In the US, Michelin Earthmover is partnering with tyre repair provider Tech International and leading Michelin Earthmover dealers to launch the ‘Michelin Earthmover Repair Accreditation Program’, an initiative the tyre maker says will provide “consistent and quality earthmover tyre repairs in Michelin’s accredited repair shops.” The new programme will be rolled out this year.
Organisers of the Michelin Clio Cup Series with Protyre, the newly established saloon car category that is intended to provide a highly cost-effective first step into competitive car racing in the UK, are pleased to reveal the latest technical details and pricing for the road-to-race conversion kit.
Italian family-run business Salvadori SRL, which was established in the 1980s, reports a growing global demand from customers. In order to satisfy this, and to combine its retreading and tyre recycling activities in the one location, the firm recently moved to new, larger headquarters and warehouse buildings. Furthermore, Salvadori has announced details of its investment in two brand new production projects, both of which are expected to boost the company’s competitiveness and the quality of its product/service portfolio. The stated primary aim of this investment is to offer customers retreading and tyre repair accessories that are both competitively-priced and, through the application of production and quality controls, products that the customer can rely upon.
Dutch tyre company Bandenmarkt Tyres & Wheels held a ceremony with representatives of official certification agency DNV in January to confirm the award of Certificate ISO 9001:2008. The award caps a year of working on the documentation system for quality, according to the management team, which made the decision to formalise all working processes in a quality system in January 2012.
Her Majesty’s Lord-Lieutenant for Cumbria, an Honorary Officer appointed by The Queen on the advice of the Prime Minister, Claire Hensman, enjoyed a visit to Pirelli’s factory in Carlisle earlier this week. Pirelli’s northern base employs more than 800 people and Mrs Hensman was accompanied on a tour of the Cumbria-based factory by her husband Peter and Professor Joe Hendry, Carlisle City Council leader. Alan Wilson, Pirelli Carlisle’s engineering manager, hosted the group on their tour.
The teams of Formula One had their first opportunity to test out the latest iteration of Pirelli’s Cinturato wet weather Formula One tyres as they encountered wet weather on the final day of a four-day test at Barcelona. The first three days of testing were dry but cold – cold enough to make ambient temperatures lower than the nominal operating range of the P Zero slicks at 10-15⁰C, which led to higher degradation. Pirelli is confident that when F1 travels to Australia, with car setups more settled, the tyres will show better longevity. Barcelona hosted the first meeting of the full grid of 2013 cars this year.
Cooper Tire & Rubber has announced a quarterly dividend of 10.5 cents per share on common stock, payable 29 March 2013 to stockholders of record at the close of business 6 March 2013. This will mark the 164th consecutive quarterly dividend the company has paid. Cooper Tire & Rubber will publish its fourth quarter 2012 results on Monday 25 February.
The European Tyre & Rubber Manufacturers’ Association has welcomed the European Commission’s publication of the Product Safety and Market Surveillance Package, its proposed new rules to improve the safety of consumer products circulating in the EU and to step-up market surveillance concerning all non-food products, including those imported from outside the region.
The emphasis at Trelleborg’s stand during the upcoming SIMA agricultural show in Paris will be efficient farming practices. Taking centre stage at the ‘sustainable farming’ themed exhibit will be a LED waterfall, which Trelleborg says reflects the company’s sustainable stance. This display will reportedly “create water-made images to promote Trelleborg’s environmentally friendly approach and also entertain visitors with an amazing visual experience.”
The Nizhnekamsk SSC Tire Factory in Russia has started production of two new Kama brand truck and bus tyres. The NF 202 295/75 R22.5 steer axle tyre and NR 202 295/75 R22.5 drive axle tyre are aimed at long-haul operators. Manufacture of these tyres began in January, parent company Tatneft reports.
The verbal fisticuffs between Titan International’s Maurice Taylor and France’s minister of industrial renewal Arnaud Montebourg, first leaked to the world by financial newspaper Les Échos on 19 February, has been played down by the US Department of State. During the department’s daily press briefing on 21 February, Taylor’s disparaging comments regarding the French work ethic were broached and spokesperson Victoria Nuland asked whether the US administration considers investing in France any more (or less) difficult than investing in other European countries.
Further details of the new factory Bridgestone will build in China to replace its Shenyang plant have been announced, including the tripling of investment plans.
The Falken Tire brand has been immortalised on a new Hot Wheels toy car model. The tyre manufacturer’s blue and teal livery kits out a model of the 1970 Plymouth Barracuda, and can be found alongside the rest of the new Hot Wheels range in toy retailers.
Michelin’s Energy Saver + in size 185/60 R15 H has topped the latest ADAC and Stiftung Warentest Sommerreifentest ahead of 28 other tyres in two sizes. The top mark in the other size, 225/45 R17 W/Y, was shared by Continental’s SportContact 5 and Goodyear’s Eagle F1 Asymmetric 2. In total 16 out of the 29 tyres achieved a score between 1.6 and 2.5, indicating a “good” rating. The tests, designed to examine performance on small and medium family cars, were performed on a Volkswagen Polo in the smaller size and on the Skoda Octavia. The full test results will be published in the March 2013 edition of the ADAC.
Germany’s largest officially recognised inspection organisation the Gesellschaft für Technische Überwachung (GTÜ) and Autoclub Europa (ACE) have conducted extensive summer tyre testing, giving the Dunlop BluResponse its highest recommendation, with the Vredestein Sportrac 5 in second place. One tyre receiving a “recommended” rating at a lower price point was the Falken ZIEX ZE914 Ecorun. The summer tyre received the rating by achieving an above-average environmental score at a low price to performance ratio.
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