Bringing rubber production to Europe: Continental starts work on test lab
With sods of soil sliding from shiny shovels, work on the Continental ‘Taraxagum Lab Anklam’ research and test laboratory officially began on Monday. Construction of the facility will now begin in earnest, and Continental Reifen Deutschland anticipates that the lab, based near Germany’s Baltic coast, will be operational in autumn 2018. Continental is investing a total of 35 million euros in the project, a sum supported by a subsidy of 11.6 million euros from the Ministry of Economics in the state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania.
Continue ReadingAustralia centre a model for Bridgestone’s global mining solutions
A new mining solution base has been set up in Western Australia to provide Bridgestone mining tyres, conveyor belts, and hydraulic hoses, as well as related services, to mine and port customers in the region. Bridgestone says the technologies and expertise accumulated at this base will be employed as the company systematically establishes new mining solution centres in areas near major mines worldwide.
Continue ReadingFour ATS Euromaster centres join new BFGoodrich off-road network
Four ATS Euromaster branches from across the UK are among the first to join BFGoodrich’s new Off-Road Centre programme. The ATS Euromaster centres – in Perth and Forfar, Scotland; Abergavenny, Wales; and Tavistock, England – have been selected to become BFGoodrich specialists based on their locations in popular off-road parts of the country to offer all-terrain tyres and services. The four ATS Euromaster centres are joined by independent North Yorkshire retailer, and NTDA Tyre Centre of the Year 2017, Ian Brown Tyres in the new Off-Road Centre initiative. BFGoodrich states that it carefully selected tyre retailers recognised by enthusiastic off-roaders as leaders in the field to become ambassadors for the company.
Continue ReadingBKT presents latest products, new ad campaign
African freestyle footballer Iya Traoré may be drawing crowds to the BKT stand at Agritechnica, however the off-road tyre specialist considers the true stars of its exhibition space to be two recent arrivals in its agricultural portfolio. One of these is displayed fitted to a full-sized plexiglass tractor weighing one and a half tonnes.
Continue ReadingDmack: Product development to supplant own WRC entry in 2018
In 2017, Dmack again ran a WRC car programme to generate brand exposure and demonstrate the performance of its products. Following what it calls its “most successful” season in the FIA World Rally Championship to date – a year that included highlights such as Dmack-shod drivers leading four events and a maiden overall victory in the Wales Rally GB – the company has decided to take a break from fielding its own WRC car. Next year, the focus – and funds – will instead shift to product development. Dmack also intends to take advantage of the many commercial opportunities it sees by expanding its customer base in WRC2, ERC and other regional and national championships.
Continue ReadingYokohama reports record nine-month 2017 net sales results
Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd. has reported net sales of 466.79 billion yen in the first ninth months of 2017 – a new record for this period. Of this figure, 333.13 billion yen was generate by sales of tyres (excluding Alliance Tyre Group operations, which are included in the firm’s accounts following the business’ acquisition in September 2016). Therefore, profit attributable to owners of parent increased 96.4 per cent over the same period of the previous year, to 16.7 billion yen, on a 39.7 per cent increase in operating income, to 26.4 billion yen.
Continue Reading![Aeolus hosts more than 200 in Italy for launch of Neo commercial tyre series](https://www.tyrepress.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/aeolus-product-launch.jpg)
Aeolus hosts more than 200 in Italy for launch of Neo commercial tyre series
Aeolus has launched its third generation of truck and bus radial tyres in a large dealer event on the shores – and water – of Lake Maggiore in northern Italy. Readers of Tyres & Accessories will know that this location is highly appropriate for the Chinese company; the introduction of the new, extensive product range comes at a moment when the ChemChina produced brand is preparing for its future positioning as a second-line sister range to Pirelli in the commercial segment. While the exact relationship of Pirelli and Aeolus continues to be fluidly complex, the Italian brand’s recent separation of its commercial tyre operations under the Prometeon Tyre Group banner give a good indication of where Aeolus commercial tyres are heading.
Continue ReadingGlobal automatic tyre inflation system market will be worth US$2.7 billion by 2027
Automatic tyre inflation systems is set to become a multi-billion dollar global industry during the course of the next decade. According to a report produced by Future Market Insights, the market is anticipated to reach revenue of over US$1.500 billion in 2017 and grow at a steady compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5.6 per cent during the 10 year period between 2017 and 2027. The forecast predicts the market to reach a revenue of over $2.7 billion by the end of the forecast period in 2027.
Continue ReadingWe’re all mad here – Pirelli unveils Alice-themed Cal
The Pirelli Calendar is a survivor. While other pin-up calendars from within our industry have long been banished to workshop tearooms to avoid offending customers, Pirelli’s handiwork is hailed as iconic by countless people around the world, including those ignorant of the company’s day job as tyre maker. Followers of this most famous of all corporate freebie calendars eagerly await the launch of a new edition, and today their cup of joy is surely overflowing. At a high-budget event in New York, Pirelli has unveiled next year’s Cal.
Continue ReadingMichelin X Multi range grows with addition of drive sizes
Michelin’s new X Multi range of commercial vehicle tyres for regional and long haul transportation applications, launched in the UK earlier in 2017 at the CV Show, has been extended with the addition of two new drive sizes – 315/60R22.5 and 295/60R22.5. These X Multi D fitments are particularly targeted at car transporters and low-height 4x2 tractor units, on which they are popular sizes. The manufacturer took the opportunity of the extensions to the X Multi range to host Tyres & Accessories at its recently redeveloped research and development campus in Ladoux, just outside Clermont-Ferrand, introducing one of its latest joint ventures which has helped enhance the production process for the latest Michelin commercial and consumer tyres. It also demonstrated the X Multi range’s performance characteristics against competitors at its proving ground.
Continue ReadingDespite lower income, Bridgestone anticipates stable 2017 profits
While sales at Bridgestone Corporation were 8.9 per cent higher year-on-year in the first nine months of 2017, increasing raw material costs contributed to lower income. On the basis of its performance during quarters one to three of the current fiscal year, the company has decreased its full-year projections for sales and income.
Continue ReadingWork starting on Continental’s Russian dandelion rubber lab
For the past six years, Continental has worked with partners on projects to source rubber from Russian dandelions for its tyre production. In 2016, the company announced plans to establish a new facility for industrialising this process. A seven-acre site in Anklam, not far from Germany’s Baltic coast, was selected for this research laboratory. The tyre maker now reports that groundbreaking for the 35 million-euro initial phase of its Taraxagum Lab Anklam will take place this coming Monday.
Continue Reading![‘No silver bullet’ for successful fleet partnership – Bridgestone](https://www.tyrepress.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/First-Group-Bridgestone.jpg)
‘No silver bullet’ for successful fleet partnership – Bridgestone
Having recorded a number of significant fleet wins during 2017, Bridgestone states that a number of factors combined make its proposition attractive to fleets when the pitching process begins. Fleets signing deals with Bridgestone in 2017 include Simon Gibson Transport, ARR Craib, Greggs, and the global First Group agreement. The company says there isn’t one compelling factor to secure a fleet business for a premium tyre manufacturer; in fact commercial sales director Greg Ward believes there are five or six behind any successful partnership.
Continue ReadingContinental: Tyre division growth behind group average in Q1-3 2017
The word Continental has used to describe its sales growth in the nine months to 30 September 2017 is “strong”. Sales rose 9.0 per cent during the period to 32.7 billion euros, a result Executive Board chairman Dr Elmar Degenhart attributes to putting “money on the right horses with our technologies for safe, efficient and intelligent mobility.”
Continue ReadingStoke-on-Trent City Council refuse collection department picks Giti GT867 Urban
After a successful single vehicle trial conducted since the start of the year, Stoke-on-Trent City Council’s refuse collection department has opted to fit the Giti GT867 across its fleet. The urban all-position tyre in size 315/80R22.5 has reinforced sidewalls, a feature popular in the waste and urban commercial sectors, which are well suited to the council’s Dennis Eagle fleet of 4x2 and 6x2 domestic waste and 6x2 trade waste configurations.
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