Toyo Displays at Auto Shanghai
Toyo Tire & Rubber are exhibiting at Auto Shanghai 2007, being held at the Shanghai New International Expo Centre between Sunday, April 22 and Saturday, April 28. At its exhibition booth the company is showing off the highly acclaimed Proxes Series, including the Proxes CT01, Proxes T1R, and the semi-racing tire Proxes R888. Toyo hopes this display will reinforce the company’s ‘brand image of high quality and uniqueness’. Toyo hopes to further enhance the image of Toyo Tires in the Chinese market through this exhibition, and views Auto Shanghai 2007 as just the first in a series of local motor shows that the company plans to attend in China.
Continue ReadingTitan Wheels Wins Queen’s Awards for Enterprise
Titan Steel Wheels Ltd and several other firms from the automotive and commercial vehicle sectors are celebrating after winning a Queen’s Award for Enterprise – the UK’s most prestigious annual accolade for business success. In total, 119 Business Awards are announced this year – 71 for International Trade, 40 for Innovation and 8 for Sustainable Development. As ever, winning companies come from a vast range of business sectors, and range in size from two firms with just three employees to an international giant employing 68,000 people. 49 per cent of this year’s winning firms employ less than 50 people. This year Titan Steel Wheels Ltd, a manufacturer of wheels for earthmoving machines, represented the tyre and wheel industry. To mark their achievement, a representative from each winning company is invited to attend a special reception in London tonight (Tuesday 24th April 2007) in the presence of HRH The Duke of York.
Continue ReadingMichelin to Double Tyre Donations to Emergency Crews
(Akron/Tire Review) Michelin North America plans to double the number of tyres it will donate to local fire and EMS departments as part of its Driving America’s Safety program. The company has already donated tyres to 25 first-responders this year. Beginning today, communities and individuals can nominate their local fire and/or EMS teams to receive a set of new Michelin tyres. Nominations will continue through Nov. 23. For 2008, MNA will donate 50 sets of tyres to local first responder units.
Continue ReadingConstruction Progresses at Nexen’s Chinese Plant and R&D Centre
Nexen Tire Corporation has announced it will invest some £87 million ($170 million) over three years in the construction of its new Qingdao plant. The new production line will be up and running by the end of 2007, increasing production levels for customers signed up to UK exclusive distributor Stapleton’s Nexen Key Dealer Programme. The company is also planning to construct a new R&D centre in China at the beginning of next year, meaning customers can look forward to the launch of new products and an improved range. Located in Laixi City, Qingdao, China, Nexen Tire Corporation’s new production facility will produce tyres for the American, European and Chinese markets and form part of the company’s strategy to become one of the top 10 tyre manufacturers in the world. The production line will be running at full capacity by 2009 when it will produce more than 2.25 million tyres a year. Combined with Nexen’s production capacity in Korea, the company will be producing a total of more than 22 million tyres a year. Nexen expects the plant to be among the largest in China, covering around 5.7 million square feet.
Continue ReadingMRF Chooses SAP to Provide Software Solutions
Indian tyre major MRF Ltd has chosen business solutions provider SAP to provide assistance in its efforts to enhance its global operations through the company’s ‘SAP for Automotive’ set of solutions, which includes enterprise resource planning and customer resource management software. As a company exporting to more than 75 countries MRF needs to be prepared for fluctuations in the global supply and demand of everything from raw materials to finished products while still meeting strict shipment deadlines. Furthermore, in the increasingly competitive global tyre market, it is essential that tyremakers such as MRF be able to timely monitor and respond to competitor’s pricing and special offers. By using SAP MRF will be able to seamlessly integrate logistical and financial data, eliminating redundant work and saving time and operational costs.
Continue ReadingTechnology, Practicality Moving Us Closer to Fewer Speed Ratings
(Akron/Tire Review) For too many years, we’ve been explaining to our customers why they need speed-rated tyres. It’s the right choice, for example, if the vehicle came OE with a V-rated UHP radial. To make that rating, the tyre must be able to run at sustained speeds of up to 149 mph. “But I don’t drive 149 mph,” the customer tells us. And, common sense says they’re right. If you drive that fast, your clothes will go out of style before you get out of jail. About 30 years ago, speed-rated tyres seemed like a darned good idea. They arrived via Europe, where sporty performance cars and speed-rated tyres were all the rage. The tyres were so good that U.S. tyremakers, who were literally not yet up to speed, were embarrassed.
Continue ReadingSerial Tyre Dumper Faces Prison
The illegal tyre dumper who received Scotland’s first environmental antisocial behaviour order last year has found himself in trouble again….and this time he may be headed to prison to atone for his deeds. On April 23 Joseph Abate had guilty pleas lodged in his absence to illegally dumping hundreds of used car tyres. Abate was charged with disposing of tyres without a licence at a number of sites in the Glasgow area between November 2004 and March 2006. Abate, a former Glasgow City Council employee, was convicted on similar charges last year. During those court proceedings he was described as a serial offender who caused immense environmental damage. This time around he faces up to six months in prison or a £20,000 fine.
Continue ReadingMichelin to Investigate Rossi’s MotoGP Tyre
Michelin has taken the rear tyre from MotoGP rider Valentino Rossis Yamaha back to Clermont Ferrand for a thorough investigation into its sudden failure during the Turkish Grand Prix on April 22. Rossi experienced difficulties throughout the race and later complained of tyre problems. I immediately started to have problems with the rear tyre, he stated after finishing tenth. It did get up to temperature, but then I started sliding all over: something went wrong on the right side of the tyre and it gave us a lot of problems. It is believed the tyre began to vibrate violently on lap 14 of the race. Pierre Alves, Michelins technician in the Yamaha garage, believes the problems to be the result of how the tyre has been made and not a matter of rubber degradation. It seems that it is inside the tyre rather than what happened in Laguna [July 2006], when it was starting to blister, he explained. A source from within Michelin has commented that Rossi’s recent tyre problems may have been caused by a manufacturing problem rather than anything inherently wrong with the tyre’s design.
Continue ReadingQ1 Results “Better Than Expected” – Nokian
Nokian Tyres had a “better than expected” first quarter of 2007. During the quarter Nokian Tyres recorded sales of approximately 200 million euros a 34 per cent gain on the 149.4 million euro reported a year earlier. Operating profit trebled, with profits of 39 million euros achieved during the quarter. Nokian cite the main reasons for these better than expected results to be continued strong sales growth in Russia plus stronger than expected summer tyre sales. Winter tyre pre-sales exceeded previous year and the newly launched Nokian Hakka summer tyre range boosted summer tyre sales. Nokian Tyres’ targets for 2007 will remain the same. The company’s projected full year net sales are 900 - 1,000 million euros.
Continue ReadingHayes Lemmerz Receives Ford 2006 World Excellence Award
Hayes Lemmerz International has been awarded the Ford Motor Companys Silver World Excellence Award for exemplary performance during 2006 as a supplier of automotive wheels and brakes. In granting the World Excellence Awards, Ford specifically gave recognition to the Hayes Lemmerz automotive steel wheel facility in Ostrava, Czech Republic and its automotive brake facility in Apodaca (Monterrey), Mexico, for achieving the highest levels of performance in cost, quality and delivery. In announcing the award recipients, Fords senior vice president for global purchasing, Tony Brown said, Their efforts have positively impacted customer satisfaction.
Continue ReadingVolvo to Offer Goodyear Self-Repair Tyres
Volvo is set to become the first truck manufacturer in Europe to fit self-repairing tyres to its products after the company entered into a supply deal with Goodyear. The deal will see tyres using Goodyear’s Duraseal become an option on the Volvo range. The innovative design feature behind Duraseal is an extra-soft layer of rubber – a sealing layer. This sealing layer is inserted between the tread and the belted layer, and in the event of a puncture, the elastic, jelly-like material immediately plugs and seals the hole and retains the tyre’s air pressure. The tyre can seal holes up to 6 mm in diameter. The repair is permanent and the truck does not need to be withdrawn from traffic. It can continue to be used until the next scheduled service, which is highly beneficial in terms of productivity. Furthermore, major repairs involving vulcanisation of the tread layer do not damage the sealing layer.
Continue ReadingFirefighters Battle Blaze at Rubber Processor
At least a thousand tonnes of rubber was destroyed in a blaze at the premises of Northamptonshire waste rubber processor World Rubber. The fire began at about 4am on Saturday April 21, and fire crews were summoned from neighbouring Bedfordshire to provide assistance. Smoke from the scene, which rose to a height of about 4,000 feet, could be seen up to 15 miles away. Although approximately £100,000 of finished product was destroyed in the fire, plant owner Nick Mason believes fire contingency plans the company had previously implemented prevented a much worse outcome. In 2005 another fire at the facility burned for nearly two weeks, causing around two million pounds’ damage. In the wake of this previous fire the company worked with the fire service by creating wide firebreaks and watercourses, as well as keeping them updated regarding the location of machinery and hazardous materials. Information regarding the cause of the fire has not yet been released by the fire service. Mr Mason said he hoped the Rushden based facility, which granulates tyres to make products such as safety surfaces for children’s playgrounds, would resume operation on April 23.
Continue ReadingRoyal Tire Acquires Mighty Franchise
(Akron/Tire Review) Minnesota-based Royal Tire has become the exclusive distributor for Mighty automotive products throughout the central part of that state. Royal actually began distributing Mighty products in February to its wholesale customers operating as TireOne locations, as well as it own nine retail stores. Pat Duininck, President of Royal Tire feels that their new Mighty affiliation fits well with their business culture and will contribute to increased sales and efficiencies. “We’re pleased with the new relationship,” Pat Duininck, president of Royal Tire. “Like our own company, Mighty is progressive and we feel the type of business we can partner with over the long haul. Their products give us add-on revenue opportunities and their inventory control program will help us better manage the back rooms at our own stores.” Atlanta-based Mighty Distributing System has 115 franchised distributors of which 30 are owned and operated by major tire dealers.
Continue ReadingBridgestone – External Audit Accreditation for CV Dealerships
Bridgestone UK is to award “Approved Expert Dealer” status to three commercial vehicle tyre dealerships. In a move that Bridgestone says is the first of its kind, the manufacturer has partnered with Lloyds register to develop a rigour auditing process to be thoroughly inspected by an external body. The accreditation is the latest stage in the multi-million-pound total tyre management investment programme Bridgestone has been engaged in its Truck Point network in the last three years. Three audit awards will be presented on Wednesday 25 April, at Bridgestone’s stand at the CV Show. 46 other audits are in the process of being finalised and should be completed by the end of April.
Continue ReadingBFNAT Gets Tentative Bloomington Deal
(Akron/Tire Review) Reports from Bloomington, Illinois, indicate that USW Local 787 has reached a tentative contract agreement with Bridgestone/Firestone North American Tire. Earlier this month, BFNAT reached a tentative deal with the United Steelworkers covering tyre plants in Akron, Des Moines and LaVergne, Tennessee. Bridgestone Americas Holding also reached contract deals with the USW for non-tire plants in Russellville, Arkansas, and Noblesville, Indiana The Bloomington OTR tyre plant was on a separate contract. USW members at the Bloomington plant are expected to vote on the new contract this weekend and into Tuesday next week. Votes at the other USW represented plants are expected to be completed by April 25. According to the report, USW workers at BFNAT’s truck tyre plant in Warren County, Tennessee, also on its own contract, ratified a new three-year pact last week.
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