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Michelin Invites Police into its House of Horrors

One of the lesser-known secrets of Michelin’s presence in Stoke-on-Trent is the company’s so-called Black Museum, which the company bills as “the home to the blackest collection of potentially deadly artefacts in the country.” If misused (which they regularly are) such dark items can cause considerable damage, which is why these examples are assembled together in an educational exhibition.

The Michelin Black Museum is an automotive anthology of the damage that can be caused to a vehicle’s tyres. There are around 200 examples in what is believed to be the most comprehensive compilation of the potentially devastating causes and effects of mistreated and broken tyres in the UK.

10th September 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

Morgan Electro Ceramics Provides TPMS Battery Solution

Morgan Electro Ceramics, a leading manufacturer of electro ceramic material solutions, has developed a “piezoelectric bimorph” suitable for use in automotive tyre pressure monitoring systems (TPMS). To you and me piezoelectric bimorph is a gizmo that enables TPMS manufacturers to design self-energising (battery-less) remote sensors that “accurately measure tyre pressure, with none of the lifetime and disposal issues associated with batteries,” according to the company.

Morgan’s energy-scavenging bimorphs are based on established piezoelectric technology, whereby the movement of the wheel and pressure of the tyre as it hits the ground causes the bimorph to bend and undergo stress, which is then transformed into electrical energy. The bimorphs generate enough electrical energy to power a wireless signal that transmits valuable data about the pressure in the tyre to an on-car receiver.

10th September 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

Euro Car Parts Opens 2 Branches

Euro Car Parts (ECP), the UK’s leading aftermarket parts supplier, has opened a new branch in Hoddesdon, Stockport and extended the Sheffield branch to 5,000sqft from 2,000sqft in line with their future plans. The 8,000sqft Hoddesdon branch has 15,000 parts, tools and accessories in stock and receives six deliveries from the HQ in Wembley daily with access to over 100,000 parts. The branch has 18 members of staff with over 70 years experience in the automotive aftermarket. The 11,500sqft Stockport branch has a large number of parts, tools and accessories in stock and receives daily deliveries from the Manchester Euro Car Parts branch. The branch has 19 members of staff.

9th September 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

Dickies High Vis Range Goes Online

Dickies high visibility range for vehicle rescue and recovery operators is now available on-line simply by logging-on to www.dickies-rescueandrecovery.co. All garments in the range meet with the current standards laid down in the Safety at Street Works and Road Works Code of Practice. According to the company, the Dickies rescue and recovery high visibility range is designed specifically for the automotive industry.

8th September 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

Get a Grip

Sykes Pickavant have launched a collection of 5 Grip Wrenches. This includes: a Grip Wrench 5” Curved Jaw (06600100), a Grip Wrench 10” Curved Jaw (06600300), a Omnium Jaw Grip Wrench 7” (06600800), a Omnium Jaw Grip Wrench, a 10” (06600900) and a Hose Clamp Grip Wrench 10”, that comes with, and can be stored in its rollable storage pouch.

8th September 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

New MD for BSI Product Services

David Ford has recently joined the BSI Group as Managing Director of Products and Services, replacing Alastair Trivett. Ford joins BSI from Vernon-Carus, a leading health care product manufacturer and supplier, where he was Sales and Marketing Director. BSI is an independent body that operates two Kitemark automotive schemes. Both aim to improve quality and safety for consumers in garages and bodyshops and Ford will be responsible for the worldwide business of Product Services within the BSI Group. As well as taking full responsibility for delivering the global BSI Product Services strategy, he is a member of the BSI Group Executive, with joint responsibility for setting goals and strategies for the Group.

8th September 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

Credential Plays Part in Low Carbon Economy Film

Automotive recycling company Credential Environmental features in a film profiling the pioneering work undertaken by Advantage West Midlands (AWM) in helping business tackle climate change and initially broadcast to a worldwide audience of over 335 million.

The initiatives are recognised by the United Nations Global Compact’s (UNGC) awareness-raising film, profiling the key role businesses can play in addressing climate change and broadcast across the world by the CNBC channel as part of the network’s ‘Responsible Business Series.’ The episode entitled: ‘The role of business in reversing climate change’ focuses on the success Rugby-based Converteam and Credential’s Wednesbury operation.

8th September 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

Alcoa Launches Three New Wheel Lines

Alcoa Automotive Wheels is expanding its aftermarket catalogue to include three new wheel lines for full size trucks. The aluminium forged wheel pioneer is now offering Discovery Series, Revolver Series and Xtreme Series for current and late model full size trucks, including Chevrolet and GMC 2500/3500, Dodge 2500/3500 and Ford F-250/350. Each wheel is offered in 20×9, 8-lug fitments with a Dura-Bright technology surface option. This is the first time the patented Dura-Bright anti dirt, brake dust and road grime treatment has been made available on aftermarket products.

5th September 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

Good News for Goodyear and Cooper Shareholders

Shares in American tyre manufacturers Goodyear and Cooper were on the receiving end of significant boosts on 2 September, following Hurricane Gustav’s near miss on the Gulf Coast and its oil facilities. As a consequence of this, crude oil prices dropped 5.75 US dollars on the NYME, allowing automotive-related companies to begin to claw back some of their 2008 lost value.

Goodyear saw shares rise by 83 cents (4.2 per cent), finishing on 20.44 US dollars, having gone to a high of 21.62 earlier in the day. Meanwhile Cooper rose 71 cents (7.4 per cent), to 10.27 US dollars, with a daily high of 11.25. Over the past year Cooper has traded between 7.05 and 26.02 dollars, while Goodyear has also seen a wide range of prices between 15.56 and 31.36 dollars.

3rd September 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

Chicago Pneumatic Adds New Wrench Combo to BlueTork Range

Chicago Pneumatic has released details of its new model CP7600, which the company says will revolutionise the heavy-duty wheel changing process. The machine combines the functions of an impact and a torque wrench in one product: why take two wrenches into the workshop, indeed? The company is a global leader in the design, manufacture and distribution of innovative aftermarket tools, accessories and compressors. Its BlueTork range is designed to be the most advanced family of wheel fastening tools in the aftermarket industry today.

2nd September 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

World Bank's Corporation Offers Petlas US$250 million Loan

International News

International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group, has reportedly offered loan support of up to US$250 million dollars to Turkish tyre manufacturer Petlas. According to the Anatolia news agency, the first step is an 80-million-dollar loan for Petlas, apparently the only tyre plant manufacturing military tyres in Turkey. Semra Guler, finance director of Abdulkadir Ozcan Otomotiv A.S, told the news agency the financing would help Petlas upgrade technology, expand product range and manufacture eco-friendly tyres.

2nd September 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

Dunlop Aircraft Tyres Announces New Research Head

Dr Wei Ding has been unveiled as the newly created head of research at Dunlop Aircraft Tyres. He will develop and implement the forthcoming research strategy for the manufacturer, reporting to Martin Pye, the Birmingham-based tyre maker’s technical director.

Wei arrives at Dunlop from his position as project manager for tyre research and team leader for tyre and brake modelling and simulation at Airbus. His employment in the new position is directly related to the company’s expansion strategy, states chairman Ian Edmondson: “We are looking to get closer to the airframe constructors and Wei’s background will mean that we are better placed to develop new products that meet their future needs.”

Dr Wei has been a research fellow at the Interdisciplinary Research Centre in Materials Processing, after which he worked as a senior engineer in the automotive tyre industry. He is a chartered engineer, and his latest task will be to oversee growth, as Dunlop seeks to consolidate and improve its position in the aeronautical industry as the sole specialist aircraft tyre manufacturer.

28th August 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

Automechanika 2008 Already Breaking Records

A record breaking 1,600 exhibitors have already confirmed to attend the fourth Automechanika Shanghai show to be held in Shanghai, China from Dec. 10-12, 2008. Hall space at the Shanghai New International Expo Center will increase 80% to 92,000 square meters, compared to last year’s 51,000 sqm. The show is also the world’s second largest Automechanika after Automechanika Frankfurt, which celebrates its 20th anniversary in September. Altogether, there are 13 Automechanika trade shows around the world.

“With more than 1,600 exhibitors from 17 countries for Shanghai we have already surpassed our 2007 figure of 1,250 exhibitors,” said Fiona Chiew, group manager of trade fairs for Messe Frankfurt Hong Kong. We expect a final figure of 1,800 exhibitors, spread over eight halls and more than 30,000 visitors for the show this year. This reflects the tremendous interest in China’s automobile industry and its automotive parts, equipment and service supplier sector.”

In line with the Automechanika global brand format, a complete range of products from low to high-end and basic to hi-tech will be displayed in five categories: Parts Systems, Accessories Tuning, Repair Maintenance, IT Management, and Service Station Car Wash. (Tire Review/Akron)

28th August 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

Tyre Industry Set to Take Larger Slice of India’s NR Cake

The share of natural rubber consumed by the tyre industry in India is likely to increase in the years to come, says the Automotive Tyre Manufacturers Association (ATMA). At a presentation in the city of Kochi, ATMA director general Rajiv Budhraja commented that the consumption of natural rubber by the tyre sector has been consistently increasing, and at present the sector consumes 57 per cent of all natural rubber produced in India. However he added that demand-supply imbalanced and volatile prices in the domestic natural rubber market might cause the tyre sector to become more dependent upon imported rubber in the future.

22nd August 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

Cragar Wheel Brand Sold to Investors

Investors Brad and Jeff Danbom have purchased the assets of Cragar Industries Inc. from Global Entertainment Corp. The Danboms plan to move the company’s headquarters and operations from Tempe, Arizona, to Milford, Iowa.

The company’s existing distribution network will remain intact, according to Brad Danbom. “We plan on being much more aggressive with building brand equity and building relationships with the customers. We are also big believers in organic growth through new product development,” he says.

21st August 2008/by Tyrepress Editors