, publication 2012