Paris Motor Show Set to be Biggest Yet
Organisers of the 2004 Mondial de l’automobile, or Paris Motor Show, are expecting this year’s exhibition to be the biggest yet.
Organisers of the 2004 Mondial de l’automobile, or Paris Motor Show, are expecting this year’s exhibition to be the biggest yet.
Tyres have been made from rubber for more than 100 years, using the same fundamental manufacturing processes. However American tyre corporation, Amerityre, claims to have invented a polyurethane material that will replace rubber and revolutionise the entire tyre manufacturing industry, within the next 15 years.
This proposed polyurethane elastomer tyre production is essentially a unique process. Revolutionary it may be, but what does it mean for the tyre manufacturing industry?
The new polyurethane elastomer material can be used in the manufacture of tyres and automated manufacturing equipment. The significance of the new material is placed on the cost efficiency of the manufacturing process. According to Amerityre, manufacturing tyres from polyurethane is considerably more efficient than manufacturing tyres from rubber.
It may be new to the market, but the company has big objectives for its new technology. The company claims that polyurethane will ultimately replace rubber in tyres. It also predicts that the transition from rubber to polyurethane tyres will occur quickly, because of the amount of benefits it provides. It estimates that this conversion will begin in the next 12 months, and will be complete in the next 12 to 15 years. And on top of this, its prototype tyre, ‘ARCUS,’ awaits its launch into the market and its opportunity to silence critics. Whichever way you look at it, these are high aims for a product the industry knows little about.
The company was originally formed in 1995 as the American Tire Corporation. Its initial business objective was to take advantage of, and develop, existing urethane formulations. At first the company used these formulations to produce Flatfree bicycle tyres from polyurethane foam. In 1999 the company changed its name to Amerityre Corporation. Located in Nevada, it occupies a 49,200 square foot site. And has now developed two distinct proprietary chemical systems for tyres: a polyurethane elastomer and a closed-cell polyurethane foam.
Ellerbrock has once again extended its Kontur precured tread range. Two new options have been added to the winter profile, Kontur Grip, which is now available in 240mm and 260mm.
The Kontur range is Ellerbrock’s “superior performance” tread, designed to offer greater mileage performance, greater transverse stability of the vehicle and even, regular tread wear.
Far eastern news agency, Asia Pulse, has reported that Kumho Tire Co has signed a preliminary deal to build its second Chinese factory.
Honeywell International is to provide wheel and brake repair and overhaul services for American airline Evergreen International’s entire fleet of aircraft.
“This agreement is a great example of Honeywell’s capabilities to provide the right value for our customers through superior support and low-cost solutions,” says Peg Billson, Honeywell aircraft landing systems VP and general manager. “We are pleased to provide Evergreen with a comprehensive repair and overhaul service package to support their complete wheel and brake requirements.”
The service agreement will provide the airline with significant maintenance cost savings for its current fleet of 10 747s and five DC-9s. The contract will also include all labour and materials for wheels and brakes, as well as tyre management, and logistic services. In addition, Honeywell will provide distribution to and from more than 10 domestic and international operations.
Basketball star Shaquile O’Neal and NWA rap legend Dr Dre have teamed up to produce a new record. The single, entitled “Dat’s Me” is the seventh song on the DJ Diesel Mixtape and features a chorus line in which Shaq tells of how he and Dr Dre are the hottest stars on the street rolling with “20 inch Pirellis.”
According to an American news source a state district court jury in Brownsville has found Titan Tire Corp not liable in a $10 million lawsuit filed by the family of Raymundo Barrera.
The suit was filed following Mr Barrera’s death in October 2002, when a Titan tractor tyre he was filling with air exploded. Titan was charged with not providing instructions in Spanish on the tyre’s proper maintenance, but the jury unanimously found Mr Barrera at fault.
News reports state that Titan declined comment, as it is likely the plaintiffs will appeal.
Although western European bus manufacturing is still the driving force in the global bus business, China is now ahead on volume according to the latest news published by Truck & Bus Builder Reports Limited. Analysts believe that the Chinese manufacturing pace has quickened because they are now using European standards for bus building and operation.
The report also claims that in India, the two leading domestic bus makers, Tata and Ashok Leyland, are involved in a Government-led transport programme, which “could transform the whole of the Indian sub-continent in terms of public transport.” The report details production and registration data for the main bus building countries and carries market forecast figures for the next five years.
The online service “f1total.com” has reported that as of next season Formula One drivers will no longer be allowed to use more than three sets of tyres per racing weekend. It has also said, that both the qualifying heat and the race would then have to be performed on the same set of tyres.
The reduced grip of the tyres, a result of these measures, is expected to lead to an increased number of driving faults and longer braking distances. On top of this if drivers are prevented from changing their tyres during pit stops, the number of take-over manoeuvres could increase.
“Currently, when a driver re-enters the track after a pit stop the higher grip of his new tyres guarantee that he – although sitting in a heavier car after refuelling – can keep his competitors behind him. With a heavier car and worn tyres this will be much more difficult,” said Sam Michael, technical director of the BMW Williams Formula One team, quoted by “f1total.”
The Tire Industry Association (TIA) has announced that two special events are taking place during the SEMA Show in Las Vegas, Nevada, with each event featuring a cash giveaway of thousands of dollars.
Only a matter of days after Michelin said it will launch an enquiry into the events of the Belgian Grand Prix, the F1 tyre supplier has suggested a reason why its tyres appeared to fail.
Analysts expect August’s US light vehicle sales to reach 17.5 million units compared with 17.2 million from July and 19 million from last August. They predict that Chrysler’s sales will increase by three per cent, however GM’s and Ford’s are expected to decrease by one and five per cent respectively. Investors will be focusing on both GM’s and Ford’s fourth quarter results where they are expecting production to be down by 2.4 and 7.8 per cent respectively.
Global Automotive Daily has published the Japanese auto sales for August, stating that a 2.1 per cent increase in vehicle sales has ended the market’s six month consecutive decline. Mini vehicle sales were also up by 2.6 per cent which continued nine months of growth. Analysts say that the vehicle recovery is mainly due to a low of comparison base, as August 2003 was down by 2.6 per cent, and growth of the big players like Toyota and Honda.
The organisers of last year’s CITEXPO, China’s International Tire Expo, were so satisfied with the results of the Shanghai show, that they have promised the second exhibition to be even bigger and better.
The CITEXPO is already the biggest international tyre exhibition in China and has attracted numerous international exhibitors and visitors from over 40 countries, including many European countries.
The exhibition will again take place in the Shanghai East Asia Exhibition Center, from 22-24 September this year. The organisers, from Reliable International Exhibition Services, Hong Kong, are aiming to make the exhibition “one of the biggest and most famous tyre exhibitions in the world.” To achieve this they will focus not only on players from the domestic Chinese tyre market, but also on the global marketplace bringing manufacturers, distributors, dealers, retailers, buyers, professionals, and other interested parties together in one venue.
BMW is due to present the next generation of its popular 3 series by the beginning of next summer. The 3 series will entered the market in four different versions. Of these, three will use 205/55 R16 and 7×16 wheels and the high performance version will use 225/45 R17 with 8×17 wheels.
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