Goodyear Reminds Consumers of Kevlar’s Strong Points
Goodyear has been using high-strength Kevlar in its products for some years now, and recently the company highlighted the advances made using the fibres developed by the scientists at DuPont. The US based tyre major points out that tyre reinforcement was the initial application for Kevlar more than 40 years ago, and today the product is used across the company’s range. The material property advantages of Kevlar are extensively used in developing products that address the issues of ride and comfort, handling, thermal and flame resistance, reduced tyre weight and road noise.
Continue ReadingPressurePro and enTIRE Launch Tyre Pressure Management Package
Advantage PressurePro, LLC and Vehicle Management Corporation Pty Ltd have introduced enTIRE PressureAgent. The PressureAgent interfaces with PressurePro’s with market leading TPMS with Vehicle Management Corporation’s advanced Tire Management Software (enTIRE) and reads, analyzes and reports tyre pressure information. The enTIRE system compares pressure readings to the recommended pressure for each tyre type and vehicle position. “Our uploading capability provides our customers with the ability to download historical pressure readings from each tyre on a vehicle into enTIRE, which contains detailed information about the recommended pressure for each tyre and axle”, said Mark Fernie, managing director of Vehicle Management Corporation, adding: “We were impressed with the simplicity of the PressurePro system which allows quick implementation on a fleet of vehicles with a robust pressure reading system.”
Continue ReadingMichelin UK Tweets Itself to Twitter Service
What is happening in the tyre world? First your preferred source of industry news launched its Twitter service – see http://twitter.com/tyrepress for more details – and now Michelin has also joined the word of tweeting with its very own site. The company reports its tweets will include product information, tyre facts and tips, news of consumer offers and events. Furthermore, the latest Michelin UK Twitter updates include the locations of Michelin’s Fill Up With Air roadshow where drivers can bring their car for a free pressure check and adjustment if required. Michelin’s tweets can be followed at http://twitter.com/MichelinTyres.
Continue ReadingSmithers Promotes REACH Seminars
With the 30 November 2010 deadline fast approaching, Smithers is promoting its series of compliance seminars. According to the testing and research organisation, for many months attention has been focussed on the submission of lead registration dossiers to ECHA. However a new harmonised system for the classification, labelling and packaging of substances and mixtures (CLP) has brought with it equally demanding deadlines.
Continue ReadingBirmingham Show to Host Tyre Munching Panther
In the past T&A has reported on a cheetah snacking on tyres in a Cambridgeshire backyard – see our November 2008 story for details of this surreal occurrence – and now we’ve caught wind of a panther heading in our direction. This particular creature also chomps readily upon the black rubber objects, yet there is no cause for concern….rather than being a zoo escapee, the panther in question is a boon for the tyre recycling industry.
Continue ReadingPermatex Advertises Tire Shire in Video Games
Permatex Inc., a key player in automotive chemical technology maintenance and repair, has launched an in-game publicity campaign for its “No Touch Seriously Wet Extreme Tire Shine” inside leading race titles Need for Speed, Burnout Paradise, GRID, and Dirt. According to the company, the opportunity was developed in conjunction with strategic video game partner Engage In-Game Advertising and Permatex marketing partner, Mintz & Hoke Communications Group. Promoting No Touch products with in-game advertising is a creative opportunity to introduce and reinforce our brand and tire dressing products among our target audience, who we refer to as members of the Best Dressed Nation, said Permatex senior product manager, Diane Nesprido. By placing our Get Wet messaging and positioning our NO TOUCH(R) Seriously Wet Extreme Tire Shine within the action of games, we hope to increase our reach and encourage people who want their cars to stand out and shine to try our products.
Continue ReadingNew Car Market Begins to Pick Up
The market for new passenger cars in Europe (EU27 and EFTA markets) displayed a modest increase of 2.4 per cent to 1,461,859 units in June on the back of scrappage incentive schemes in operation in more than ten EU Member States. June’s figures represent the first market increase in 14 months. Accumulative figures for the first half of 2009 show an 11 per cent drop in European new car registrations compared to the same period in 2008, with a total of 7,425,762 new cars registered compared to 8,346,828 the year before.
Continue ReadingBosch Invests in US Test Track Upgrade
Bosch has invested approximately $8 million to renovate its vehicle test track in Flat Rock, Mich., to provide a state-of-the-art facility that will be used to test a variety of automotive technologies. The renovation included repaving and expanding the surface size of the sites Vehicle Dynamics Area, and reconfiguring the test facility to accommodate Boschs vehicle dynamics and foundation brake testing. Facility improvements include expansion of the pad size from 417,000 to 937,000 square feet; addition of a three-lane high bank curve; extension of the track loop from 3/4-mile to 1.4 miles; and the installation of a hydroplane surface.
Continue ReadingGoodyear and USW Extend Existing Contract
Goodyear and the United Steelworkers have agreed to extend their existing three-year labour contract until August 15 in order to give the two parties time to negotiate the terms of a new deal. The new contract, currently under discussion, will cover seven US facilities. We remain confident that we will reach an agreement that is acceptable to both sides, said Goodyear negotiator Jim Allen in a statement.
Continue ReadingBITS Buys Static Axle Weighbridge
British and International Tyre Supplies (BITS), part of the County Tyres Group, recently bought a new static axle weighbridge from Axle Weight Technology Ltd (Axtec) in order to help it stay within strict axle load weight rules. According to the company, the increased weight of tyres has been making it more difficult to judge if the company’s delivery vehicles are within legal limits when they set off on their daily delivery runs. BITS wanted to achieve the maximum payload of around 1.2 tonnes on its 3.5 tonne Mercedes-Benz Sprinters, while also staying on the right side of the law. Taking 10 kgs as an average weight per tyre meant that 120 tyres can usually be safely loaded onto the Sprinters. But this way of doing things is a bit haphazard as the product mix can change the weight significantly, especially if heavier 4 x 4 or ‘run flat’ tyres are being carried, leading to the risk of an axle or gross weight overloading.
Continue ReadingPolish Online Wholesaler Expands European Web Presence
Polish online tyre wholesaler Oponeo.pl is preparing to launch its new Italian website in the next two to three weeks. This latest site will join the company’s German, Spanish and French pages, which entered operation this year. In countries in which we launched our e-stores, sales are already taking place. We are continuously working on improving the websites and increasing their functionality, Ernest Pujszo, responsible for developing Oponeo.pl’s foreign sales, told the Warsaw Business Journal.
Continue ReadingInfinity to Launch UHP tyre range at Tyrexpo Africa 2010
Tyrecor is planning to launch a new range of Infinity UHP tyres into the South African market at Tyrepxo Africa next year. Confirming the news, managing director Charl de Villiers said: “Infinity will be launching an exciting new range of products into the Southern African market at the show next March, which will include Ultra High Performance tyres up to and including 21 inches in V and W speed ratings. The Infinity brand already enjoys a large following in Europe and other parts of the world and we have received numerous requests from our dealer base to expand our current range. “We feel that Tyrexpo Africa is the ideal platform to launch this range due to the exposure it offers exhibitors,” he said. By mid-July, floor space for TyrexpoAfrica’10 was more than 55 per cent occupied and on track to meet targets set by organiser ECI International. There is a current balance of 40 per cent national to 60 per cent international companies exhibiting, with strong representation from China, India, south east Asia, Europe and the US.
Continue ReadingSnap-on Gains WDK Training Accreditation
Snap-on Equipment equipment recently became the first garage equipment manufacturer to gain independent, third-party authorisation to provide training courses for mounting and demounting run-flat and UHP tyres at its European Competence Centre in Pfungstadt, Germany. WDK, the Association of the German Rubber Industry, provided the authorisation, which included certification of turntable and roller-type tyre changers. Snap-on Equipment, Europes leading manufacturer of garage equipment, offers a comprehensive range including tyre changers and wheel balancers. Products under the Hofmann and John bean brands include entry-level machines that are ideal for low-volume workshops, through to top-of-the-range equipment for high-volume fast fit operations.
Continue ReadingTyre Industry Organisations Working with HSE to Reduce Injuries
Musculoskeletal disorders, which often arise from poor manual handling practice, are the most common cause of occupational ill health in Britain and currently affect a million people a year – and they are said to cost the nation some £5.7 billion. The need to increase awareness of such risks amongst tyre industry employees has prompted the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) to team up with the National Tyre Distributors Association (NTDA) and the British Tyre Manufacturers Association (BTMA). It is hoped this three-way cooperation can inform workers of potential dangers and reduce the number of injuries caused each year.
Continue ReadingCITExpo: Teijin Aramid Aiming to Become Leading Aramid Supplier
Teijin Aramid will be continuing to pursue its aim of becoming the leading and preferred aramid supplier from booth 3106 at CITExpo. Its products include Twaron, the synthetic fibre made from aramid polymer, which can be found in a comprehensive range of products including protective clothing, ballistic vests and helmets, tyres, hoses, composites, conveyor belts, optical fibre cables, transmission belts, gaskets, brake linings and clutch facings. The company says that it anticipates sustained across-the-board expansion in all sectors. In the tyre industry, Teijin Aramid provides Twaron- and Technora-dipped tyre cord and anti-puncture fabric for tyre reinforcement. It also provides Technora-dipped chopped fibre and Sulfron product for tyre compounds. Teijin Aramid is a member of the Teijin Group, a global, technology-driven company, listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange with a market capitalization of $4.2 billion. Teijin’s consolidated turnover amounts to $8.5 billion. It has approximately 19,000 employees worldwide.
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