Leading independent tyre building machinery manufacturer VMI has invested in its technical support teams in Yantai, China, Epe, the Netherlands and Stow, USA. It says each expert team is now equipped to provide the same level of support anywhere.
According to parent company TKH Group NV, business at Netherlands-based machinery manufacturer VMI was very healthy during the first six months of 2022, with tyre building equipment contributing in no small way to TKH’s 24.0 per cent year-on-year increase in turnover.
VMI has launched a new automatic bead apex assembly system designed to complement its existing bead apexing solution. This addition to the range is called VMI Revolute, and the machinery manufacturer says it offers users the advantages of optimised automation, improved bead apex quality, increased flexibility and enhanced sustainability performance.
Work on Tatneft’s joint venture tyre factory in Saran, Kazakhstan began several months ago, and the project has now taken a further step forward with the signing of a financial lease agreement aiding the purchase of modern, automated tyre production equipment for the plant.
Often when we see the words ‘VMI’ and ‘China’ used in the same sentence, the context is a court ruling or copyright infringement. But although such issues are significant, they tell by no means the entire story of VMI in China. The company is now looking back at its 25 years in this market, a period it describes as one of “extraordinary change in the Chinese tyre industry” – change that “VMI has been at the heart of it.”
Leading tyre building machinery manufacturer VMI Holland B.V. has issued a firm rebuke to Safe-Run Intelligent Equipment Co., Ltd after the latter issued a press release on 31 July claiming victory in the companies’ ongoing legal dispute. Contrary to Safe-Run’s view, VMI said the Jiangsu High People’s Court of China’s ruling represented “a major defeat for Safe-Run and almost total vindication of VMI’s position.” VMI first announced it had won “a significant lawsuit” against Safe-Run relating to its intellectual property in February 2021. Subsequently, the Netherlands-based firm said the appeal court finalised its judgement that Safe-Run were infringing on VMI’s two key patents relating to tyre building machines. Safe-Run was ordered to stop infringements immediately and pay VMI damages totalling RMB 2.46 million (around 320,000 euros). VMI notes that these payments are “very high [compared] to the average damage awards of around RMB 100,000 in similar cases in China.” Safe-Run’s statement is not currently available.
Kama Tyres Tatneft’s Nizhnekamsk Truck Tyre Factory has signed an agreement with Siemens to expand the logistics system previously installed within the plant. This work is being carried out as part of the second phase of an expansion capacity project within the facility.
Rosava reports that its modernisation programme is continuing despite the coronavirus crisis. The Ukraine-based tyre maker shares that six containers with a new VMI Exxium tyre builder arrived at its plant today. This will allow it to extend its portfolio with increased production of 15- to 20-inch dimensions.
The tyre industry today faces many unprecedented challenges. Along with a crowded and constantly shifting market, companies are scrambling to keep up with paradigm shifts such as the advent of electromobility and changes to the supply chain. At Tire Technology Expo 2020, Rockwell Automation will be showing visitors how they can master these challenges and digitalise their operations – including the transition process of bringing the design stage of a plant or machine through to maintenance and repair.
China’s Safe-Run Group will supply smart factory equipment to the plant Linglong Tire is setting up in Serbia. The company says it won the contract to fit out the Linglong plant in Zrenjanin, a project valued at more than RMB 700 million (£79.2 million), after beating Finnish, South Korean, Japanese and other rivals in a tender process.
Shandong Linglong Tyre Co., Ltd. has selected Cimcorp as its strategic partner for tyre plant automation, and the Finnish manufacturer and integrator of turnkey robotic tyre-handling and order fulfilment solutions is currently working on two projects for Linglong. In addition, Cimcorp will provide solutions for Linglong Tire’s new greenfield facility in Jingmen, China.
Tyre maker and technology company Continental has acquired a 100 per cent shareholding in Czech machine tool manufacturer VÚK. The purchase of VÚK strengthens its presence in the city of Otrokovice, Czech Republic, site of the company’s largest tyre manufacturing facility worldwide. Continental says it intends to leverage VÚK’s strengths to drive forward its development and production of technologically advanced tyre assembly machinery.
The proprietary vision technology found within the latest generation of VMI tyre building machinery, such as MAXX and MILEXX, aims to enable complete hands-off, eyes-off production. Industry 4.0 is taking automation one step further by encouraging greater connectivity, higher levels of automation and a greater use of machine intelligence to drive speed, agility and production integration. With this in mind, and in response to the demands of high speed tyre building, VMI is now introducing a PIXXEL, a platform it developed in-house.
A new method of assembling tyres that promises to improve quality and productivity while eliminating the risk of human error has been introduced within a Bridgestone Corporation plant in Japan. The tyre maker has announced the installation of the new Examation system at its flagship Hikone passenger car tyre production site. But what is Examation?
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Rosava