Quality Awards For Three Goodyear Facilities
Three Goodyear plants have become the first sites in the world to be certified under the new global ISO Technical Specification 16949. The plants are Fulda (Germany), Amiens (France) and the Luxembourg Technical Centre. TS 16949 is expected to be recognised as a standard by all car manufacturers worldwide.
Continue ReadingMore Orders For Tyre Pressure Control Systems
Beru AG (Ludwigsburg/Germany) has announced growing demand for its tyre pressure control system. As well as the BMW 3, 5 and 7 series, Mercedes S- and AMG E-class and SLK and Audi A8, the tyre safety device is now also available as an option for Mercedes CL Coupe and Audi allroad Quattro, and from autumn for the BMW X5.
Continue ReadingService Makes The Difference: BRV Seminar At The “Reifen 2000” Exhibition
The slogan was Service Makes The Difference. Consultants MMS GmbH, together with the German dealer association BRV (which claims to be the centre of competence), organised this interesting seminar. Regrettably, representatives from only about 30 independent tyre dealers attended, with the majority of the 150 delegates coming from the tyre industry and their equities. Hubert Hannezo, Michelins Worldwide Marketing Manager for passenger car and light truck tyres, made a very informative speech and explained to the audience what is going on, for example, in the USA and what might become popular here very soon, and why. A totally new form of service is developing through the internet, and specialists from Continental enlarged on this in detail. Larry C. Morgan, a big tyre dealer from the USA, explained his growth philosophy. He is confident that his group will sell around ten million tyres a year from 2005 on. One of his statements was Bigger is better, only if big is better and If it is to be, it is up to me. Finally, keynote speaker Sir Tom Farmer used the opportunity to explain again what Kwik-Fit is, how it has grown, and for what it stands. One criticism of the seminar might be that there was no opportunity to ask questions, nor to initiate any discussion.
Continue ReadingLead Balance Weights To Be Banned?
A European committee has agreed on the final text of the End Of Life Vehicle Directive (ELV). One paragraph bans the use of lead in wheel balance weights, including coated weights, on new vehicles after 1st July 2003. It is unclear whether any ban would apply to the aftermarket. The ELV text has to be submitted to the European Parliament and then to the Council for final vote and adoption.
Continue ReadingSignificant Decreases For General Tire USA
A spokesman for Continental, in answer to a question from NEUE REIFENZEITUNG, agreed that the figures from General Tire for the first half of this year are significantly less than figures for the same period last year. Continental will officially release the half year figures on August 9th.
Continue ReadingDTM: Opel Changes To ATS
During a racing series, changes from one tyre or wheel supplier to another one are very rare. In the very popular German Touring Cars Championship (DTM – Deutsche Tourenwagen-Masters) Dunlop is the exclusive tyre supplier. Now Opel-Phoenix has decided to change from BBS wheels to conventional cast alloy wheels from ATS, so that the Bad Durkheim-based wheel manufacturer is now the biggest supplier of racing wheels in this series. AMG-Mercedes has also used ATS wheels since the beginning of the series.
Continue ReadingTougher Tyre Safety Rules First Proposed Two Decades Ago
The current Firestone recall has led to many in the USA calling for tougher standards in tyre testing. It has been revealed that, following the Firestone recall in 1978, new regulations were drawn up, incorporating more stringent safety criteria. However, the suggested changes were scrapped when Ronald Reagan became President as it was considered that their implementation would adversely affect the car manufacturing industry.
Continue ReadingETRA Conference Discusses Scrap Tyres
The problem of scrap tyres (or, as ETRA prefers to call them, post-consumer tyres) is one which affects every country where tyres are sold. ETRA, the European Tyre Recycling Association, is the only European organisation devoted exclusively to tyre and rubber recycling and in July, the association held a conference in the UK to discuss the scale of the problem, assess progress and look at possible solutions. ETRA regards post-consumer tyres as a readily available and inexpensive resource rather than merely a problem and the association is keen to get this viewpoint across to the industry, governments and the public. Around 2.5 million scrap tyres arise every year in the EU, of which 61% are re-used or recycled in some form. 39% go to landfill, which will be banned shortly. The conference programme was a full one, with a variety of speakers, including representatives from enforcement and licensing agencies, trade associations and those involved in developing new processes and uses for scrap tyres. Among the solutions discussed were rubberised asphalt, rubberised sports surfaces, the emotive subject of using tyres as artificial reefs and a method of using microwaves to break down tyres into their component parts. The effective and environmental disposal of scrap tyres is a problem for all parts of the industry and one which will become even more acute when landfilling of tyres is banned in a few years.
Continue ReadingRenault Recalls Kangoo Model
French car manufacturer Renault has recalled 25,000 of its Kangoo cars, equipped with Kléber tyres, due to quality problems with the tyres. It is expected that Kléber will release further details shortly.
Continue ReadingJapanese Car Output Rises
Toyota, Nissan, and other Japanese motor manufacturers are reporting strong growth in global production for the first half of the year. This comes amid massive restructuring of the industry as European and American manufacturers take shares in Japanese businesses. However, the growth figures are tempered by across the board decreased in production in September, suggesting signs of a slowdown in the market.
Continue Reading“Truck Force” At The Starting Line
Goodyear has got on well with their integrated truck service concept, as stated by the group. Whereas, by the end of last year, 65 partners have been using this Goodyear service for commercialising truck tyres, the figure has currently raised up to 90, which means another step closer to the target of an area-wide service network in Germany. As estimated by Frank Titz, Manager Sales & Marketing Truck Tires at Goodyear Germany, around 150 service points will be necessary, of which 120 are already covered by their 90 partners. Because of continuing merging activities within the forwarding business, foreign markets have to be considered, too. All big freight vehicle fleets are on the road all over Europe, so that service may not end at the frontiers, Titz is explaining the motivation for the European-wide extension of the concept, named Truck Force. By the end of 2001, we want to be represented at all main international traffic arteries, either from Portugal/Spain to Scandinavia and from France versus Eastern Europe. Advantages are not only suggested for trade, but for Goodyear itself, of course. In fact, according to Titz, in Germany more than 50 per cent of all new truck tyres have been sold so far by their partners.
Continue ReadingFurther Price Increases Necessary Soon
Recently announced price increases effective from the 1st November have not been sufficient to compensate for constantly increasing costs. The Continental Group therefore sees the necessity to increase prices again. The company expect to announce rises of around four to five percent early in the new year, Jescow von Puttkamer told NEUE REIFENZEITUNG.
Continue ReadingCheng Shin Opens US Technical Centre
In December, Taiwanese tyre manufacturer Cheng Shin, producer of the Maxxis brand, opened a technical centre in Georgia where the company employs five people. Cheng Shin already has an R&D centre in Taiwan, employing more than 150 technical staff. The company does not plan to open other R&D centres outside Taiwan.
Continue ReadingWinter Test/System Comparison 2000 – Winter Tyres are Indispensable
It has almost become a tradition by now: Once a year the German subsidiary of Japanese car manufacturer Mazda invites the trade press to a winter test/system comparison. The journalists attending in Saas Fee in the Swiss canton of Valais were asked to perform a number of driving tests under various conditions. The necessary winter tyres and know-how were provided by workshop partner Continental, and the computer-aided evaluation of the results of these practical tests was handled by representatives from TÜV Rheinland/Berlin-Brandenburg. The most important part of the workshop results was: On snow and ice winter tyres are absolutely indispensable! The tendencies worked out in theory were generally confirmed but, contrary to expectation, no significant difference in handling was discernible between front and rear drive. Similarly, the two front-driven vehicles – whether on TCS or ESP – ended up with nearly the same result. But brake tests with ABS did demonstrate the expected differences in the performance of winter and summer tyres, with the average traction quotient of 88 p.c. (winter tyre = 100 p.c.) for a front-driven summer tyre, however, considerably higher than the 76 p.c. estimated by the group.
Continue ReadingStinnes-Reifendienst: Record Figures For Main Shareholder
The london-based Legal and General Group has announced that it is managing assets worth £102 billion; a 25% increase. Subsidiary company Legal & General Ventures Ltd. is the main shareholder of Dorana, which purchased Stinnes-Reifendienst last year.
Continue Reading
