HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Exeter Times-Advocate, 1969-02-27, Page 3•
•
•
•
•
•
MONTEY GAISFORD WITH COTTON PLY FABRIC
WINNIE ANDERSON WASHING STEEL WIRES
SYLVIA STEWART AND DOREEN GRAY WELDING
•
MONTEY GAISFORD AND TIRE TESTING MACHINE
ALLAN OKE OPERATING CURING PRESS
LARRY BISON INSTALLING TORE VALVE
MONTEY GAISFORD AND BILL LOCK CHECKING
FINISHED PRODUCT
ALICE MENARY ASSEMBLING WIRE, FABRIC AND
TREAD STOCK
SYLVIA DIETR CH AND JOSEPHINE McVEENEY ON
TUBE INSPECTION
JOHN AIINER OPERA IN 'MEAD EXTRUDE
0 )1 •
CON FORAN AND JOAN McCANN CUTTING NYLON STOCK
MARY KADEY AND LUCILLE AVOTTE INSPECTING TIRES
One of the newest industries
in the district is actually one of
the oldest companies in the
nation. The Bicycle Tire and
Tube Division of Dunlop.Canada
Limited is the oldest division of
the oldest company
manufacturing tires.
Taking over the former No. 5
hangar at Centralia's Industrial
Park, the Dunlop affiliated
division has the capacity* to
manufacture about a million and
a half bicycle tires and a million
tubes, yearly,
One of the eight industries
located at Huron Park, the
Dunlop firm is employing 65
area residents in addition to five
staff members that came from
the Toronto plant.
Founded by John Boyd
Dunlop in Ireland in 1888, the
company has been
manufacturing bicycle tires and
tubes since 1896 in Canada.
Dunlop has been the sole
Canadian manufacturer of tires
for bicycles for more than five
years.
Dunlop sales are limited to
Canada and marketing is handled
by CCM with shipping directly
from the Centralia plant to every
corner of the Dominion, All
shipments leave the area by way
of Guenther-Tuckey Transports.
Dunlop has been associated with
CCM for 60 years.
Bill Lock, who is manager of
the Centralia plant and has been
with the Dunlop company for
28 years says, "We would hope
to improve our market position
in the near future to compete
with overseas manufacturers. At
the moment we hold about 50%
of the bicycle tire market in
Canada with the bulk of the
opposition coming from the
United States, Europe and the
Orient, There are five volume
manufacturers in the States."
When asked where the bicycle
tires actually go, factory
technical manager Montey
Gaisford said, "It surprises us,
too, as to where they go. Take a
look at the public school bike
parking lots and you get part of
the answer. There are more
adults riding bicycles in Quebec
now than anywhere else. Most
workers in rural Quebec
establish their homes within
biking distance of their
employment."
Gaisford, who has been with
Dunlop for 44 years went on to
say, The bicycle is largely
becoming a toy and the trend is
toward flashy bicycles. We have
to cater, to about a six-year age
range in children. At the age of
eight a youngster is dying to
own a bicycle and by 14 he
wouldn't be seen dead on one."
Various size tires are
manufactured at Centralia
ranging from a 20-inch by one
and three-eighths to a 28 inch by
one and a half. The first bicycle
tire made was of the latter size
and Gaisford said they are only
now beginning to fade in
popularity.
When asked how they liked
living in this part of Ontario,
both officials of the Dunlop firm
were rather hesitant to making a
statement.
Lock replied, "I only moved
here from Toronto in October, I
will reserve judgement until the
summer weather arrives" and
Gaisford said, "You threw the
worst winter in 40 years at us,
we'll wait and see."
The first step in the
manufacturing process is cutting
the nylon and cotton fabric
which comes in 300 yard rolls
and 54 inches wide into the
necessary strips. The nylon is cut
on a bias while the cotton is cut
straight,
In the next operation copper
coated carbon steel wire that
comes in 200-pound coils is cut
into the necessary strips and
washed thoroughly and
inspected for length. The wires
then go to a welding centre and
are ground prior to butt welding.
The raw stock then goes to
the mill where it is warmed and
strip fed into a barrel. This is
taken to the tread extruder
which extrudes the stock to the
necessary tread section. The
fabric wire and tread is now in
the form of a hoof and is taken
to the tire builders and
assembled into a tire,
The completed tire is put into
a tire curing press for three
minutes and then moves on to
the final inspection and to the
warehouse for shipping
preparations.
A wide range of power
services is used by the Dunlop
tire and tube manufacturing
operation. Two different steam
pressures, compressed air,
vacuum, hydraulic and electricity
in various voltages are being
used.
One of the busiest machines
at the plant is the tire testing
machine that never stops
operating. Tires are taken out of
production and tested at 30
miles per hour. Survival of 5,000
miles is a passing standard but
many go from 10,000 to 12,000
miles,
P4 tem" awe' &a le,
4 Ro44 'rani
7e,ted Io-eleof out a
•