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The History of Ride-On

1997 - 2001

Inovex Automotive, shortly after its founding in 1995, was renamed Inovex Industries, Inc. The company was established by two brothers who were also Chemical Engineers. During the first two years, Inovex focused on evaluating and testing every tire sealant they could find on the global market. Their goal was to identify the strengths and weaknesses of existing products. The insights gained from this comprehensive testing and research formed the foundation of the initial Ride-On formulations. These early formulations were very similar, yet superior, to other sealants available at the time, utilizing the same thickening, sealing, and corrosion inhibition technologies that had been used in the industry for over 30 years.

As field testing continued, the team recognized limitations in existing products. The thickeners and corrosion inhibitors in these sealants would break down under high-speed, high-temperature, and high g-force conditions typical of over-the-road applications. This realization led to an exhaustive new R&D program from 1999 to 2001 aimed at overcoming these shortcomings. Inovex worked closely with chemical suppliers, vendors, and external testing facilities to explore innovative solutions. This collaboration introduced technologies that had never been used in the tire sealant market before. In some instances, Inovex even gained access to beta products that had not yet been released to the public.

The result of this intensive R&D effort was the development of advanced Ride-On formulations that significantly improved upon the performance and durability of existing tire sealants, setting a new standard in the industry.



2002 - 2004

After years of rigorous testing and experimenting with over 100 different test batches, we unveiled our next generation of sealants, based on the unique technologies we developed. These products were the first true high-speed tire sealants capable of withstanding years of high g-forces, extreme temperature fluctuations, and thermal cycles without breaking down or separating. Additionally, our tire sealants had an advantage over competitors: they not only maintained their integrity but also helped balance the tires in which they were installed. We had developed the world’s first and only line of tire sealants and balancers.

In late 2003, some of our customers noticed an unusual phenomenon occurring in a small percentage of their tires. In these cases, the Ride-On sealant appeared to lose its viscosity and separate. This was puzzling because the same sealant worked fine in other tires of the same brand, model, and sometimes even on the same vehicle. After several months of exhaustive testing, we discovered that our sealants were reacting adversely to a specific mold release compound applied during the manufacturing process.

These soap-based release compounds were causing the polymers in our products to degrade and become acidic, which overwhelmed our corrosion inhibitors' ability to protect the wheels. The variability in these release compounds, which could change from batch to batch, made isolating the issue particularly challenging.

Once we identified the source of the problem, with the help of our distributors and select test fleets such as Best Cartage, we quickly took steps to reformulate our sealants. The next generation of Ride-On tire sealants was designed to fortify their ability to withstand the adverse effects of certain chemical and physical contaminants they might encounter.

2004 - 2007

After the data from the test fleets confirmed that our improvements addressed the issues with contaminants, we introduced our new and improved line of tire sealants to the mass market in 2004. These new formulations were more robust and designed to better withstand the harsh conditions of commercial tire duty. Over the next three years, we maintained constant communication with our customers to ensure our sealants were performing as required. During this period, we continued to test, research, and improve our products.

After two years of close collaboration with our suppliers, particularly one of our specialty polymer manufacturers, we were ready to launch our third generation of sealants.



2008 to Present

In the early spring of 2008, we launched our third generation of tire sealants, utilizing cutting-edge polymer and corrosion inhibitor technologies. These improved formulations further distinguished us from other sealants on the market and enhanced our ability to better meet the needs of our clientele.

At Inovex, we believe that having the best products on the market is never enough. We are continuously testing and developing our sealants to ensure we remain at the forefront of available technology. Our ability to manufacture the best sealants relies heavily on the feedback we receive from our customers and dealers. This feedback drives our relentless pursuit of creating the next generation of sealants.

Please stay tuned, as new innovations will be unveiled. As they say, "the best is yet to come."