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The Korea Development Bank (KDB) has denied finalising the sale of a 42.01 per cent share in Kumho Tire to Qingdao Doublestar Tire, but that’s exactly what we’d expect it to do until all the ‘i’s are dotted and ‘t’s crossed. Negotiations between Kumho Tire’s creditors and Doublestar recently recommenced, however The Korea Herald has quoted a KDB official as stating “nothing has been finalised.”
In the wake of last August’s launch at the 2017 International Six Days Enduro (ISDE) of a new enduro tyre range, Michelin has now extended its line-up with the addition of two new Bib Mousse inserts for enduro and motocross use. These two new solutions are available for purchase from stockists from February 2018.
Pirelli has been selected from a shortlist that also included Apollo Tyres, Goodyear and Hankook to be named Tire Manufacturer of the Year at this year’s Tire Technology International Awards for Innovation and Excellence. This is the first win for Pirelli in this category since 2009, and the awards judging panel comments that a strategic focus on high-value premium products, a reorganisation that led to the creation of Prometeon and a stock market flotation, a renewed commitment to R&D with the University of Milan and the launch of the Connesso connected tyre were all factors that led to the tyre maker’s selection.
A partnership between Continental and the German Corporation for International Cooperation (the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit, or GIZ) aims to improve the sustainability of the natural rubber supply chain in Indonesia, the world’s second largest producer of natural rubber. The goals of the collaboration are to develop a criteria catalogue for the sustainable production of natural rubber, to train farmers in sustainable production in accordance with these criteria and to track the rubber from smallholders all the way to production at Continental. By doing so, the partners expect that this optimisation of the supply chain, paired with increases in rubber quality and yield, will generate higher incomes for rubber tree cultivators.
Identified as a participant in two cartels related to braking systems, tyre and automotive systems manufacturer Continental has received a fine of just over 44 million euros for its involvement. The first of these cartels concerned the supply of hydraulic braking systems and also involved TRW (now ZF TRW) and Bosch. The second cartel concerned the supply of electronic braking systems and also involved Bosch.
Synthetic elastomer manufacturer Arlanxeo has developed a rubber compound for use in self-sealing tyres. Tests are now being peformed on the compound with a number of partners, and Arlanxeo says that following the conclusion of this testing the compound will be launched on the market later this year.
Summer tyres share the limelight with all-season tyres in the latest test from Gute Fahrt. The German car magazine has evaluated the merits of nine V-speed rated size 205/55 R16 summer tyres and, perhaps for those who’ve noticed that winter isn’t quite over yet, three all-season products that are also approved for speeds of up to 149mph or 240km/h. The tyres were mounted on Volkswagen Group cars – the VW Golf, Seat Leon and Skoda Oktavia – for testing, and this was carried out at the Pirelli proving ground in Vizzola, near Milan. Testing covered the usual criteria – braking and handling in the wet and dry, aquaplaning, wet circular track performance as well as characteristics such as rolling resistance, comfort and noise.
Cooper Tire & Rubber Company has reported full year 2017 net income of US$95 million, or diluted earnings per share of $1.81, a 61.7 reduction on the $248 million earned the year before. Income was affected by tax reform in the USA; the tyre maker states that excluding these discrete tax items, earnings per share would have amounted to $3.10.
It may be early in the year, but thanks to Auto Bild the first summer tyre test results from Europe are already with us. The German car magazine has stuck with its jumbo-sized format and evaluated a wide field of contenders for its 2018 summer test, with lower-performing tyres eliminated in a qualification round. Results from this initial round have now been released.
This April, Vacu-Lug will inform fleet visitors at the Commercial Vehicle Show how they can benefit – economically, environmentally and legally – from its tyre management service. Vacu-Lug says it will take the opportunity to demonstrate exactly how selecting Vacu-Lug as tyre management provider can significantly assist in ensuring tyre targets are met and risks eradicated.
At an event held yesterday, groundbreaking took place for the future Maxion Wheels facility in India. Invited guests, including suppliers, customers, local officials and company management, were present to witness the ceremonial turning of the first sod and unveiling of a plaque to mark the occasion.
In the past financial year, Sumitomo Rubber Industries (SRI) significantly increased its sales revenue, and the company’s European business played its part in achieving this result. Overall sales rose 16.0 per cent to 756.70 billion yen (£5.1 billion).
Last Friday, friends and colleagues from the industry bade farewell to Ruud Spuijbroek, the “long-time helmsman” of European retreading association BIPAVER and secretary general of Dutch association VACO as he retired from his duties. At a valediction event in the town of Gernsbach, in Germany’s Black Forest, his successor at BIPAVER, Tim van der Rijken, and Hans-Jürgen Drechsler, technical secretary of the European association and managing director of German association BRV, acknowledged one last time Spuijbroek’s contribution to retreading in Europe.
A resolution was passed at Toyo Tire & Rubber Co. Ltd.’s Board of Directors meeting on 15 February to change the company’s trade name to Toyo Tire Corporation. This new name will be adopted as of 1 January 2019, provided that a proposed partial amendment to the firm’s Articles of Incorporation is approved at the Toyo general meeting of shareholders on 29 March.
Continental has begun making ContiTread pre-cure tread rubber in the USA. A new pre-cured tread manufacturing facility at the tyre maker’s Mound Vernon plant in Illinois has commenced production of the tread compound, and Continental anticipates that the facility will reach full operation by the end of the first quarter of 2018.
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