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New ‘Smart Tyre’ Senses Damage

Researchers led by Gary W. Krutz, director of Purdue’s Electrohydraulic Center and a professor of agricultural and biological engineering, has developed a tyre system that reportedly senses failures in real time. The concept behind the technology is that the entire tyre acts as a sensor that sends information to on-board computers. The patented technology is available through the Purdue Research Foundation’s Office of Technology Commercialization.

“I became interested in this after I had to replace all the tyres on my daughter’s and son-in-law’s car after just 10,000 miles and suspected problems after seeing dozens of truck retreads along interstates,” said Krutz, who earned his undergraduate degree in mechanical engineering. “This motivated me to do some research and find a way to improve tyre safety. Our prototypes were tested, and the results showed significant damage can be quickly detected.”

18th December 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

GP to Supply SKF Wheel Bearings to GAU

GP Automotive, the logistics supplier to SKF, has been appointed as the approved SKF wheel bearing supplier to Group Auto Union (GAU) buying group. According to the company, The SKF range of OE-quality wheel bearings totals 850 references and offers a minimum 96 per cent coverage of the UK vehicle parc. “We’re delighted to add this GAU supply approval to our list of responsibilities and commitments to the aftermarket because it’s another illustration of a respected industry group recognising the quality and performance that we can bring to its members through our logistics agreements,” GP’s business unit manager, Karyn Hunt, said.

14th December 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Tiger Automotive Offer Supported by 64.5% of Shareholders

According to media in South Africa, Tiger Automotive has declared that 64.5 per cent of shareholders had given a firm undertaking to vote in favour of the R1.05 billion (£76 million) offer made by Ethos Private Equity on December 12. To go ahead the transaction needs to approved by at least 75 per cent of shareholders and by antitrust authorities.

“TiAuto shareholders representing approximately 64.8 per cent of the shares eligible to vote at the scheme meeting have furnished irrevocable undertakings to vote in favour of the scheme,” Tiger Automotive said in a statement. The company added that it would not actively seek any rival offer while the Ethos offer remained on the table.

13th December 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

TIA Adds to Training Staff

(Tire Review/Akron) TIA has hired Sean MacKinnon as its director of automotive training development. In this new position, MacKinnon will be the primary resource for tyre dealers seeking TPMS service information, and he will also work on developing updates to TIA’s Automotive Tire Service Training and Certification Program.

MacKinnon has been in the retail tyre industry for more than a decade and has worked in tyre stores as a technician, supervisor and manager. He will be based at TIA’s Bowie, Maryland, headquarters.

10th December 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Sales Up But Hayes Lemmerz Reports Q3 Net Loss

Third quarter results for wheel manufacturer Hayes Lemmerz showed a 20 per cent increase in sales from the same period a year earlier. For the three months ending October 31, 2007 the company took in sales of US$554.9 million, up from $463.3 million in the third quarter of 2006. The company reports that this increase in sales resulted in strong international aluminium and steel wheel sales, material cost recovery and favourable foreign currency fluctuations.

For the third quarter, the Hayes Lemmerz reported adjusted EBITDA of $55.8 million, an improvement of $12.0 million or 27 per cent over the year earlier quarter, and earnings from operations before impairments of $22.2 million, an improvement of $11.3 million –more than double Q3 2006. Free cash flow for the third quarter, excluding the effects of the company’s accounts receivables securitisation program, was $26.5 million, an increase of $26.2 million over the year earlier quarter. Free cash flow for the first nine months of fiscal 2007 was $8.0 million, an increase of $14.2 million for the same period last year.

10th December 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Bridgestone US Retail Division Phasing Out Lead Weights

At the start of 2008 Bridgestone’s retail arm in the US, BFS Retail & Commercial Operations, LLC (BFRC) will begin offering its customers steel wheel balance weights, replacing millions of lead wheel weights each year with more a ecologically sensitive counterpart.

Customers who visit Firestone Complete Auto Care, Tires Plus, ExpertTire or Wheel Works service centres will have the new steel wheel weights installed when they buy new tyres or have their existing tyres balanced. “We implemented this innovative plan because we believe that using steel wheel weights will have a positive environmental impact,” said BFRC environmental manager John Sheerin. “We are hopeful that others in the automotive repair industry will follow suit and join BFRC in promoting the use of steel wheel weights.”

7th December 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

New Vredestein UK MD

Vredestein has appointed Stuart Jackson as managing director of the company’s UK operations following the departure of Bert Stellinga in August. Prior to entering the tyre trade, Jackson occupied a number senior posts in the automotive industry, latterly with Visteon, a leading global supplier of automotive parts and solutions. The appointment became effective on 1 December.

6th December 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Toyo Names New President & CEO

Toyo Tire & Rubber Co. Ltd. of Osaka, Japan, has appointed Kenji Nakakura as the company’s new president and chief executive officer. Mr. Nakakura will also serve as Representative Director for the company and will continue to serve as a member of the board. He will assume all responsibilities effective 1 January, 2008. Mr. Nakakura has previously served as a managing executive officer for the company and president of Toyo’s DiverTech business prior to this appointment. DiverTech manages and oversees both chemical and industrial products as well as an automotive parts division for the company. Mr. Nakakura replaces Yoshio Kataoka, who will become advisor to the president and will continue serving as a member of the board.

6th December 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

‘New Era’ at Conti Following Siemens VDO Purchase

Continental has wasted no time getting down to business following the completion of the company’s acquisition of the Siemens VDO Automotive unit. Day one of the “new Continental” was December 5, and Continental Executive Board chairman Manfred Wennemer travelled to Regensburg in Germany’s south, where the unit has its headquarters, to meet with the company’s newest colleagues.

“We warmly welcome the employees from the former Siemens VDO Automotive AG. By consolidating forces, we will forge our Continental into one of the world’s foremost automotive suppliers,” said Mr. Wennemer in his address to the unit’s employees, just one day after the official conclusion of the 11.4 billion euro purchase. “Following exhaustive preparation we can now tackle the integration with a flying start.

“It will take us another two to three months, however, to make a series of key decisions,” he added. “This gives us enough time to thoroughly examine data that antitrust laws have so far barred us access to. This applies in particular to information concerning sales, earnings and the number of employees by product group and plant. In the final analysis, the plans required for the operative business and especially for production will form the basis for the generation of synergy effects, paving the way for the emergence of a better and more efficient corporation from two top-notch companies as well.”

On the basis of planning to date, Continental anticipates net synergy effects in the order of at least 170 million euros as of 2010. “From what we know at the moment, we would be disappointed if it remained at this conservatively estimated sum. The amount will presumably be higher. We will be able to provide more details in the next ten weeks,” stated Wennemer.

The number of divisions under the Continental AG umbrella has increased from four to six; three of the existing divisions, Passenger and Light Truck Tires, Commercial Vehicle Tires and ContiTech, remain unchanged by this reorganisation and remain the respective responsibilities of Dr. Hans-Joachim Nikolin, Manfred Wennemer and Gerhard Lerch. The company’s old Automotive division and the Siemens VDO Automotive unit together form three new divisions:

Chassis & Safety – headed by Dr. Ralf Cramer under the Board responsibility of Dr. Neumann, this division is positioned to provide technology solutions for brake and chassis systems, the networking of active and passive safety systems, and sensors. The division has more than 27,000 employees at over 65 locations worldwide and reports more than 5 billion euros in sales.

Powertrain – this division is headed by Dieter Rogge, also under Dr. Neumann’s Board responsibility, and offers products and system solutions for powertrain, engine management, injection technology, sensors, actuators and hybrid technology. According to Conti, the division lays claim to worldwide market and technology leadership in the area of economical and eco-friendly driving. More than 27,000 people are employed by the Powertrain division at approximately 70 locations worldwide, and the division generates more than 5 billion euros in sales.

Interior – the new Interior division, headed by Helmut Matschi under the Board responsibility of Manfred Wennemer, positions itself as a worldwide market and technology leader for information management with systems that provide a link between the vehicle and the driver and passengers, between different vehicles, and between the vehicle and the infrastructure in which it operates. The division generates more than 6 billion euros in sales and employs more than 33,000 people at approximately 70 global locations. “Viewing ourselves as information managers in vehicles, we intend to optimise the flow of information,” said Mr. Wennemer regarding the division. “We will develop new functions that establish a link with the vehicle surroundings and present information in a way that motorists can grasp intuitively.

Dr. Karl-Thomas Neumann, Executive Board member in charge of corporate-wide technological development and the new Chassis & Safety and Powertrain divisions, stressed that with its expanded global operations and stronger product portfolio, the new Continental will be able to greater profit from future key auto industry trends: “Our innovative force and core competence cover precisely those automotive industry megatrends that will clearly dominate the upcoming years – safety, sustainability and Information”.

“In the Chassis & Safety division, we intend to integrate high-quality components in the area of brake systems, sensors and chassis to form a safety concept – called ContiGuard – that will make for zero crashes and injuries in the future. We are likewise well placed with respect to “zero emissions”, as envisioned for the future. We have, for instance, set standards with precise and highly efficient piezo injection systems for diesel and gas engines, as well as with hybrid drive solutions or roll-resistance-optimised tyres. In the Powertrain division we are determined to live up to our motto “Experience passion-driven mobility” by offering innovative products and system solutions that make diesel- and gas-engine vehicles more economical, reliable, powerful and eco-friendly,” said Dr. Neumann.

Continental now counts itself amongst the top five automotive suppliers worldwide and, based on 2006 figures, generates annual global sales in excess of 25 billion euros. The corporation currently employs approximately 150,000 people at nearly 200 locations in 36 countries.

6th December 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

ContiTech Subsidiary to Establish Mexico Facility

A subsidiary of Continental’s ContiTech Group is establishing a new facility in Mexico that will supply automotive manufacturers in North America. The subsidiary, Benecke-Kaliko AG, will build this new plant in the state of San Luis Potosí, and it will specialise in the production of vehicle interior trim components such as PVC foam laminate and PVC leatherette as well as TPO compact film and expanded vinyl (TEPEO and TEPEO2).

“We’re targeting significant growth in the NAFTA region”, explained Dr. Dirk Leiß, Executive Board chairman of Benecke-Kaliko AG. The new facility will be a wholly owned subsidiary of ContiTech, and an investment of approximately 8 million euros will go into its construction. When the plant becomes operational more than 250 new jobs will be created.

5th December 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Conti Purchase of Siemens VDO Officially Concluded

The Continental Corporation concluded its purchase of Siemens VDO Automotive AG on December 3, four days after the EU Commission issued its unconditional approval. The company remitted 11.4 billion, euros, including tax benefits of around 1 billion euros, to Siemens AG as payment for the purchase, and Conti reports that it intends to commence the Siemens VDO unit’s integration into the corporation immediately.

“With conclusion of the transaction, we have, in principle, taken the final step in our comprehensive preparation and are delighted that we can now welcome the employees at Siemens VDO as colleagues,” said Continental’s Executive Board chairman Manfred Wennemer. On December 5, the official first day of what Conti has dubbed the “new Continental”, Mr. Wennemer will welcome the employees at an internal event to be held at the former headquarters of Siemens VDO in Regensburg, Germany.

4th December 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Beru Develops Bus TPMS for Harsh Winters

Automotive engineering specialist Beru f1systems has developed a specific bus tyre pressure monitoring system for Canadian firm Nova Bus and their new Nova LFS Artic bus. The long established TPMS manufacturer has designed a system that solves key durability and performance issues for bus operators in harsh environments.

“Implementing a TPMS on a 62 foot (18.9 metre) articulated bus presents a number of unique design challenges,” says senior application engineer, James Shingleton. “Achieving good radio frequency (RF) coverage along the full length of the bus requires robust technology and clever component packaging.” In this particular instance the harsh operating conditions of the vehicle was another major consideration, as components must be protected from the elements.

3rd December 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Allparts Chooses Autopart For Future Growth

Allparts Automotive Ltd, a major UK automotive parts distributor and founder member of the UK Parts Alliance, has committed to implementing MAM Software’s Autopart management solution as part of its on-going strategy to develop and grow its business. It will provide the company with state-of-the-art customer service technology, as well as specialist back-office management tools, giving staff at its High Wycombe head office improved visibility and tighter control of operations at its eight distribution centres across the north and west home counties.

In a recent communication to employees, Mark Darvill, Managing Director of Allparts, explained the decision to partner with MAM: “This new software will deliver many advantages to our business as we continue to grow and change in the future. It will provide a host of additional benefits throughout the business from point-of-sale, product management and reporting, through to warehousing, distribution and e-commerce.”

3rd December 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Proliance Chief Picked to Head MEMA Board

(Tire Review) Other MEMA board officers include Vice chairman – Terry R. McCormack, president and director, Affinia Group; Vice chairman – James S. McElya, CEO, president and director, Cooper Standard Automotive; and Treasurer – Eugene E. Ezzell, chairman and CEO, Mikronite Automotive Technologies. Al Stecklein, group president, worldwide aftermarket division, Gates Corp., will remain on the board as immediate past chairman.

New members of the board are Terry Keating, CEO and chairman, Accuride Corp.; Gordon Ulsh, president, CEO and director, Exide Technologies; and Dennis Welvaert, president, global automotive aftermarket, Dayco Products.

30th November 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Automechanika Shanghai Home to 1,200 Exhibitors

With only a week to go before Automechanika Shanghai gets under way, more than 1,200 exhibitors from 23 countries & regions are confirmed for the show being held at the Shanghai New International Expo Centre. National pavilions from Germany, Italy, Korea and Taiwan will also be a feature of this year’s exhibition. In line with the profile of the global Automechanika brand, products on display at Automechanika Shanghai will include vehicle components, accessories and equipment for automotive repair and maintenance. The full spectrum of the OE and aftermarket will be represented, from budget to high-end offerings.

Alongside the exhibition is a comprehensive programme of special events, including the Automechanika Academy on December 5 – a series of eight lectures by leading auto industry professionals and academics from Chinese universities. All sessions will be conducted in both English and Chinese, and are open free-of-charge to all fair attendees.

30th November 2007/by Tyrepress Editors