The Tire Cologne: Cooper, Toyo no longer exhibiting
Representatives of Cooper Tires and Toyo Tires have respectively confirmed they’ll not exhibit at this year’s The Tire Cologne, as previously planned. Their decisions come as governments across Europe announce rigorous measures to delay the spread of coronavirus and reduce its impact wherever possible. Michelin announced its withdrawal as exhibitor last week.
Continue ReadingFiat Chrysler suspends vehicle production in Europe
Fiat Chrysler Automobiles N.V. is temporarily suspending production across the majority of its European manufacturing plants. The temporary suspension, which runs to 27 March 2020, continues the implementation of a comprehensive set of actions comes in response to “the COVID-19 emergency and enables the Group to effectively respond to the interruption in market demand”.
Continue ReadingPirelli USA raises tyre prices 5%
Pirelli Tire North America has announced that it will increase prices in the US for car and light truck tyres. The price increase is set to take effect from 6 April 2020.
Continue ReadingGoodyear donating 2 million yuan to Covid-19 fight
Goodyear is donating 2 million yuan (approximately $285,000) to support the fight against the COVID-19 in China where the company has a factory in Dalian. Working with the Dalian Chapter of the China Youth Development Fund (CYDF), the donation will be used to support frontline doctors and nurses stationed in Hubei province and Dalian city hospitals.
Continue ReadingPhase 2 trial production starts at BKT’s carbon black plant
Balkrishna Industries Limited (BKT) reports that it commenced trial production for the second phase of its carbon black facility in Bhuj, India on 12 March. Trial production at the currently 80,000 tonne per annum facility began ahead of schedule, the tyre maker adds.
Continue ReadingContinental postpones Annual Shareholders’ Meeting
Continental is postponing its 2020 Annual Shareholders’ Meeting, which was scheduled to take place on 30 April. It reached this decision after the regional government in Lower Saxony, Germany announced a ban on large events in response to the coronavirus pandemic. Postponement was viewed as preferable to relocating the event away from the company’s home town of Hannover.
Continue ReadingSustainable rubber procurement: Yokohama Rubber signs MoU in Thailand
Yokohama Rubber has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Rubber Authority of Thailand (RAOT). The aim of this cooperative partnership with the state enterprise is to provide economic support for Thai natural rubber farmers and to improve traceability, with the aim of ensuring transparency and soundness within the supply chain.
Continue ReadingHeadcount reduction at Apollo Vredestein’s Enschede plant closer to 900
According to the Federation of Dutch Trade Unions (FNV), Apollo Vredestein will stop employing temp workers hired through agencies at its Enschede plant from April 2020. This means that almost 150 temporary jobs will disappear in addition to the approximately 750 permanent jobs that the tyre maker plans to shed.
Continue ReadingSiemens partners in Michelin’s MaRCoPoLo upgrade
Michelin commissioned a test bed specifically for truck tyres at its Ladoux production site in France back in 2000, its Machine de Recherche en Comportement Poids-Lourd – or MaRCoPoLo, for short. When deciding to modernise this facility 16 years later, the tyre maker chose Siemens as a partner for updating the automation and process control […]
Continue ReadingFingers crossed: TTC organiser awaiting official recommendations
Although Angela Merkel predicted this week that up to 70 per cent of all Germans could catch coronavirus, people there are responding to the risk in very different ways. This can be clearly seen in plans for two automotive shows.
Continue ReadingNeroForce: ‘We don’t just want to follow in anybody else’s well-worn footsteps’
A new European developer and distributor of tools, machines and consumables says that it wants to increase the reliability and user-friendliness of retreading equipment. NeroForce, based in Leipheim, Germany, was founded by managing directors Andreas Müller and Martin Kalagin, who between them have more than 25 years of strategic experience of the global retread market, both having worked for Bridgestone, and then B&J Rocket and Marangoni respectively. Thanks to this background, Kalagin told Tyres & Accessories that combining this retreading market experience with a more hands-on view of retreaders’ requirements, NeroForce is well placed to tailor its product range to the needs of today’s retreaders.
Continue ReadingMichelin pulls out of The Tire Cologne
According to the latest information on its website, preparations for The Tire Cologne “are continuing as planned according to the current status for the determined date.” But the tyre trade show has been dealt a further blow in addition to restrictions on large gatherings that were announced yesterday. One of the largest names in the tyre industry has decided against exhibiting due to the risk posed by coronavirus.
Continue ReadingSailun investing big in PCR tyre capacity to reach premium OEMs in China
The Sailun Group is investing around RMB 1 billion (£110.6 million) to boost passenger car tyre capacity at its factory in Dongying, Shandong Province to 27 million tyres a year. This growth will take place as part of Sailun’s ‘HP Tire Expansion Project’ and is considered a “necessary guarantee for the group to impact the domestic mid/high-end OE market.”
Continue ReadingUK debut for Beissbarth Easy Tread
Beissbarth Easy Tread automated tyre wear measurement equipment is now available in the UK, and exclusive distributor Everard says the unit can precisely measure tyre tread and detect uneven tread wear in a matter of seconds. It adds that Easy Tread’s ability to speedily evaluate tyre condition “enables the streamlining of mandatory vehicle health check practices while addressing road safety and providing upsell opportunities.”
Continue ReadingThe Tire Cologne: Government decree casts shadow over show
No comment yet from organiser Koelnmesse, so perhaps it is too early to speculate on the fate of this year’s The Tire Cologne. Officially it is business with usual, with around 600 companies and brands expected to display their wares between 9 and 12 June. But with the show just three months’ away, Koelnmesse must decide its response to a new decree that restricts large events.
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