Stamford Sport Wheels: Swift Growth in Asia
Stamford Sport Wheels (SSW) is gaining popularity as a provider of quality aluminium wheels courtesy of its TÜV certified manufacturing complex near the Thai capital Bangkok. A division of Stamford Tyres, SSW was established in 1995 and today produces more than 30,000 wheels each month, with 80 per cent of these destined for export markets. SSW describe their facility in Thailand as ‘state-of-the-art’, and all equipment in use is fully automated and computerised, with each level of production closely monitored and controlled. All wheels are cast using the tilting gravity casting technique, complete with automatic robotic feeding which results in less air turbulence during the pouring process. This results in ensure stronger and more durable wheels with reduced porosity and fewer pinholes.
Continue ReadingFirestone Liberia Accused of Polluting
Accusations of pollution originating in facilities owned by Firestone have been raised by people living along the banks of a river in Liberia. It is alleged that Firestone is releasing pollutants from its facilities in the town of Harbel into the Farmington River. Residents in the riverside town of Owensgrove blame a milky-white discharge from the Firestone plant for the high levels of sickness in the area, and these current accusations are by no means the first time the issue has been raised.
Continue ReadingSnetterton to Host Great & British Pre-Season Test Day
On Monday 2nd April, the paddock will be open to the Dunlop Great & British championships and their teams for the first ever pre-season test. With a full day of testing, the championships of Dunlop Great & British Festivals will provide teams and their cars a head start in preparation for the first round of the Dunlop Great & British Festivals, on 29th April, at Snetterton. The Dunlop Great & British Festival organisers announced in February that championships have been inundated with new entrants eager to compete in 2007 and although teams have not formally unveiled their cars, many have announced their attendance to the pre-season test.
Continue ReadingChinese Rubber Association Seeks Lower Import Tax
On 22 March the China Rubber Industry Association proposed a cut in import taxes for natural rubber and a build-up in strategic reserves as a way of protecting the sector from price swings. Chairman Ju Hongzhen told Reuters it wanted import tariffs below 12 per cent as higher rubber prices were squeezing margins at tyre makers. Importers of natural rubber now have to pay either a 20 per cent import tax or a flat tax of 2,600 yuan a tonne.
Continue ReadingFirestone Launches Maxi-Traction Agri-Tyre Range
Firestone has launched a new range of tractor tyres designed for high horsepower tractors above 175 hp. The main advantage of the Maxi-Traction range is that they have been specifically designed to run at a higher inflation pressure than many other brands. The tyres can be inflated to 2.4 bar, thanks to the design and manufacture of the casing. This enables a higher load to be carried. For example, the 710/70 R38 SS can carry a load of 6150kg at speeds up to 50 km/h.
Continue ReadingNew Dunlop SP Sport FastResponse in ADAC Test Success
Only days after its official launch, Goodyear Dunlop has released details of the new Dunlop SP Sport FastResponse’s recent success in German ADAC tests. ADAC, the German equivalent of the AA, awarded the FastResponse with the top “highly recommendable grade in its 2007 summer tyre test. The ADAC testers said they were impressed most impressed with the tyre’s performance on both wet and dry roads.
Continue ReadingFedEx Driver’s Save Earns Highway Hero Award
(Akron/Tire Review) A FedEx truck driver from Perris, California, who saved two men trapped in a burning car, was named the 24th winner of Goodyears North America Highway Hero award. Edward Regener, who escaped one fire before jumping in to save the men, received the honour earlier this week at the Mid-America Trucking Show. Regener, a 13-year veteran truck driver, was named the 2006 Highway Hero because of his courage and quick thinking on after a November 4, 2006 accident on I-10 near Phoenix. The 43-year-old truck driver was headed east on I-10 when he said he saw a westbound car headed his way across the median. At the same time, a pickup truck carrying an engaged couple was attempting to pass Regener. The speeding car collided with the pickup, pushing it into Regeners truck. The car, resting atop the guardrail, caught fire.
Continue ReadingRMA Supports E-Registration
(Akron/Tire Review) Electronic registration of tyres should be permitted, according to the RMA, which voiced its opinion to NHTSA. The agency is considering changes to voluntary tyre registration regulations. Current Federal regulations require tyre retailers to provide paper registration cards to tyre buyers, who then may or may not mail them back in. Registering tyres makes it easier for tyre companies to contact tyre owners in the event of a product recall. According to the RMA, “no more than 10% of tyre registration cards are currently returned to manufacturers and a significant number of these cards are inaccurate, incomplete or illegible.” The trade group believes the return rate would “substantially improve” if tyre buyers could use the Internet or “other electronic means” to register their tyres.
Continue ReadingBridgestone Workers “Locked Out” in Australia
The Australian Manufacturing Workers Union (AMWU) reports that employees at Bridgestone Australia’s factory in Salisbury, South Australia have been locked out from working their weekend shifts. The union says the 70 maintenance staff scheduled to work will not be able to resume their jobs until the following Monday, March 26. According to AMWU spokesman Colin Fenney, Bridgestone Australia has not given workers a reason for the lockout. I think its part of the action to try and break up the solidarity between the people down there but all that it is doing is like the other day, when they actually let scabs in to go and do their work, he said, adding that the company’s action was like “putting fuel in the fire.’ The lockout comes in the wake of strike action at the Salisbury plant. The union is still holding out for double the 6 per cent over three years pay increase the company is offering.
Continue ReadingRegular Checks and a Tyre You Trust – a Winning Combination
Companies operating vehicles on intense round-the-clock timed-delivery work need tyres they can depend on. One such company is PF Whitehead Transport Services Limited, based in Croydon. PF Whitehead perform a wide array of work - including dedicated pallet load haulage as part of the Palletways network and contract work for the DIY chains B&Q and Ikea – and this varied work sees the company running a fleet of 39 vehicles, ranging in size from 3.5 tonne panel vans right through to 44 tonne HGV units. PF Whitehead know the old adage ‘time is money’ is more than just a wise saying. As fleet manager Geoff Walker explains, “delays caused by tyre failures are not only costly in terms of call-out charges and replacement costs, but theyre also highly disruptive to an intensive delivery operation where tightly-scheduled deliveries are required.” He adds: When you take account of all the costs involved, an on-road tyre repair or replacement can cost in excess of £500.”
Continue ReadingBridgestone Named as Which? Best Buys
Two of Bridgestone’s tyres have been named “Best Buys” by leading UK consumer magazine, Which? The magazine tested 28 tyres in varying sizes from various manufacturers, with the Bridgestone B250 competing in the 13-inch “Supermini” class, and the Turanza ER300 tested in the 16-inch category. A range of attributes were scrutinised, including dry braking, wet braking, wear and noise. Both the Bridgestone tyres fared well in all these categories, particularly in dry handling where each was given four stars out of a potential five. “These results are tremendously encouraging for us,” said Andy Lane, marketing manager at Bridgestone UK. “We invest a great deal of time and money in ensuring our products are among the safest, most reliable, and most comfortable on the market, and this test demonstrates that investment is paying off.”
Continue ReadingAccuride Takes Weight Out
(Akron/Tire Review) Accuride Corp. rolled out its new Accu-Lite line of steel wheels at the Mid America Trucking Show in Louisville, Ky. According to the company, Accu-Lite wheels weigh in eight pounds less than standard steel wheels, and “are the lightest available version of the industry-standard two and five hand hole 22.5x8.25-inch steel wheels. Accurides standard five hand hole steel wheels weigh 68 pounds, the company said. As new emission standards are resulting in weight being added to vehicles, we knew our customers needed an easy solution for counterbalancing the added weight,” said Larry Taylor, Accuride senior vice president of sales and marketing. “We designed Accu-Lite wheels as a weight reduction solution for our customers so that they could maximise payload and fuel savings without reducing load ratings.
Continue ReadingGoodyear launches DuraGrip City Tyre
City driving, with its constant starting and stopping, places its own unique pressures upon a vehicle’s mechanicals, and also its tyres. With so many drivers undertaking most or all or their motoring in these conditions, it stands to reason that a demand exists for tyres specifically designed for city traffic. One such product is Goodyear’s DuraGrip, released in March 2007, a tyre its maker promotes as designed especially to cope with constant stopping and starting in heavy traffic conditions. This city car tyre features a new silica compound that Goodyear claims improves mileage, strengthens the tyres wet performance and provides shorter braking distances. The tread pattern is asymmetrical with a closed outside design and two continuous outside ribs to maximise traction on dry surfaces. Wet weather handling is enhanced through the spaces created by the tread’s open design and circumferential grooves, both of which maximise contact area in situations when aquaplaning is a risk factor. To address the issue of lateral stability Goodyear have built stiff blocks into the DuraGrip’s outside shoulder.
Continue ReadingGoodyear Dunlop to ‘Renew’ Passenger Car Product Range
Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company may have had a difficult time in the recent past, but the company’s management is irrepressibly optimistic about the future. At the beginning of the year the company won what had become a war of attrition with the United Steelworkers Union in the US - a fight that cost the company approximately $370 million. However, despite the upheaval on the global scale, European president Arthur de Bok told Tyres & Accessories that Goodyear Dunlop is increasingly becoming known for its drive, determination and strong brand portfolio. Arthur de Bok is not only confident about Goodyear Dunlop’s future, he also is also quick to put the wider ramifications of the strike into perspective. In his words “there has been no impact” on the production and distribution of Goodyear Dunlop products in Europe. Instead, perhaps representing a wider corporate philosophy, de Bok suggests taking a look at the bigger picture. While the strike face-off cost Goodyear Tire $370 million, the reaction from the stock markets (not to mention various financial analysts) has been uniformly positive. “The world around us sees the progress and drive of Goodyear despite the tough calls we have had to make,” he explained.
Continue ReadingBrityex Preview
Mark it down on your calendar - the UK’s premier tyre exhibition, Brityrex, runs from 1 – 3 May. As media sponsor of the event, Tyres & Accessories is proud to be able to offer all readers free tickets to this fast-growing exhibition. Simply click here to download the e-ticket, which you can then print out and bring along with you to the show. In addition, next month’s magazine previews what some of the exhibition’s key exhibitors will be showing and what surprises they have in store for us. Next month’s preview of Brityrex 2007 promises to be a useful guide for planning your visit to May’s big event.
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