Tyre Bay Direct enters administration
According to Companies House, specialist garage consumables supplier Tyre Bay Direct has appointed an administrator. The appointment was made on 25 September and further details of this will be made public via Companies House in the next five days. However, judging by a statement on the company’s website there is every intention to continue business as a going concern:
Continue ReadingGiti wins first VW Group original equipment deal in Europe
Giti Tire has won its first European original equipment contract for the Volkswagen Group. The manufacturer will supply its GitiSynergyE1 for the Seat Ibiza in size 185/70R14 88H. Giti Tire Europe managing director for product technology, Stefan Fischer stated that the new approval “underlines our ambition for the OE segment,” in addition to the “outstanding work” of the company’s Hanover-based European R&D centre.
Continue ReadingKingsway connects with UniSerV
Kingsway Tyres, which recently became part of the Lodge Tyre Group, is committing significant investment in CAM technologies in addition to its already sizeable participation in the e-jobsheet tablet platform.
Continue Reading500,000th tree planted in Yokohama Forever Forest project
The Yokohama Rubber Co, Ltd, planted the 500,000th tree in its Forever Forest project on September 14. Begun in 2007, the latest landmark matches the tyre manufacturer’s goal. Chairman Tadanobu Nagumo and president Masataka Yamaishi joined others to celebrate planting of the commemorative tree at the Hiratsuka Factory. To build upon the projects success to date, Yokohama Rubber said it would continue various related activities, including planting trees at new plants, providing saplings to various regions, promoting wild bird watching events, and monitoring CO2 absorption amounts. It added that it would also contribute to biodiversity conservation efforts within our business premises and in the surrounding communities.
Continue Reading110 new homologations for Pirelli, including Frankfurt Motor Show UHP stars
Pirelli has recorded what it describes as a record number of homologations in August 2017, with 110. These include the Scorpion Winter and Sottozero for winter conditions; P Zero and its racing counterpart P Zero Corsa for UHP fitments; and the Cinturato family, including the P7 All Season for cars of medium engine capacity.
Continue ReadingChelsea Ladies FC extend Yokohama football brand reach
Chelsea Ladies FC will kick off the 2017/18 season this weekend in the FA Women’s Super League (WSL), bringing further significant global brand awareness to its official shirt sponsor, Yokohama Tyres.
Continue ReadingNew app provides the answers for springs
Kilen Springs has launched a new catalogue app enabling parts distributors and garages to quickly select the correct spring for any vehicle.
Continue ReadingBASys control system, Bandag extruder installed at Bridgestone’s Bulldog plant
Bridgestone’s largest Bandag franchise, Bulldog in Bourne, Lincolnshire is a central pillar in Bridgestone’s UK Total Tyre Care truck and bus tyre strategy, and as such has been a target for ongoing investment. Most recently, Bridgestone has installed the BASys casing and production control system, digitally linking the tripartite facility and tracking the journey of retreads through the manufacturing process. This joins the latest piece of retread production equipment, the latest generation Bandag extruder builder the 9110ES, which was installed in 2016, and is now fully operational. Tyres & Accessories visited the Bulldog site to see the latest upgrades in action, and how Bulldog intends to capitalise on the current moment of what Bridgestone retread development manager for the North region (UK, Ireland, and the Nordic region) Terry Salter terms a “golden period” for retreading.
Continue ReadingRoyal Mail goes electric with Peugeot
Royal Mail has signed an agreement with Peugeot to purchase 100 zero-emission Partner L2 Electric vans, to be used by postmen and women on their delivery rounds. The vans will go into service from December 2017 at delivery offices around the UK, supported by a comprehensive rollout of charging infrastructure.
Continue ReadingNokian breaks ground on new North America factory
Nokian Tyres marked the beginning of building work on the company’s third factory on 20 September. The new greenfield site is located in Dayton (Rhea County), Tennessee, USA. Annual capacity will be 4 million tyres, with expansion potential in the future. The site will also house a distribution facility with a storage capacity of 600,000 tyres. Construction is scheduled to begin in early 2018 and the first tyres are to be produced in 2020.
Continue ReadingVacu-Lug seeks to capitalise on advantages of independence
With Continental’s acquisition and subsequent integration of Bandvulc, the UK retreading market was left with one remaining large independent operation in Lincolnshire-based Vacu-Lug. There were obvious comparisons between the firms – both private, family-owned businesses before Conti’s takeover; both in possession of a large chunk of UK retread market share; both offering the sorts of fleet management service options – but the change of ownership of one gives a new dimension to commercial vehicle tyre manufacturers’ decision of which firm to partner in the production of retreads for the UK.
Continue ReadingBattery performance monitoring firm charged up by The Nucleus
A new online service called dox that aims to help businesses keep on top of their battery consumption, is entering a venture building programme called The Nucleus, supported by The UK Lebanon Tech Hub (UKLTH) a joint initiative from the UK government and Banque du Liban, Lebanon’s Central Bank. dox helps firms track their battery usage, and show when batteries about to fail or need to be replaced. Currently, dox is in the middle of a private beta, in which companies can join the program and test the product for themselves. The company anticipates expansion into other significant markets, such as the automotive and drone industries. With the continued emergence of electric vehicles and the rapidly increasing uses for drones, battery management systems with software for the numerous fleets likely to grow with the increased use of EVs, dox states that there will be a significant demand for battery management systems.
Continue ReadingGoodyear to acquire Ventech Systems from Grenzebach Maschinenbau
Goodyear has agreed to acquire Ventech Systems GmbH, a leader in automated tyre inspection technology, from Grenzebach Maschinenbau GmbH. The company was founded in 2006 and offers a fully-automated tyre inspection system that checks tyre pressure, tread depth and vehicle weight for buses, trucks, cars and other vehicles. The transaction is expected to close in the fourth quarter. The business and technology will be integrated into the company’s Goodyear Proactive Solutions business.
Continue ReadingCooper Tire Europe launches all-new Discoverer S/TMAXX POR
Few names are as synonymous with professional off-road tyres as Cooper, and the American manufacturer has extended its reach in the segment in recent years via its relationship with the Dakar veteran Xavi Foj, made a brand ambassador. The latest tyre to be released by the manufacturer, the Discoverer S/TMAXX POR (Professional Off Road), as a tyre designed for 4x4 driving in extreme conditions, is one that is particularly relevant to Foj. Indeed, the driver commented on its introduction: “the Discoverer S/TMAXX POR is my tyre of choice, the most complete tyre for all uses – from daily tarmac to victory in the toughest terrain in the Dakar Rally.”
Continue ReadingPirelli brings World Challenge Series, motorsport tech to Project CARS 2 game
Pirelli has joined simulation company Slightly Mad Studios’ Project CARS franchise in a technical, promotional, and marketing partnership. The agreement brings Pirelli’s motorsport and tyre technology, and North America’s premier GT production series, the Pirelli World Challenge, to the second iteration of the game. The series will come with Project CARS 2’s release on 22 September, playable in the in-game career mode, and featuring GT3 cars and their specific liveries. Tracks include Long Beach, Circuit of the Americas, Road America, and the Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca.
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