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?
The machine VMI calls a “new dawn for truck tyre building” will be launched next month. The VMI MILEXX, which draws upon the technological principles applied in the VMI MAXX car tyre builder, will be unveiled at Tire Technology Expo 2016.
Leading chemical group China National Chemical Corporation, or ChemChina, has agreed to acquire machinery manufacturer KraussMaffei Group from Onex Corporation for a cash enterprise value of 925 million euros. ChemChina’s acquisition of the KraussMaffei Group covers the German company’s three brands of products, including the KraussMaffei Berstorff range of extruders, roller head systems and cap strip systems for the tyre industry. The transaction is subject to closing conditions including customary regulatory approvals.
Retreaders in the developed European and North American markets often perform a balancing act – production levels must be high enough to ensure acceptable profits, but at the same time logistics need to remain manageable. The greater the distance between a retreader and its customer base, the more demanding and expensive the delivery of casings and finished tyres becomes. And while retreaders in non-mature markets face other issues, these must also be kept in check in order for retreading to be worthwhile. VMI, a market leader in the development, manufacture and supply of production machinery for the tyre and retreading industries, wants to tip the balance in favour of retreaders both here and around the world. This summer it is introducing a new product programme that may just do that.
A recently-released report suggests that demand for tyre and rubber industry machinery in China will surge in the coming few years. According to the ‘Global and China Rubber Machinery Industry Report, 2014-2017’, the market value will reach US$4.07 billion by 2017. This represents a 77.0 per cent increase on the 2013 figure of $2.3 billion, which itself was 36.5 per cent higher than a year earlier and 48.6 per cent of the global total (8.2 per cent more than in 2012).
Cima Impianti – which has been headquartered in Pistoia, Tuscany since 1953 – has from the very beginning focused upon the manufacture of tyre retreading equipment, particularly presses for mould cure retreading, and, in the past decade, on CNC buffing machines for passenger car, truck and OTR tyres.
The Mesnac European Research and Technical Center (MERTC) recently announced plans to expand it European activities based in Slovakia, which a focus on further developing tyre building technology. The construction of a new production facility and additional research facilities will take place in the Trencin region and the project is expected to be completed by the end of 2015.
Netherlands-based machinery manufacturer VMI Group says a ruling is expected soon in the case of a Chinese company caught making illegal replicas of VMI tyre building drums. Commenting on the incident, company president and CEO Harm Voortman said vigorously protecting intellectual property is “an essential part” of VMI’s strategy.
Rosava