Conti CEO Kessel Resigns
CEO of the Continental Board, Dr. Stephan Kessel (47), has resigned and left the company. The Supervisory Board announced his successor as Manfred Wennemer (53). Wennemer was formerly responsible for the ContiTech division.
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Co-operation Between Michelin and Bosch
Robert Bosch GmbH (Stuttgart) and Michelin (Clermont-Ferrand) have announced a long-term strategical partnership in the development and distribution of integrated driving dynamic management systems. The co-operation covers the fields of research and development as well as the introduction of product to the market. Both companies have identified working areas for the basis of common developments and synergies.
Co-operation Between Goodyear and Siemens VDO
Goodyear and Siemens VDO have announced plans to develop a progressive tyre pressure monitoring system which can be introduced to the market at an early date. The co-operation brings together Goodyear’s knowledge in the fields of tyre pressure control, sensors and interpretation of tyre temperature and pressure, with the know-how of Siemens VDO in electronics and common automotive systems.
2,000 Jobs Cut By Michelin North America
Michelin North America has announced that it will cut 2,000 of its 26,500 workforce. The cuts will target the whole company, not just specific job classifications, and will be spread across not just the 23 plants but the whole company. Most will be achieved through normal losses and voluntary redundancies. Michelin wants to trim $75m in annual costs beyond the already announced $125m, and does not want to wait until the weak North American market begins to improve but rather to develop lean structures and create the ability to react to the market independently, whether the market improves or not.
EMT Runflat Tyres By Goodyear Are #1 Worldwide
Goodyear, supplying nearly 50 original equipment runflat tyre fitments to eight manufacturers, is the world leader in runflat tyres. The latest EMT (Extended Mobility Technology) fitment is on the Mini, a new product from the BMW Group which will have the Goodyear Eagle NCT5 EMT runflat tyres as an option. The company has runflat manufacturing capability in Fulda, Germany, and at plants in the USA.
How Far Will Pirelli Shares fall?
The engagement with Telecom Italia has become an expensive adventure for Pirelli. Because telecommunications have fallen from favour on the stock markets the shares are rated even worse than those of automotive companies and analysts do not agree with Pirelli’s change in strategy. Pirelli shares are in a deep fall. This just as the so much abused tyre division presents admissible figures in a very hard market.
Continental’s Results Have Slowed Down And Redundancies Are Possible
Compared to last year, Continental Group’s turnover for the first nine months of 2001 has increased from 7,438 billion Euro to 8,240 billion Euro (a rise of about 10.8%). The Group’s operational result (EBIT) of 238 million Euro (385 million Euro in 2000) has especially been affected by the North American tyre business and a non-recurrent expenditure of 58 million Euro due to the reconstruction process, begun in the second quarter and which has resulted in the closure of the truck tyre production site in Herstal (Belgium) and the remoulding site in Bad Nauheim. The Group’s result before tax has fallen by 160 million Euro down to 96 million Euro. After tax of 44 million Euro, the result is 104 million Euro more than last year’s amount, and the earnings per share are 0.35 Euro (1.16 Euro in 2000). Presenting the quarterly results at a press conference, Manfred Wennemer, who was appointed Managing Director on 11th September 2001, explained the Group’s directional change, concentrating on profits, results and cash flow and on cutting down financial debts, which also involves focusing on profitable transactions and devolving profit-and-loss responsibility on to the Business Units. Additionally, Wennemer announced some bigger restructuring measures: “All parts of the company are under scrutiny, and there are no holy cows”, he emphasised, adding the comment that factory closures and redundancies could be a possibility.
“Eufori@” – Two Premieres For Pirelli
Consumer demand for run-flat tyres is at an all-time high. In the U.S., for example, a recent study found that nearly seven out of eight consumers place run-flat tyres at the top of their list of features desired on new automobiles. Therefore it is expected that the demand for run-flats will increase within the next few years. This is one of the reasons why Pirelli has developed such a tyre on its own, regardless of the fact that the company is working together with Goodyear and Sumitomo on Michelin’s PAX system. But the launch of the new tyre – called “Eufori@” – was not the only premiere for Pirelli: this run-flat is also the first tyre manufactured using the Italians’ MIRS technology. In size 205/45 R17, the “Eufori@” is original equipment on the new Mini Cooper S, shown at the Tokyo Motorshow at the same time. The name of the tyre, which will of course also be available for the replacement market and in the additional size 225/45 R17, was chosen from more than 20,000 suggestions made during an internet campaign at the end of last year. “We expect that in three years run-flats will account for about 10 % of the high performance tyre market”, explains Francesco Gori, Senior Vice President Market Development Unit at Pirelli. “Other car manufacturers who are interested to use Eufori@ as original equipment are BMW, DaimlerChrysler, Ford and VW/Audi”, adds Maurizio Boiocchi, responsible for research and development at Pirelli Reifenwerke. From remarks such as these, one gets the impression that run-flats will become standard equipment on cars much faster than did other features, such as ABS.
Different Tyre Pressure Controlling Systems Are Causing Confusion
More and more tyre dealers ask for the tyre pressure control systems with which the newest car models are fitted as original equipment. They are annoyed at getting no satisfactory answer, even from the car dealers selling these cars. One of the problems is that there is no standardised system. Most European car manufacturers are using as a basic a system from supplier Beru, for example with valves from Alligator. But the French car makers went down different development paths with other suppliers, for example Valeo and valve-sub supplier Schrader. The systems are completely different! If it is not possible for the Europeans to find a common level of tyre wheel systems with tyre pressure monitoring sub systems how difficult might it be to find harmony with the car makers from Japan/Korea and North America? The tyre pressure controlling systems situation is constantly changing, but we are painting a picture of the situation today. For example to secure the function of the newest Renault Laguna II the car maker explains that you must use only original parts – for example only Renault wheels. Using different wheels makes it impossible to fix the sensors and the function of the system is interrupted. If this were to become typical the free workshops (car repair stations, fast fitters or tyre dealers) will be unable to take part in the new technologies and the only workshops working with the systems, repairing details and replacing parts, will be the workshops of the car manufacturers.
8th Tyres/Chassis/Tracks Conference in Hanover
Home match for Continental: Not enough that the company’s head of Tyre R&D and Process Engineering, Heinrich Huinik, had been the chairman of the organising committee for the 8th VDI (association of German engineers) Tyres/Chassis/Tracks conference, the tyre manufacturer, which, after the reorganisation process in recent years regards itself as a whole service supplier, had been on the agenda for both several specialised and the two plenary lectures too. Thus, it was no surprise when, using the slogan”Global Chassis Control”, Dr. Wolfgang Ziebart, member of Conti’s Executive Board, again picked out their system network as a central theme in his plenary lecture. Another main topic of the conference in Hanover was the specialised field of “System Integration” which had twice the number of lectures than all other specialised meetings, titled “Track-Tyre-Interaction”, “Tyres”, “Tyre Modelling”, Chassis Simulation” and “Chassis Systems”.
A Question Of Grip: The Conti Winter-Roadshow 2001
Time has come for German car drivers to renew their acquaintance with the cold season. Using their annual country-wide winter roadshows, Continental’s experts are explaining the aim and object of winter tyres with their better grip on low temperature roads. Because of a special compound – in contrast to summer tyres –they are made as flexible as possible for road temperatures below seven degrees, in order to produce enough grip when starting, braking or cornering. This flexibility ensures the necessary traction of the tread on asphalt, snow and ice. There are more and more car drivers who realise that adapting to winter tyres has more advantages than merely better grip; a view which is supported by constantly rising sales figures over recent years. Whereas in 1997 30 million of these winter specialists were sold all over Europe, demand rose to 37 million last year. In some European countries even more winter than summer tyres have been sold so far. Thus, last year’s winter tyre market share was about 40% in Germany, 59% in Austria, 57% in Switzerland and 61% in Sweden. About 16 million winter tyres were sold in Germany alone last year. The reason for this demand is the increasing number of new cars with their more powerful engine performance. The trend towards higher performance cars causes the consumer to order winter tyres designed for speeds over 190 km/h. Another reason: car drivers want fun when driving even in the winter, as long as road and weather conditions are appropriate. If possible, they choose tyres of the same size and speed rating as their summer tyres. Also, research by Continental reveals that fun-driving in winter need not be more expensive. Winter tyres will cost about 0,20 Euro each day in use.
A Question Of Statistics: Influence Of Tyre Pressure On Traffic Safety
Three percent of all traffic accidents in Germany occur due to technical defects on the cars, more than half of which are tyre defects; in total round about two percent of all accidents are due to the tyres. This figure seems to be reassuring, but they apply only to accidents caused directly and undoubtedly from the tyres – for example a puncture. The question “what was the reason for the puncture?” – maybe a long-term inner defect – is never asked. In the common statistics no hint is given on the influence of reduced tyre pressure on traffic safety. Nobody can give information about how many accidents happened because of faulty steering or below-standard characteristics in bends or hydroplaning safety. Also accidents involving stationary vehicles parked on the street are not counted in the statistics. Collisions with “objects” on the roads are mentioned, but the objects are not specified. Very often these “objects” are tyres or parts of tyres, which can be a very dangerous obstacle – especially when the objects are truck tyres. For the statistics regarding accidents caused by faulty tyres it is still correct what was mentioned in an analysis in 1985 – and it sounds ironical: one result of the report is that it is not possible to make concrete declarations about the reasons for accidents. All we know is that low pressure in the tyres has an influence on the number of accidents – but nobody can say how much.
DT818 And DT824 Complete Goodyear’s Optitrac Product Family
Only a few weeks before the start of the Agritechnica fair, Goodyear presents its brand new “Optitrac DT818” and “Optitrac DT824” tyres – the latest additions to the Optitrac family of agricultural tyres, to which the super volume tyre DT830, introduced at the end of last year, also belongs. The DT818 is the family’s super-wide tyre, created primarily for use on today’s higher horsepower tractors with large implements. According to the tyre manufacturer, the DT824 is the perfect choice for very heavy machinery including harvesters and combines. Both tyres hold a much greater volume of air than standard-width tyres, and, because they are wider, have a much larger “footprint”. The weight is distributed over a greater surface area, reducing the pressure at any single point and minimising soil compaction which has negative effects on the plants‘ development. The DT818 and DT824 have also been designed for optimal traction in all types of weather. They feature deeper, more powerful curved lugs for greater draw-bar pull and broad square shoulders provide extra grip. The tread area between the lugs has been specially shaped for better self-cleaning of the tyres. During the presentation of the new tyres Serge Daleiden, responsible for the farm tyre division in Europe at Goodyear, mentioned that future developments in the farm tyre sector could possibly also include the company’s BioTred technology. “This is not a promise, just an idea”, said Daleiden.
Lighter Steel And Alloy Wheels
Hayes Lemmerz is the world’s leading global manufacturer of automotive and commercial highway wheels and one of only a few companies producing wheels from both steel and aluminium. Regarding steel wheels, the company, whose headquarters are in the USA, is the worldwide market leader. Regarding aluminium wheels, Hayes Lemmerz is among the leading manufacturers in Europe. Recent years have seen a move from steel to aluminium wheels in original equipment. Looking purely at price, the steel wheel is absolutely unrivalled, but obviously the two criteria of weight and styling have proved more important to the car manufacturers. Realising that it was not enough that the steel wheel is cheaper, the manufacturers decided to become competitive also in the matter of weight. With its newest development of a steel structure wheel, Hayes Lemmerz has attained this target; this kind of wheel is now fitted in a 16 inch size on the newest Ford Mondeo model. But it must be said that is was not only an achievement of the wheel company but also for the producers of new kinds of steel which gives the wheel more rigidity and stability than before and offers the opportunity to make the wheels thinner and therefore lighter. Regarding styling, Hayes Lemmerz tries to mimic the smart aluminium wheels with new finishes that look like aluminium or chrome or are even coloured. Another opportunity is to create a very well-fitting wheel cap. Being also one of the most sophisticated aluminium wheel manufacturers, Hayes Lemmerz tried to develop lighter alloy wheels too. One competitor (Stahlschmidt & Maiworm) has already made much progress with hollow spokes and this kind of wheel is fitted on the top models of Porsche, Audi, and Mercedes-Benz. The idea of Hayes Lemmerz engineers was not to use the spokes but the rim bead section for cavities: they call the invention “Hollow-Hump Technology”.
Continental “Expects To Sell National Tyre Service This Year”
Manfred Wennemer, management board chairman of Continental AG, is reported to have said that the company expects to sell its UK equity chain National Tyre Service by the end of this year. Earlier this year, Continental UK closed National’s truck tyre operations when it formed ContiNetwork; a partnership with independent truck tyre service providers. This left 210 retail outlets in the National chain. A spokesman in Hanover confirmed Mr. Wennemer’s comment, but would not reveal any further details. The news was only revealed because Continental had to enter a figure into the fourth quarter accounts which was picked up by analysts.
