Western Europe launch – development of Starco’s solid forklift tyre ranges continues
Although at three years of age Starco’s solid industrial tyre production plant in Sri Lanka is still a relative infant, initial targets set for the facility have already been reached and the company is now looking ahead to the next milestones. This sort of success doesn’t occur by accident, and the good experiences Starco has enjoyed so far in Sri Lanka are the result of planning that began long before the plant was even set up. Tyres & Accessories recently met a key figure Starco assigned to implement the solid tyre project, and learned a little more about the factory and the products being made there.
Starco has opened a new solid tyre manufacturing facility in Sri Lanka. The new facility, which has a capacity of 100,000 tyres per annum, replaces the original Starco facility in the country three years after starting production, and Starco states that the success of the venture has led to the need for a larger, more modern and better equipped factory. Starco continues that much attention has been paid to employee health and safety and welfare A Sri Lankan ceremony, in which the new workplace and its employees and management were blessed according to the local Buddhist tradition, was held in September to mark the opening.
Dunlop Aircraft Tyres announces North Carolina as preferred site for US plant
British aviation tyre manufacturer, Dunlop Aircraft Tyres has identified a site in Mocksville, North Carolina as the preferred base for its first retreading facility in the United States. The world’s only specialist aircraft tyre manufacturer and retreader announced its decision to establish the facility in order to boost its competitiveness across the Americas.
New retread facility has Latin America’s largest capacity
A new retread factory that is reported to have the largest capacity in Latin America has opened in Campina Grande do Sul, Paraná, Brazil.
Operated by retread tyre manufacturer Ivo Recap, the facility is part of the Vipal authorised network and has a production capacity of 20,000 retreaded tyres per month. Production will include retreaded tyres for cargo transport, agricultural, off-the-road, and industrial applications.
Michelin North America and the municipality of the County of Kings, Nova Scotia, have agreed the sale of about 50 acres of land in Waterville to the tyre manufacturer for a reported sum of nearly $1.9 million.
Material handling system will increase production and quality
Chinese tyre manufacturer Qingdao Sentury Tire has commissioned Finnish robotics company Cimcorp to deliver a new material handling solution for passenger car green tyre production. Plans are that the system will be fully operational next year, and the stated aims are to increase plant productivity and improve product quality.
It is reported that China-based Guangzhou Fengli Tyre and Rubber has started work on a project at its plant in Conghua, Guangdon Province, to install annual capacity for 10 million eco-friendly, high-performance tyres.
Hankook Tire’s Daejeon South Korea factory has suffered a fire, the company confirmed on 1 October. The fire is not expected to disrupt production since the damage is mostly to its warehouse. However a fifth of the warehouse has reportedly been lost along with some 180,000 tyres. According to local news reports, the warehouse held products destined for both domestic and overseas markets.
A new habit in cost cutting measures by major transport companies in Australia is likely to come back to haunt them, according to independent industry expert, Brad Bearman, who says the revamping of tyre purchasing and management dynamics to save costs is highly likely to emerge further down the track as a higher expense.
“In general, a sizeable percentage of the larger transport companies are dropping links with the better-known tyre companies such as Michelin, Bridgestone and Beaurepaires for their supply and servicing,” said Mr Bearman. “Instead, they are purchasing tyres directly from non-traditional Asia-based producers and appointing inexperienced in-house tyre fitters in the false belief they will get better results. This is good in principle, but the real problems will emerge a little further down the track,” added Mr Bearman, developer of the world’s only software based Bears Tyre Tracker.
Ipsos Business Consulting, a leader in fact-based business consulting, has published new research highlighting the risks posed by counterfeiters in Chinas fast-growing automotive parts market.
Chinas automotive components sector is set to achieve annual growth of 20 per cent for the next five years driven by demand for new cars and a growing secondary market. The aftermarket segment will become the main outlet for automotive parts as the average age of vehicles on the road continues to rise and the current total car population has already surpassed 100 million. The counterfeit auto parts market, already the worlds largest with a current value of about US$40bn, will only increase as the overall market grows.
US-based bioscience company PanAridus recently announced granting of its ninth US Department of Agriculture (USDA) plant variety patent and the first tyre quality, bale-sized shipment of its guayule-derived biorubber. The announcement was made by company CEO Mike Fraley at the recent International Tyre Exhibition and Conference in Akron.
Tyre equipment manufacturer Mesnac has acquired Fushun Yikesi New Material, a Chinese producer of synthetic rubber and resin products, for the sum of US$60 million, according to reports. The acquisition gives the company entry into the rubber raw materials side of the industry.
According to a report in the Taipei Times, Cheng Shin Rubber has ambitions to overtake Yokohama rubber and become the world’s eighth largest tyre manufacturer.
The company hopes to achieve this by tapping into the fast growing Chinese car market and it has already signalled its intention to increase expenditure at its R&D operation in Kunshan, Jiangsu Province, China.
Kenda highlights awards and European know-how in Automechanika presentation
As winner of the Taiwan Excellence Award, Kenda presented its latest products at a press conference 2014 together with other award winners at Automechanika on 17 September. Trade delegates from Taiwan as well as a high-ranking representative from Taipei were in attendance at the Frankfurt show. These included: Agnes Hwa-Yue Chen, Representative of Taipei in Germany, Chin-ling Yu, Director of the Taiwan Trade Center (TAITRA) in Düsseldorf, and Patty Lin, Project Manager at TAITRA.
The Bridgestone Group is donating US$1 million to critical efforts underway in Liberia and the region to combat the Ebola outbreak. Specifically, $500,000 will be paid to Samaritan’s Purse by Bridgestone Americas, Inc. for work in Liberia, while Bridgestone Corporation will donate $500,000 (JPY 54 million) to support UNICEF’s efforts in Liberia and Nigeria. This $1,000,000 donation, announced on 29 September, follows months of work by Firestone Liberia to manage an effective Ebola emergency response programme on its subsidiary rubber farm and nearby communities in country. The funds are aimed at strengthening efforts to stop the spread of Ebola through public awareness; helping facilitate delivery of in-home care supplies for the sick; enhancing medical treatment; and providing support for children left orphaned due to the epidemic.
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