Tough Tires Make Tough Products

Before it became trendy to find “green” uses for used products, F&B Rubberized, Inc. was turning worn out truck and earthmover tires into green new products.

Centered in New Bedford, Massachusetts, in the heart of the commercial fishing industry, F&B owner Tom Ferreira, built the company fabricating useful, durable and affordable products and machine accessories for the commercial fishing industry. Family owned and operated since 1975, F&B uses machinery and die-cutting techniques developed in-house to cost-effectively and efficiently fabricate products from used truck tires and earthmover tires for the marine industry as well as products such as rubberized wear pads, machine arm protective bumpers, and wear edges used in the waste industry.

In its marine product line, F&B die-cuts truck tire treads and sidewalls to make chaffing gear used to make chain bags. All F&B chain bags are made to order with built in shingles or built in roller discs and are completely customizable, the company said.

F&B’s marine fendering and bumper systems feature die-cut, half round, interconnectable recycled rubber pieces cut from earthmover tires, allowing for easy fitting to any ship or dock.

F&B rubberized wear pads and wear edges made from 100 percent bias ply truck tires are used on bucket loaders in transfer stations and waste handling facilities helping to protect both the equipment operator and machinery, such as snow plows.

The company makes dozens of other parts and accessories for waste handling vehicles and machinery, marine equipment and road maintenance equipment.

Tires have a lot of very, very good properties, F&B’s Jeff Ferreira said. They’re made with good quality rubber and reinforcing plies which make it a very good, very strong material for withstanding harsh environments, he said.

“We’re able to use almost all the material from the tires. There’s very little waste,” Ferreira said.

Any scrap rubber left over from the die-cutting process is used for custom products including rubber mulch, fasteners and hangers.

© Scrap Tire News, October 2020