Michelin Vision concept tyre a Time ’25 Best’ invention
US-based publication Time has chosen the Vision concept tyre from Michelin as one of its ’25 Best inventions of 2017’. In addition to admiring the tyre’s airless structure and use of recycled materials, Time considered the Vision’s “most impressive feature” to be its 3D printed treads, which can be swapped to accommodate varied road conditions without changing the tyre itself. The Vision “certainly makes a compelling case” for how future tyre technology may look, the publication opined.
Continue ReadingTSW Alloy acquires Good Roads Auto Systems
Growth is occurring at US-based aftermarket alloy rim manufacturer TSW Alloy Wheels. In addition to opening distribution centres in Atlanta and Dallas to complement its headquarters site in California and the planned opening of a centre in Chicago in the coming months, the company has acquired Florida-based specialist Good Roads Auto Systems together with its many wheel brands and a distribution centre.
Continue ReadingBKT opens India R&D centre
When Tyrepress.com visited BKT’s new factory in Bhuj, India late in 2015, work had begun on a new research and development centre. The off-road tyre maker reports that this facility is now complete, and it recently inaugurated the ‘Suresh Poddar Innovation Hub’. The centre is named after the oldest of the three Poddar brothers. It is located within a 25-acre area called the Mahabirprasad Poddar Knowledge Center, named after BKT founder, the late Mahabirprasad Poddar.
Continue ReadingTP Commercial Solutions partners with Dynamic Tire in Canada
TP Commercial Solutions LLC is partnering with Dynamic Tire to distribute its products in Canada. This new partnership is a big boost for the Pirelli-owned brand of commercial truck and fleet tires to continue its North American expansion since it product roll-out earlier this year of the Pentathlon D, Formula Driver II, G:85 Series and Pentathlon C tyres.
Continue ReadingITMA joins Germany’s BRV
The International Tyre Manufacturers’ Association (ITMA) has joined Germany’s association of tyre, wheel and car service specialists, Bundesverband Reifenhandel und Vulkaniseur-Handwerk (BRV) as an associate member
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 ReadingFitment Group and Size It Up merge
Tyre and wheel fitment data companies Fitment Group and Size It Up have announced they will merge and operate under the Fitment Group brand. The value of the merger was not disclosed. The expanded business is based in Duluth, Minnesota.
Continue ReadingMichelin buys PTG and Teleflow
On 12 November Michelin announced it had bought PTG and Téléflow - both industry leaders in tyre pressure control systems which allow users to monitor and adapt tyre pressures according to the terrain and conditions of use. These acquisitions signal Michelin’s intention to become the global leader for Central Tyre Inflation Systems (CTIS) in the agricultural market. No pricetags associated with the purchases have yet been revealed, but Europe is known to be the centre of the segment, which is valued at around US$1.7 billion in 2017.
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 ReadingBelshina producing 18-inch SUV tyres for Geely
Bobruisk, Belarus-based tyre manufacturer Belshina has announced that it has launched mass production of 18-inch SUV tyres. The companys spokeswoman Viktoriya Kulik told local news source BelTA that it is making summer tyres for Geely cars produced at BelGee Factory.
Continue ReadingFontijne Holland celebrates relaunch
Fontijne Holland celebrated the relaunch of its wheel production lines business unit on Monday 6 November 2017. The reception was held in the charming courtyard garden of the company’s premises in Vlaardingen, with towering indigenous plants and ponds filled with graceful koi.
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 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 ReadingDmack to follow home rally victory with Rally Australia
Dmack is preparing for the final round of the 2017 FIA World Rally Championship still basking in the afterglow of its debut FIA World Rally Championship event victory at Wales Rally GB. The Kennards Hire Rally Australia, based around Coffs Harbour between Brisbane and Sidney, will bring the tyre supplier’s most successful season to a close. Dmack describes Rally Australia as a demanding way to round off the championship, with a varied mix of high-speed gravel roads on offer.
Continue ReadingNew real-life research into recycled tyre oil
New Australian research into the properties of oil from recycled tyres will evaluate the performance and emissions of commercial vehicles under actual operating conditions including engines that are representative of heavy duty trucks, light weight commercial vehicles, 4x4s and SUVs. The ‘on-truck’ tests will be conducted on a Kenworth K200 semi-trailer that will leave the Tytec Logistics depot at Wacol, Brisbane this week and undertake the 1200-kilometre journey to the Rio Tinto Hail Creek mine, south of Mackay, North Queensland. It was slated for departure on Tuesday 7 November, with the actual results to be calculated and revealed a week later.
Continue Reading