The Recycling and Economic Development Initiative of South Africa (Redisa) reports that the Product Testing Institute (PTI), near Gqeberha, in the Eastern Cape, is now the only independent facility in South Africa approved to test tyres to international standards after it received ISO 17025 accreditation from the South African National Accreditation System (Sanas).

Moreover, it is the only accredited independent facility in either Africa or the Southern Hemisphere that can offer these specific tests.

Redisa says this is a significant breakthrough for South Africa’s economy and environmental protection, with the PTI to play an important role in tyre safety, the economic use of tyres and managing the environmental impacts of tyres.

The PTI is a Redisa project and represents an investment of R170-million in building plant, and setup costs, with a replacement value of R300-million.

The PTI has been active since 2017, but the recent additional accreditation marks an important new phase for the institute.

The PTI ensures basic safety compliance for tyres, but it can also test rolling resistance, which is a major contributor to the environmental impact of tyres, as rolling resistance directly affects the energy consumption and emissions of the over 12-million vehicles on South Africa's roads.

"The higher the resistance, the more the fuel consumption. Securing higher standards for tyres has a direct environmental impact, not only because of how it relates to fuel consumption, but also because tests on how difficult or not it is to recycle tyres at the end of their use is essential for establishing a responsible tyre industry," says PTI laboratory manager Alex Erdmann.

Redisa points out that between 253 000 and 259 000 t of waste tyres are discarded in the country every year.

"This facility should be a source of pride for South Africa and the Eastern Cape. There is a worldwide backlog in tyre testing. People generally do not realise how important quality testing is. If the standards aren't kept high, and improved over time, the consumer and the environment will suffer," adds PTI chairperson Hermann Erdman.

The PTI has top quality equipment for load/speed/endurance and rolling resistance tests, as well as wheel rim testing. The Sanas accreditation means it now has an internationally accredited quality management system. 

In addition to standards-based testing it is equipped with advanced physical and chemical laboratories for greatly expanded materials testing.