Track casings individually, not as a quantity
Most sites treat casings as a pile with a number attached. Twelve went out, nine came back. That tells you a rate and nothing else.
The version that is worth something treats each casing as an item with a history. Every tire carries a unique serial number on its sidewall, which means a casing can be followed through its whole life without anybody inventing a numbering system.
What that makes possible:
Knowing how many lives a given casing has had. A casing on its third retread is in a different position from one on its first, and the decision about whether to send it again is different too.
Connecting a failure to a machine. A casing that failed inspection can be traced back to where it ran and how, which is the information that stops it happening again.
Spotting a pattern by position or machine. If the casings that fail keep coming from the same corner of the same machine, that is a finding rather than bad luck.
The cost of all this is writing the serial down at removal alongside the machine and position. It is one line per tire.
What the plant is assessing
A casing's history is part of what determines whether it passes, and a casing with no history is assessed purely on what can be seen and measured now. That is the correct approach and it is less information than it could have had.
Where the work happens
Purcell runs seven retread plants and Salt Lake City is the nearest to Elko. This store collects casings and arranges transport both ways.
Elko is one of 54 Purcell locations collecting casings.
About this store
The Elko store runs four services, is open Monday to Friday, 7:30 AM to 5:00 PM, and is managed by Fallon Hebdon. Reno, Fernley, North Las Vegas and Pahrump also collect casings.
See the national retreading page for how the program works and for all 54 collecting locations.