In bad weather conditions, unloading at the time of receipt must be carried out in a covered area; in any event, if water is found inside the tyres, this must be removed immediately. Unloading must not be carried out by dropping the tyres or by any other method which could damage the quality or visual aspect of the tyres. Tyres must not be moved by inserting the forks of a fork lift truck through the center of a tyre which could damage the bead area. Tyres must be stored inside a clean, dry and ventilated area, protected from direct sunlight or other source of artificial light (illumination must be realized with lamps of low ultraviolet and infrared emission). In the case of temporary external storage, the tyres must be covered (eg. with an impermeable opaque material) and protected from contact with water and humidity.

The storage temperature must be less than 35°C and preferably less than 25°C. A temperature greater than 50°C, especially if stock rotation is not sufficient, can result in accelerated forms of deterioration, such as to reduce the duration in use of the tyre. Avoid contact with heaters and radiators. Very low temperatures in the storage area are not in themselves damaging, but can provoke rigidity of the tyre. In this case, they must not be deformed during movement or fitting. If they are destined to be used immediately they are released from storage, it is necessary to keep them for a few hours in an area with a temperature of approximately 20°C.

Appliances which generate ozone must not be introduced into the storage area, also gas and vapors from combustion which can generate ozone via photo-chemical processes must be excluded from the area. Neither the area or the equipment in the storage location must present traces of solvents, inflammable materials, lubricants, chemical products, acids, disinfectants, rubber solutions, etc. which could prejudice not only the visual aspect but also the characteristics of the product.

Tyres must not be submitted to any deformation due to tension or compression.

 

Storage for long periods

The best method for storage is vertically in rows of one tyre high, on racks, positioned at least 10 cm from ground level, with the sidewalls positioned vertically, so that the profile is not altered (fig.1). The vicinity or stacking of other racking or pallets must not deform the profile of the tyres. The number of tyres per row must be such as to not compromise the sidewalls. Agricultural tyres with a width greater than 12.4" (315 mm), with the exception of those tubeless, must be stored in stacks. The position of the tread lugs must be such that they correspond (one on top of the other, fig.2) in order to limit deformation to the sidewalls. As a general indication a stack should not exceed 5 tyres.

Short term storage

Up to 4 weeks, tyres can be stored in stacks, one on top of the other, preferably on a fixed rack or on stackable pallets, reforming the stack inverting the order of the tyres on a weekly basis. In all cases when tyres are stored in stacks, it is necessary to ensure that there is no partial misplacement from the vertical plane, in order to avoid any permanent deformation of the lower tyres in the stack. The maximum height of the stack must not exceed 1.2m and the tyres in the stack must all be of the same dimension.

The following tyres cannot be stacked for storage:

• Motorbike and scooter
• Earthmoving
• Tubeless agricultural
• Tube type agricultural with width £ 12.4"
• Agricultural with x-ply nylon carcass

Whether inner tubes are supplied by the producer in single boxes, large boxes or wrapped in plastic film, it is always preferable to maintain the original packaging. In alternative they can be stored also slightly inflated, inserted within the tyre, or piled deflated, up to a maximum height of 50 cm, on racking shelves with a closed base, accurately avoiding that the valve can damage the surface of the tube when squashed under the pressure of their own weight. Ensure that the tubes do not overlap the edge of the plane on which they are stored to avoid accidental laceration. It is not recommended to store on slatted pallets because the pressure applied to the tubes will not be uniform. Do not hang inner tubes during storage. Valves should be stored in their packaging in a clean, well ventilated and dry location.

Flaps should preferably be placed within the tyre together with the inner tube. If they are stored separately, they should be placed horizontally, in a pile on a shelf, protected from dust, grease, humidity, ozone and direct sunlight. To avoid deformation and stretching they must not be hung up in any way.

The storage location must be organized in such a way as to guarantee constant stock rotation, limiting to the minimum the storage period of the tyres. Products which enter storage first must be the first to leave. First in, first out.