2009 - Page 141 of 205 - Tyrepress

Safety First a Goodway to Go

In Tyres & Accessories’ September 2008 Retreading Special, Goodway Rubber Industries, the Malaysian retreading compound and materials supplier, spoke at great length about its continuing mission for safety within the workplace and its concern for the wellbeing of its staff, culminating in its Nilai factory’s attainment of OHSAS 18001 certification. In the time since then, this attention to safety has been reflected in the company’s products, specifically with reference to its Supercool-branded flagship retreading material, which has been given the new tagline, “Engineered For Safety”. Despite the current economic turmoil, Goodway says that its trademark brand registered growth last year, stemming from well-positioned branding efforts and aggressive marketing strategies. Indeed, the company is optimistic that the financial woes could represent it – and retreaders in general – with a significant opportunity.

16th April 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Norbar Torque Wrench Tester

Norbar Torque Tools Ltd. has introduced a bench-top Power Tool Test Fixture for testing a range of pneumatic torque wrenches such as Norbar’s Pneutorque range, allowing users to bring torque testing in-house and significantly reduce costs.

16th April 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

MAM Aids IFA

MAM Software is helping members of the Independent Motor Factors Association (IFA) share valuable product knowledge through its Autocat+ electronic parts catalogue. This facility, which is currently being used by fourteen members, enables individual businesses to create product notes for any product or application and share them with other members through the catalogue.

The Autocat+ notes facility allows comments to be recorded against any part number, product group or application that appears in the catalogue. These are stored in a central database and, once approved, made available to all members within the group. The comments will appear automatically whenever the trigger part number, group or application is used.

16th April 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Hankook Tire Gets Volkswagen OE in North America

This month Hankook Tire began supplying Volkswagen’ Jetta, Jetta SportWagen and New Beetle cars manufactured at Volkswagen’s Puebla, Mexico plant and destined for North America with Optimo H725A tyres. Hankook already has fitments on Volkswagen cars in other global markets, but this development represents a significant increase in VW fitments on Volkswagens to be sold in Canada and the US, where the Jetta is the highest selling VW model vehicle.

“We are extremely excited to supply the Optimo for Volkswagen Jetta, Jetta SportWagen and New Beetle exports to the U.S. and Canadian markets. By leveraging our Kontrol Technology in the development of UHP products, Hankook Tire is able to tailor its products to current environmental sustainability standards, and this in turn allows Hankook Tire to deliver quality products to our consumers,” said Seung Hwa Suh, CEO, Hankook Tire, adding: “After working closely with Volkswagen as an OE supplier in other world markets, we have created excellent relationships, and we look forward to earning even more fitments on VW vehicles to be sold in the US and Canada.”

16th April 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

GfK to Analyse Key Asian Tyre Markets

International News

GfK Asia is planning to expand its market research coverage to include tyre reports in China, Korea and Malaysia, followed by Indonesia, Vietnam and Thailand at a later stage. The Korean market information is scheduled to be processed first with Malaysia following after that. In the first instance the reports will specifically focus on the tyre market with a view to exploring engine oil and other spare parts markets in the future.

GfK Korea, a subsidiary of GfK Asia, is to record data from 4400 shops across five regions (Seoul, Inchon, Kyunggi, Kyungbuk, Kyungnam). Meanwhile GfK Malaysia’s survey analyses the sales of the 17,800 spare parts shops, garages and tyre specialists that serve the pool of more than 12 million motorcycles, passenger and commercial vehicles. GfK Malaysia will launch its first passenger car tyre retail tracking report in June 2009 and the company hopes to expand both studies as the reports gain momentum.

16th April 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

The Sky’s the Limit

Kings Road Tyres, in conjunction with Michelin, has helped a team of British explorers carry out an unlikely journey from London to Timbuktu – not by plane or train, but by flying car. The Parajet Skycar is a road legal version of an off road buggy that can be set up to either drive wheels when on the road or power a rear mounted propeller when it takes to the skies. In flight a large fabric wing gives the Skycar lift whilst the propeller provides the necessary forward thrust.

The Parajet Skycar set off from London at the end of January and travelled down through France and Spain before flying the Straits of Gibraltar to Morocco in North Africa. From Morocco the team travelled through the disputed lands of Western Sahara, into Mauritania and across the Sahara to Timbuktu in Mali.

16th April 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Kwik-Fit Fleet Trialling SMART Repair Service

Kwik-Fit Fleet may soon be adding SMART (Small to Medium Area Repair Technology) repairs to its service offering. The leading fast fit company recently embarked on a trial offering of the service at six locations. It is reportedly the first time that a fast-fit company has moved into offering SMART repairs.

The service will be offered on a menu-driven pricing policy, which means repairs are cheaper than using a traditional bodyshop, at centres in Edinburgh, Birmingham, St Helens, Telford and Slough with a mobile service available in London. Prices start at £45 for paintless dent removal on dents less than 75mm wide, for scuffs, chips and scratches less than 200mm wide and for repairs to holes less than 50mm and scratches less than 150mm wide on trim, velour and leather. Multi-repair discounts are also available.

16th April 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Government to Offer Electric Car Subsidies

Business secretary Peter Mandelson and transport secretary Geoff Hoon have given details of the government’s vision to promote ultra low carbon transport – in other words electric cars – over the next five years. This involves a headline subsidy for consumers worth £2000 – £5000 towards buying their first electric and plug-in hybrid cars when they hit the showrooms.

The consumer incentives will be introduced in 2011 to coincide with when the government expects electric and plug in hybrid cars to enter the mass market. To be eligible cars would need to meet modern safety standards and have a range and top speed sufficient to give mass market appeal.

16th April 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

MPs Back Scrappage Scheme

A cross party group of 25 MPs has written to Business Secretary, Peter Mandelson, asking for immediate action to support the vehicle component industry, including a car scrappage scheme like the systems that have been successfully running in Germany and France. According to the department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR), the component industry employs some 100,000 people who now face a bleak future because of the economic downturn. However, the group of MPs suggest that targeted measures could help turn the situation around.

The highest profile suggestion is for an “appropriately structured scrappage scheme” subsidising the replacement of old cars in favour of newer more environmentally friendly models. However, the MPs all back support for car finance to stimulate the demand side; improving access to credit and liquidity; and sharing the burden of continuing to employ staff between employees, employers and the government.

16th April 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Kenda China Plant Aims for PSR, Company Adds OE

Kenda Rubber Industries’ recently opened tyre plant in China will serve as a stepping stone to growing the company’s presence in that country, officials said. The first phase of the new plant in Teinjin, China, at $23 million, is set to produce bicycle and motorcycle tyres and tubes. Later phases, though, will add production of some five million radial passenger tires per year, Kenda said.

Kenda has also been aggressively pursuing OE positions, and recently landed slots with Iranian car maker Saita Group. Kenda will supply some 200,000 radial tyres per year for Saita’s Pride line. Kenda claims it has also gained OE business with an unnamed Chinese automaker. (Tire Review/Akron)

16th April 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Yokohama to Exhibit at Auto Shanghai 2009

Yokohama Rubber has confirmed its presence at the Auto Shanghai 2009 exhibition, which runs from Monday April 20 to Tuesday April 28. The company will use the Chinese show as a venue for introducing its environmentally friendly and high performance models. In addition, to market its products in China, this year Yokohama Rubber has appointed the popular Chinese actor Louis Koo as the company’s ‘face’ in this market.

15th April 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

New PCL Wrench ‘Perfect’ for Automotive Applications

Pneumatic Components Ltd has introduced a new half-inch composite impact wrench, and the company says it’s the handiest air tool of its kind. The composite housing on the APP203, says PCL, provides superior comfort with a strong yet lightweight finish, and its compact design provides a soft, ergonomic grip for prolonged usage. As with other products in the PCL Prestige range, the new addition features low vibration, low noise and higher performance, making it suitable for industrial and heavy duty, repetitive work.

15th April 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

R&D Centre to Help US in Race to Build Better Battery

The race is on to develop more efficient batteries for electric vehicles, and on April 8 the US based National Alliance for Advanced Transportation Battery Cell Manufacture announced the establishment of a research and development centre for this very purpose. The Kentucky-Argonne Battery Manufacturing Research and Development Center in Lexington, Kentucky will house collaborative research by scientists from the University of Kentucky, University of Louisville and Argonne National Laboratory.

15th April 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

STL Notes Growing Interest in Rolling Resistance Reduction

Ohio, US based Standards Testing Laboratories (STL), the world’s largest independent testing facility for tyres, wheels and related automotive components, presented an overview on wheel testing during the 2009 Tire Industry Conference, held in South Carolina between April 1 and 3. The company’s director of technology, Guy Edington, examined various types of wheel testing – from rotary and radial fatigue to impact tests – during the conference, focusing on commonly used Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) test methods. He also discussed wheel history and manufacturing methods as well as changing industry standards.

15th April 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Michelin Gaining US Market Share – CEO

According to Michelin North America CEO Dick Wilkerson, the company’s Michelin brand products are “much more resilient than the other brands” in its product portfolio. This comment, made to a newspaper in the company’s US hometown of Greenville, South Carolina, indicates that its facilities in South Carolina are not facing a similar fate to the soon to close BFGoodrich plant in Alabama.

15th April 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

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