The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced on December 10 the results of a study of the health risks from inhalation, ingestion, and dermal contact with synthetic turf and crumb rubber from playing field and playground surfaces constructed with recycled tyre material or tyre crumb. It concluded that "concentrations of components monitored in this study were below levels of concern."
Continental Tire North America's Commercial Vehicle Tire Division has appointed a new key account manager for aviation. Sandy Schick has joined the division's industrial tyre unit, and will focus upon sales to large aviation customers, including airports, airlines, airport ground support, and shipping ports, with an emphasis on Continental’s industrial and truck tyre product lines.
Following a year and a half of design and materials and construction development at Fort Dunlop in Birmingham, home to the company’s European Motorsport Operations, Dunlop is ready to debut a new tyre in next year’s British Touring Car Championship – a tyre said to provide greater performance while complying with latest European environmental regulations. The Sport Maxx BTCC will first be used in round two of the 2010 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship at Rockingham, Northamptonshire on April 25 and 25. Meanwhile, recent tests of the new tyre at Snetterton in Norfolk showed it to be faster over a full race distance and also more durable than its predecessor.
The Indian Express newspaper brings news that Apollo Tyres is increasing prices in its domestic market. “We have taken the decision to increase prices by 5 to 10 per cent towards the end of this month,” Satish Sharma, Apollo’s chief of India Operations is reported as saying. “Farm tyres, which consume the largest bulk of natural rubber, will see a 10 per cent increase. The increase in other non-truck tyre categories will be between 5 to 7 per cent.”
The Sempertrans division of Semperit AG Holding has signed a joint venture contract with China’s Wang Chao Coal & Electricity Group to produce conveyor belts in Shandong Province. In the medium term around 15,000 tonnes of conveyor belts will be produced at the site, enabling the former tyre manufacturer to gain a foothold in the world’s largest market for these products. Semperit ceased producing tyres in 1985 when it sold the rights to the Semperit brand name to Continental.
According to recent research by Kwik-Fit, millions of cars are heading out onto Britain’s winter roads without a “COAT.” This collection of letters stands for Check Oil and Tyres, and despite the onset of winter conditions, the fast-fit specialist reports that more than eight million motorists haven’t checked their vehicle’s oil and tyres in the last six months. Furthermore, some 13.6 million motorists haven’t checked their batteries, surprising really considering the high prevalence of battery failure in the colder months – Kwik-Fit predicts that as many as one in six drivers will break down this winter with a flat battery. A further 25 per cent of motorists, Kwik-Fit continues, have left their brakes unchecked.
As of December 1, 2009 Nenad Tutunovic has taken over as marketing manager at CGS Tyres. In his new role, in which he reports directly to marketing and sales director Andrew Mabin, Prague based Tutunovic heads up the company’s international marketing team. He is also responsible for the further development of an international marketing strategy and communications plan for CGS Tyres.
Yokohama Rubber has announced its participation in the Dubai International Motor Show 2009, which will run from December 15, Tuesday, through December 20, Sunday. A key product on display at the show will be Yokohama’s new “Advan dB”, which will be launched in Asian markets in July. The company says it will also exhibit “as reference products” a number of its latest offerings that have not been released in the Middle East market. A new corporate visual theme – "Samurai" – will also be unveiled for overseas markets during the show.
Mike Wise believes the tough times of 2009 has given companies a ‘work out’ that will enable them to be stronger and fitter in 2010. Talking about the coming year, the Kwik-Fit Fleet head comments “companies are leaner and meaner as 2010 dawns, having already cut operating costs, and that means the industry is in good shape to face up to the challenges of the New Year. Despite the impact of the January 1 implementation of the VAT rise back to 17.5 per cent, we do not expect to see the significant increase in tyre prices that we witnessed towards the end of 2008 and the early months of 2009 as the recession took hold.
Pirelli Tire North America introduced its 2010 specification P Zero Racing Slick at Daytona International Speedway during December tire tests in preparation for January’s Rolex 24 event. The two-day test on December 8 and 9 gave teams and drivers the opportunity to test the new HAOF (highly aromatic oil-free) racing slicks – Grand-Am’s first foray into what Pirelli calls ‘green Performance’.
Continental Tire North America recently offered truck fleet customers the chance to go inside the complexities of fuel efficiency during the tyremaker’s “Beat the Best” fuel savings workshop at its proving grounds in Uvalde, Texas. Fleet executives from both potential and existing customers learned about all the factors that impact truck tyre fuel efficiency, said Clif Armstrong, CTNA’s director of truck tyre marketing, including tyre-, vehicle- and driver-related aspects.
Canadian firm Ellsin Environmental Ltd is receiving government support in its implementation of technology that will enable scrap tyres to be converted into usable by-products by means of a microwave process. The patented reverse polymerisation technology was developed over a period of more than 15 years by another Canadian company, Environmental Waste International (EWI), and Ellsin has contracted EWI to build a demonstration system based on the EWI process. To assist, the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation (NOHFC) is investing CA$2 million assist in the construction of a test plant.
The Board of Directors of Singapore based Stamford Tyres Corporation has announced the appointment of Dr Wee Li Ann, daughter of company president Wee Kok Wah, as a non-executive director. The appointment took effect on December 9. Dr Wee will, adds Stamford, undertake formal training on her roles and responsibilities as director of a public listed company in Singapore in ‘due course’.
As a result of Alliance Tire Group’s purchase of worldwide rights to the Galaxy brand from GPX International Inc., Trelleborg Wheel Systems will consequently stop distributing Galaxy-brand off-the-road tyres in Europe. Trelleborg states it continue to support its customers with the Galaxy brand until the new owner takes over.
For the past eighteen months Transense has worked closely with McLaren Electronic Systems developing, manufacturing and deploying its Torque sensor as part of a KERS (Kinetic Energy Recovery System) that was used with success during this season’s Formula One championship. As far as Transense is concerned, the most significant aspect of this project has been the technical performance validation and commercial application of both the SAW (Surface Acoustic Wave) sensor and the company’s patented Reader Electronics equipment within the demanding operating environment of an F1 car – a procedure involving the wireless measurement of torque on a shaft rotating at up to 18,000 rpm.
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