MAK Presents New Wheel, Mistral
MAK has announced that it has released its first oriented design wheel, the Mistral 5. The shape and the inclination of the spokes show off the wheel’s oriented design. It has a square, straight structure with the spokes perpendicular to the external rim. The difference is then on the surface of the spoke, where there is a diamond insert. The basis of the spoke, anthracite colour, is wider, but it looks thinner thanks to the superficial diamond colour and slight design that lighten the spoke, says the manufacturer.
Continue ReadingCorghi Sees the Blue Light
In the motor vehicle workshop equipment segment, Corghi reports that it is responding to today’s global economical crisis by investing in product innovation, infrastructure and new commercial facilities. The company says that it is committed to constant research in innovative solutions to meet the demands of an increasingly discerning market, an aim that the brand hopes to address through its participation in the Autopromotec show, where it will display a wide range of its newest products. For the wheel balancer segment, Corghi presents Blue Light, a sophisticated wheel balancing machine developed in response to the needs of the upper end of the market. This high-tech system includes touch screen, real time, blue light and touchless technologies, which aim to simplify significantly the operator’s job.
Continue ReadingMondolfo Ferro Spreads its Wings
Founded in 1963 with the image of an eagle with its wings spread, Mondolfo Ferro specialises in the production of car tyres changers, wheel balancers, lifting platforms, wheels aligners, brakes and suspensions test benches, and exhaust systems analysers. Keen to publicise its innovative qualities, Mondolfo Ferro will be at the Autopromotec 2009 with its new wheel service products. The Aquila Raptor is the new tyre changer with lever-less technology for mounting and demounting, making it possible, the company claims to eliminate risk and fatigue for the operator. It also believes the machine is operated intuitively helping to increase efficiency, rapidity and safety when operating on the rim or on the tyre. The Raptor boasts a centralised control console, a double-disc vertical bead breaker unit, which allows the bead breaking operation in the work position, and a safe and rapid wheel blocking pneumatic system. The TBE 160 Matic truck tyre changer will also be presented. Conceived with lever-less technology, the machine can work with wheels with a rim diameter of up to 60” and a blocking system for the central hole of up to 110 mm. The main advantages of the TBE 160 Matic consist of the automated demounting tool and bead breaker. The machine also includes a self-supporting frame that guarantees greater freedom of movement for the operator by increasing the spaces around the machine.
Continue ReadingSupertracker Aims for “Moderate Budget” Wheel Alignment
Following what the company says was “a very successful 2008,” wheel alignment manufacturer Supertracker reports that it has maintained a good sales performance in the first quarter of this year. Recommending that garage and fast fit operators make wheel alignment an integral part of every customer visit, Supertracker is attempting to back up its assertion with a wide range of competitively-priced wheel alignment equipment ranges, making its systems available to as wide a portion of the market as possible. Managing director Trevor Lovesy is aware of the need to reduce costs in the current fiscal climate: “Obviously the significant downturn in business has affected all market sectors – including the garage equipment market – with many companies looking to minimise business expenditure as much as possible. Fortunately because the Supertracker range is more reasonably priced than other wheel alignment equipment on the market we have not seen any reduction of interest for our products.”
Continue ReadingRanger Products Counter HSE Inferiority Claim
Following the inclusion of the company name in a document produced by the HSE, Ranger Products has announced that it is offering a free verification service to anybody that may think that their BendPak lift is not an original one. The inclusion of the Ranger Products name alongside inferior lifts imported from the Far East on a recent arm locking special notice has prompted the company to take the measure in order to ensure peace of mind for its customers and to prevent its products being confused with cheaper imitations.
Continue ReadingMotorcycle News Accolades for Dunlop Tyre
Motorcycle News (MCN) has published an article this week that ranks the new Dunlop Qualifier II tyre above its nearest competitors, following a testing session at the manufacturer’s test track in the south of France during the official launch in mid March. Senior road tester at MCN, Michael Neeves, tested the tyre in the wet and dry. His report claims that the new Dunlop tyre is “2009’s most important sports tyre.” The Dunlop Sportmax Qualifier II is the latest in Dunlop’s motorcycle offering, entering the sports tyre market. It features a Multi-Tread compound with a directional tread design. The manufacturer says that it provides improved performance whilst reducing step wear. The tyre also benefits from a new compound mix, enabling a broader range of operating temperatures, and therefore – claims Dunlop – faster-warm up times, even at low external temperatures, alongside greater wet and dry road grip and high speed stability.
Continue ReadingwTyre Update
The team at Tyres & Accessories is pleasantly surprised by the level of interest expressed in the experimental ‘wTyre’, news of which we reported on April 1. We hope you enjoyed our April Fools’ joke for 2009, and thank you for your readership of our (mostly) serious tyre industry news!
Continue Reading‘9’ Proving a Lucky Number for CITExpo
In China much significance is attached to numbers, and nine is considered the luckiest of all single-digit numerals. So September 9, 2009, or 09-09-09, is not only an easy to remember date, it is also a very fortuitous one. The organiser of the CITExpo exhibition in Shanghai, Reliable International Exhibition Services, certainly hopes this will prove to be the case – this year the tyre show opens on this date. So far so good: According to Reliable International Exhibition Services, exhibitor registrations for the seventh edition of CITExpo are continuing to keep pace with expectations and are not showing signs of being affected by the recent crisis. Although worldwide demand for tyre related products has declined since last year, both returning and new CITExpo exhibitors have, says Reliable, expressed a desire in meeting potential buyers at the exhibition and see this as a way of avoiding the affects of shrinking market demand. As of March, 70 per cent of floor space had already been booked by more than 200 exhibitors, a more than at this time last year.
Continue ReadingEuropean Car Sales Point to Success of Scrappage Schemes
A number of European car markets are fairing better on the back of cash incentives given for the scrapping of old vehicles when purchasing a new one. Governments in Germany, France, Italy and Spain are offering have already commenced such programmes, and the results so far are positive: In Germany, more than 848,000 people have signed up for the country’s “Abwrackprämie”, or scrapping premium with February car sales increasing 21 per cent, and in March French car registrations rose 8.1 per cent year-on-year to 204,095.
Continue ReadingYokohama Reports Loss on Revaluation of Investment Securities
Yokohama Rubber has announced it will record a 2.9 billion yen (£20.4 million) loss on the revaluation of investment securities during the fiscal year ended March 31, 2009. Company management is analysing the loss in the context of Yokohama’s overall financial performance and will determine whether the loss mandates a revision of the company’s fiscal projections.
Continue ReadingBuyer for Vredestein Banden Found
A buyer for Vredestein Banden has been found. In a written statement released by the Dutch company on April 2, the holding company Amtel-Vredestein N.V. has received a “binding offer: from a “strategic” industrial market player for the total share capital of Vredestein Banden BV. According to company CEO Rob Oudshoorn, the agreement is “very binding”, and it is “highly unlikely” that any complications will prevent the deal from going ahead. The CEO declined to disclose the deal’s value. Tyres & Accessories will report further on this transaction when information is available.
Continue Reading3.5 Million on Illegal Tyres
Up to 3.5 million motorists in the UK are driving on illegal tyres, according to new research released this week. The study of 4,000 road users for Continental Tyres revealed a worrying ignorance of British drivers when it comes to tyre safety with one in 10 drivers running on tyres below the legal minimum tread depth. More than four in 10 (41 per cent) claim to have never checked their car tyres and a third admitted to not knowing how to check tread depth and tyre pressure. The survey was commissioned to coincide with the launch of a new website offering simple guidance to drivers on how to check tyres and other basic safety information.
Continue ReadingTyres & Accessories April 2009
In addition to all the latest news and analysis, April's issue of Tyres & Accesories contains features on Private Brands and Wheel Alignment, as well as our annual in-depth Wheel Report.
Continue ReadingNAPA Launches Rebate Program for Brakes
In May, NAPA Brakes will launch a rebate program supported by a nationwide campaign for its Adaptive One brake pads and The Perfect Brake Job. Adaptive One pads have been engineered to offer superior stopping power, low noise and low dusting attributes. Adaptive One is tailored for any driving style, and boasts excellent coverage for passenger cars, light trucks and SUVs, according to NAPA During the month of May, consumers can get The Perfect Brake Job – a combination of the correct premium parts and the correct repair procedures – for less, with a mail-in rebate. Those who have brake service at any participating auto repair facility with qualifying Adaptive One and Ultra Premium brake parts can get up to $90 cash back on a four-wheel brake job. Do-it-yourselfers who purchase qualifying Adaptive One or Ultra Premium brake parts at any NAPA Auto Parts store can get up to a $70 rebate on a four-wheel brake job. Media support for Adaptive One will include radio ads in 150 markets and satellite outlets; syndicated “Bob and Tom” voiced spots; USA Today color ads; Google ads; and FoxSports.com Fantasy MLB league advertising. (Tire Review/Akron)
Continue ReadingJDI Appoints EuroVent Sales Rep
JohnDow Industries recently announced the appointment of Jeff Casey of JKC Associates as its newest manufacturer’s representative for the EuroVent product line. JKC, located in Powder Springs, Georgia, will represent EV in the states of Georgia and Alabama. Casey has been in the rep agency business over 25 years and in the Atlanta market since 1990. EuroVent, a brand of JDI, is a manufacturer of cost-effective solutions for removing toxic exhaust fumes from auto repair facilities and dealership service departments. EV is the largest supplier of “rail type” vehicle exhaust systems in the United States, according to JDI. Compared to traditional overhead and in-ground systems, the EuroVent Vehicle Exhaust Extraction system offers limitless flexibility, maximum efficiency, minimal operating costs, ease of use, and reduced installation time. EV’s rugged aluminum rail design is virtually maintenance-free and creates a clean, modern, and professional image for any service department, JDI said. (Tire Review/Akron)
Continue Reading