Butler Engineering & Marketing S.r.L.
Based in Rio Saliceto, about 20 miles west of Modena, Italy, Butler Engineering & Marketing originated in 1998. It started as an entrepreneurial venture by a few people with a common vision to change the way tyres were fitted, bringing into line the technical developments of the tyre, wheel and automotive industries.The first four years were dedicated to product development and contacts with the main customers were established. Then, in 1993 and 1994 the network of agents was brought up to a satisfactory level, according to the companys potential in terms of manufacturing capability.It was in late 1994 that the growth boom started. The company now employs 70 professionals. Turnover in 1995 doubled, while in 1996 another increase of approximately 50% was achieved. Since then a steady increase in turnover and output has occurred.Butler specialises in manufacturing tyre changers, which are very original and innovative in terms of design, construction and operation. All Butler tyre changers can easily be identified because of their special features; in fact, they have a unique ergonomical design and are almost all powered by compressed air. Power and comfortable controls allow an effortless and effective operation, even with the toughest and most delicate tyre-rim combinations.All parts of the machine touching the wheel or tyre are made of plastic or rubber, to avoid any kind of damage. For instance, an exclusive and patented mount/demount head, made from synthetic material, is always in touch with the rim edge, thus reducing considerably the stress generated during a mounting or demounting operation.The Butler range of equipment also includes a complete series of electronic wheel balancers, made according to the latest technology, eg the ADI (Automatic Data Input). Butler has established a mutual cooperation with the R&D departments of important car, tyre and wheel manufacturers, which are using Butler tyre changers to test the mountability of the most advanced tyre/rim combinations.Approvals or agreements have been signed with Mercedes, Porsche, Bridgestone/Firestone, Dunlop, Continental and others. BBS and Lorinser are promoting the Butler Airdraulic to all their wheel dealers. At the assembly plants of Ferrari, Porsche, M5, Audi 8, Fiat and others, the first equipment tyres are mounted with Butler Airdraulic tyre changers.Technical improvements are not focused just on machines, but also on tools like the so-called HM (Half Moon) tyre bead lever, which dramatically improves the operators comfort and efficiency.A consumers video has been produced to increase the knowledge and skill of operators on handling the toughest and most delicate low profile tyres and aluminium rims with the Butler Airdraulic tyre changer. The Butler Passport to Higher Performance is an important contribution to spreading knowledge on how to handle rims and tyres.It is a manual containing general and specific information about rims, tyres and the proper way to handle them. Also it includes a section related to the use of Butler tyre changers. This manual is available on the Butler home page www.butler.it where other interesting information can be found.
Continue Reading400 km/hr Bugatti On Michelin Pax System
The EB 16-4 Veyron is the latest offering from Bugatti, with a theoretical top speed of 406 km/hr and a performance of 0-300 km/hr in under 14 seconds. The Veyron has 20 forged alloy wheels and is fitted with Michelins Pax system. Tyre sizes are (front) 245-690 R 520 A and (rear) 365-710 R 540 A.
Continue ReadingUS Tyre Fire “Could Burn For Months”
An illegal tyre dump, covering 145 acres and containing an estimated four million tyres, caught fire over the weekend near the city of Roanoke, Virginia. 50 people left their homes, but returned later when the wind changed direction. The cause of the blaze is not known. Governor Mark Warner declared a state of emergency on Sunday, which means that the county can use state resources. Such fires are usually left to burn themselves out, as water run-off could contain toxic chemicals. Officials said the fire could burn for months.
Continue ReadingGajah Tunggal
Gajah Tunggal was established in 1951 to produce bicycle tyres and inner tubes. 20 years later production of motorcycle tyres began, followed in 1981 by car tyre production. Gajah Tunggal produced its first car and light truck radial tyres in 1989, and was listed on the Jakarta Stock Exchange in 1990.In the past ten years Gajah Tunggal has grown by acquisition of suppliers such as GT Petrochem, a producer of tyre cord and nylon filament, Langgeng Bajapratma, a wire manufacturer, and Meshindo Alloy Wheel Corporation. These developments linked to constant improvements in quality control, gaining ISO 9002 quality certification in 1995, along with TÜV Certification from Germany, helped create Gajah Tunggal as one of the leading tyre manufacturers in South East Asia.The Gajah Tunggal radial tyre plant gained ISO 9001 in 1997 and has also received quality certification from several countries i.e. E-Mark from the European Community, TÜV CERT from Germany, quality testing certification from the U.S. Department of Transportation, the BPS from the Philippines and a similar certification from the Government of Brazil.Currently Gajah Tunggal sources 36% of its raw materials from its subsidiary companies. Further vertical integration and synergy of its group activities to develop higher technology and higher value-added products, are a key policy in future development of the business operation.The company has entered into an off-take agreement with Pirelli to manufacture tyres for North America and Europe.
Continue ReadingThree Awards For Goodyear From Toyota
The Toyota Motor Corp. presented Goodyear with two awards at its annual suppliers meeting in Nagoya Japan and another award was presented to Goodyear in the USA. First was a Global Contribution Award for Goodyears supply performance at Toyotas 15 plants worldwide. The second award was a Value Award - Superior for technical approvals and tyre development on Corolla and Camry cars. The North American award is a Certificate of Achievement for delivery performance through 2001.
Continue ReadingDeath Of Renate Hülzer
Renate Hülzer, wife of BRV-Managing director Peter Hülzer, died unexpectedly yesterday in Cologne. She was 42 years old.
Continue ReadingContinental To Explain Bad 2001 On April 11th
Continental will hold a press conference on April 11th to explain its balance sheet and profit- and loss accounts for 2001, the year when the group suffered a loss of 258 million Euro, partly due to costs related to plant closures.
Continue ReadingVRG and Gummiwerke Fulda End Relationship
Gummiwerke Fulda has informed the third biggest cooperation in Germany, VRG, that it will terminate the contracts between the two of them. The tyre manufacturer is not satisfied with the situation, both in the past and at present, and believes that the relationship is not an equitable one, with VRG asking too much and offering too little.
Continue ReadingSafety Regulations For South Africa
South Africa is set to adopt UN safety regulations concerning vehicle components, such as lights, brakes and tyres. This will make it easier for South African companies to sell abroad, as well as making the roads safer. Transport Minister Dullah Omar told a conference that there was a need to educate the public and officials about proper tyre management. He also said that, although SA has no standard for the manufacture of tyres, this would be reviewed this year. The South African Bureau of Standards said that it wanted to assume a bigger role in regulating the tyre industry, as self-regulation by the industry has not worked so far.
Continue ReadingYear To Date Performance From Goodyear
Goodyear has released details of the groups performance in various markets, for the year to date, to end February. Brief details are as follows:North American Tire: February industry shipments of consumer replacement tyres were 8 per cent up on last year. Goodyear shipments to dealers were flat, as some dealers pre-bought at the end of last year. Goodyear shipped 400,000 tyres as part of the Ford replacement programme. Industry shipments of commercial tyres were 14 per cent up on last years levels. Goodyears shipments were up, but not as high as the industry figure. Industry shipments of OE tyres were up 10 per cent for car tyres and down 17 per cent for commercial tyres. Goodyears unit shipments outperformed the industry.European Union: Consumer replacement tyres: industry shipments + 3 p.c. Goodyear shipments lower. Commercial replacement tyres: industry shipments - 6 p.c. Goodyear shipments reflect this figure. Consumer OE tyres: both industry and Goodyear shipments up. Commercial OE tyres: both industry and Goodyear shipments down.Eastern Europe: No segmentation available, but Goodyear replacement tyre sales were up, due mainly to market recoveries in South Africa and Turkey. Goodyear OE tyre sales were down slightly.Latin America: Goodyear replacement tyre sales down, mainly in Brazil and Argentina. OE sales were up. Currencies in Brazil and Mexico were revalued, but this was offset by devaluations in Argentina and Venezuela.Asia: Replacement tyre sales were up from last year, while OE unit sales were slightly down. Improved volumes in China and India helped improve operating margins over last year.
Continue ReadingFulda Will Not Be At Reifen 2002
After Michelin and Bridgestone, Gummiwerke Fulda is the latest company to announce that it will not be attending the Reifen 2002 show. Peter Hülzer, managing director of the German dealer association BRV, was extremely disappointed, saying that MD Hoffmann had told him two weeks ago that Gummiwerke Fulda would definitely participate. It seems to be unavoidable now that the Association, the dealers and manufacturers will come together to discuss the future of one of the best tyre shows in the world. For Reifen 2002 the impact seems to be limited, as according to press comments from the organisers, the show is more or less sold out.
Continue ReadingMichelin – Greater Than Expected Growth
Michelin has done quite well in the first two months with an increase in volume of about 4 per cent. Analysts hope that this growth has not led to an inventory build-up among dealers. All in all they see Michelin as the best company among the big tyre manufacturers.
Continue ReadingGoodyear: Good Or Bad News?
According to DB analyst R. Lache from NY, quoted in a business newspaper in the US, the problem for Goodyear at the moment is that the manufacturer has cut high discounts for 8 distributors, who are now reluctant to buy tyres from Goodyear, thus putting more pressure on the company. The good news is that Goodyear is sticking to higher prices. Despite the fact that the analyst is sticking to his 36 US$ expectation, he reduced the share from Strong Buy to Buy.
Continue ReadingGoodyear Shares In Free Fall
Due to the unexpectedly weak sales in the first two months, Goodyears share price yesterday fell by more than 9 per cent in a few hours. Analysts regard some of the problems as self-inflicted and reduced the share from Buy to Market Perform.
Continue ReadingWorld’s Largest Tyre From Michelin
Michelin has produced what it claims is the worlds largest tyre. The new radial XDR 59/80 R63 has been developed in conjunction with Caterpillar for its new 797B, the largest truck in the world, designed for use in large surface mines and weighing more than 600 tons. The tyre is more than 13 feet high, nearly five feet wide and weighs more than five tons. The tread depth is 4.5 inches and the tyre can carry a load in excess of 100 tons.
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