2009 - Page 99 of 205 - Tyrepress

Conti Machinery Focusing on Output Flexibility

Many tyre manufacturers are currently grappling with reduced demand. For this reason, reports Karsten Jung, CM Conti Machinery’s head of Sales and Service, at present an increased focus is being placed upon tyre building equipment that can deliver smaller load sizes. “Many customer budgets are frozen so smaller load sizes are attractive,” Jung comments. “Our answer to the current situation is flexibility and lower output.” For passenger car tyre segment customers, Conti Machinery – a proponent of two-stage technology – offers output flexibility through a combination of its KM F and PU 15 SB tyre building machines.

29th June 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Michelin Receives Ford Corporate Responsibility Award

The Ford Motor Company recently held its 11th Annual World Excellence Awards, during which 36 suppliers were recognised for helping the company achieve superior quality, delivery, and cost performance, and for initiatives that improve customer satisfaction. One of the firms singled out for this honour was Michelin, recipient of the Corporate Responsibility award. The tyre major reports it received the Recognition of Achievement-Corporate Responsibility award for demonstrating innovation in reducing the environmental impact of Ford’s products and for leadership in three key areas: environmental and social considerations in business; human rights and working conditions; and corporate governance.

29th June 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Indian TBR Capacity to Increase 3.77 Million Units by 2011

Truck and bus radial capacity at several Indian manufacturers is on the rise in anticipation of upcoming new vehicle launches. The country’s national industry body, the Automotive Tyre Manufacturers’ Association (ATMA), says an estimated Rs 26,15 billion (£329 million) will be invested in TBR capacity in the years to 2011, providing an extra 3.77 million unit capacity.

This news, reported by Indian business website livemint.com, comes following a fiscal period in which commercial vehicle sales decreased by 22 per cent to 384,122 units. Yet, as the Wall Street Journal partner publication notes, industry experts believe the investment is justified. According to PriceWaterhouse Coopers analyst Abdul Majeed, the completion of a number of road infrastructure projects and the likelihood that laws will be introduced to phase out older vehicles will boost demand for new commercial vehicles.

29th June 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Sri Lankan Government Reveals Local Tyre Production Support Programme

The Sri Lankan government is reportedly discussing a programme of measures designed to support domestic tyre production. According to the local ITN news network, minister Kumara Welgama made the announcement during a debate on “supplementary estimates for the Industrial development ministry.” The support package is currently estimated to be in the region of 200 million rupees (£2.5 million) and is intended to fund “the provision of technology to enhance production capacity of industrial establishments and the receipt of new technologies.” Mould making, training and international promotion were also mentioned in the announcement.

29th June 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Social Measures for Conti Clairoix Employees Outlined in Agreement

On Friday June 25 the four parties involved in talks over Continental’s Clairoix tyre factory in France met in Paris to sign an agreement on the course of future negotiations. Representatives from the French Government, Conti’s French and German management and employee representatives signed their names on a document based upon the preliminary agreement concluded on June 6. The signing of this agreement is, says Continental, an “important step for all the employees as this document includes the main negotiated social measures of the jobs safeguard plan” as well as the details of their implementation.

29th June 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Schaeffler Seeks Chinese Investors

Chinese state and private firms may take on a partial shareholding in debt laden Schaeffler AG. According to an article printed by German business magazine WirtschaftsWoche on June 27, the company has engaged in talks with several parties, including the Beijing city administration, regarding a share sale in order to bolster its short-term finances. Such a deal would give the Chinese access to the company’s know-how, technology and distribution channels, the magazine reported.

“We have always said that we would speak to potential investors,” a Schaeffler spokesman was quoted as saying.

29th June 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Vellco Signs New National Tyres & Autocare Collection Contract

Vellco Ltd has announced that it has agreed a new 18 month total waste management contract with National Tyres & Autocare to collect, recycle and/or reprocess “all automotive waste arisings including scrap tyres, hazardous waste, catalytic convertors, metal waste, and general dry trade waste from all National’s 206 retail centres throughout the UK.” Vellco Limited has been working in partnership with NTA for over 12 years.

In addition to the services referred to above, NTA is now segregating all paper and cardboard from their dry trade waste, as well as recycling all of their other waste streams. NTA is expecting to achieve carbon-neutrality by the end of the year.

29th June 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Continental to Sell Simex Industrial and Earthmover Tyres

Continental Tyre Group is adding the Simex brand to its offering in the UK and Ireland. In the past, Simex tyres were exclusively marketed through the various national importers in Europe. According to the company, Simex’s premium product is backed by a strong presence in the original equipment sector.

29th June 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

UK EV Recharging Network Set To Surge

The Government’s £25 million Ultra Low Carbon Vehicle Demonstrator scheme, which aims to accelerate a shift towards low-emissions motoring, will pave the way for the creation of the world’s biggest network of electric vehicle (EV) recharging stations. The organisations involved in implementing the eight Demonstrator programmes across the UK have together committed to installing more than 500 roadside, car park, business and home charging stations by June 2010. The majority will be produced and installed by Brighton-based Elektromotive, in what will become the world’s biggest-ever co-ordinated EV infrastructure installation project.

29th June 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Michelin Workers Strike Against Noyelles-les-Seclin Plant Closure

Michelin’s Noyelles-les-Seclin factory in northern France was reportedly brought to a standstill on June 29 by striking workers protesting against plans to close the site next year. This news was published by the AFP press service based upon information provided by Force Ouvrière union delegate Gilles Cocquerez; according to Cocquerez, ninety per cent of staff at the plant near Lille went out on strike, and between 150 and 200 people staged a march through the town centre. A spokeswoman for Michelin confirmed that the factory’s production had indeed come to a halt.

29th June 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Two-Year Delay for Opening of Lanxess Butyl Rubber Plant

Production at Lanxess AG’s new butyl rubber facility in Singapore was initially scheduled to commence in 2012, however the company has announced that – due to the continuing global economic crisis – the 100,000 tpa plant will now go on stream in 2014. Lanxess states it will use this extra time to finish developing an “innovative technology for butyl rubber production” that will then be used at the new facility.

“We expect the new capacity to be needed in 2014 at the earliest,“ said Lanxess Board of Management chairman Axel C. Heitmann.

29th June 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Hot Summer “Is Bad News For Cars”

Motorists are being urged to prepare their cars for what is predicted to be a hotter-than-average summer in 2009. Autoglym warns that extended periods of intense heat and high levels of the sun’s harmful UV light can do more damage than freezing winter conditions – fading paint, causing rubber and plastics to degrade, and baking corrosive contaminants on to paintwork.

In hot conditions, body-panel temperatures can exceed 50 degrees Celsius, baking on contaminants such as bird droppings and tree sap that can eat into unprotected paintwork. Tyres, plastics and rubber seals around windows and doors are also at risk, and can quickly deteriorate if protective dressings are not applied.

29th June 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Pelmar Engineering to Coordinate Sale of Dunlop Nigeria Machinery

Pelmar Engineering has announced that it is coordinating the sale of Dunlop Nigeria’s tyre manufacturing plant and machinery. According to the company, the equipment is suitable for car, light van, truck and farm tyre manufacturing for tyres of both radial and cross-ply construction. The machinery was reportedly used in the full production of tyres for OE and replacement market until the end of 2008.

“In 2004 Pelmar sold the equipment to Dunlop Nigeria. It was completely reconditioned prior to installation and running in by the middle of 2005,” said Hagai Peled, senior VP and COO of Pelmar, adding: “The equipment is in excellent condition, hardly operated and offers our customers a rare opportunity to buy high quality equipment with the Pelmar assurance of quality.”

Dunlop Nigeria ended local production in April less than four years after the decision was taken to invest an estimated 6.5 billion naira (£29.4 million) on radialising plant technology. The company, recently renamed DN Tyre & Rubber Plc, now imports its tyres from South Africa.

29th June 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Bomb Scare at Goodyear’s Fulda Factory

Goodyear reports that a factory belonging to its German subsidiary was subject to a bomb scare on June 29. The company’s Fulda facility in central Germany received an anonymous threat at 11.00am, and police were notified. Goodyear states that at this stage the caller’s genuineness cannot be ascertained, however both the police and Goodyear Dunlop are taking appropriate measures and are boosting security at the site. As part of a range of preventative measures to ensure the safety of employees and neighbouring residents, the Fulda plant was evacuated.

Police action continued during the afternoon of June 29. A police search of the works as of 3.00pm local time had provided no further information regarding the incident.

29th June 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Breaking Down NHTSA’s Tyre Fuel Efficiency Scheme

Last week NHTSA issued its 148-page long initial proposal for a national tyre fuel efficiency testing rating and education program – nearly two full years after it was mandated in the 2007 Energy Act. To be sure, developing even the first pass version was no easy task. While the core requirement was to create a simple, straightforward means to help consumers find the most fuel-efficient tyres, getting there will still take some doing…and leave a few people disappointed.

There are some interesting points in NHTSA’s proposal. For instance, it suggests that with the advent of this proposal NHTSA recommends doing away with the current UTQG system, saying that the new rating program would be a more effective alternative.

NHTSA also estimates that it would take between two and nine years to test every single passenger tyre SKU, so it will allow tyre makers to basically test one tyre within a family (make/model/size range) and use those ratings across the rest of that model. Even then, NHTSA experts only 25 per cent of replacement tyre to be labelled at the time the program would formally launch. (Tire Review/Akron)

29th June 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

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