China Archives - Page 76 of 241 - Tyrepress

Now one of the largest tyre-producing countries in the world, China has an indisputable influence on the direction of global tyre trade. The home of both fast-growing up-and-coming brands as well as a burgeoning domestic market, this tag chronicles China’s involvement with the tyre business.

Posts

Lose weight with Alcoa – world’s lightest heavy-duty truck wheel unveiled

At this year’s Mid-America Trucking Show, Alcoa has rolled out what it claims is the world’s lightest heavy-duty truck wheel. The new 40-pound (18.1 kilogramme) wheel is 47 per cent lighter than steel wheels of the same size and five pounds (2.3 kilogrammes) lighter than Alcoa’s previous lightest heavy-duty truck wheel. This weight was able to be shed in the Ultra ONE through the use of a new, patent-pending alloy, MagnaForce. Alcoa says this is on average 17 per cent stronger than is 6061 alloy, the industry standard. The Ultra ONE is available in size 22.5×8.25 inches for heavy-duty, commercial transportation, and is being readied in all OEM customer data books.

28th March 2014/by Tyrepress Editors

EU model used for Chinese green tyre specification

International News

Recently the China Rubber Industry Association (CRIA) gave word that trials of a new eco tyre specification (standard number XXZB/LT-102-2014) began in China on 1 March. Chemical manufacturer Lanxess, which is currently participating in the CRIA-hosted China Rubber Conference in Qingdao, has provided additional information on the specification: it says the Green Tire Technology Specification is based on the tyre label introduced in the European Union in November 2012.

28th March 2014/by Tyrepress Editors

VMI Group expands following strong sales growth

International News

Leading tyre building machinery maker VMI Group is planning to “significantly expand” its operations. This means a new factory building will be constructed in Epe, The Netherlands and current buildings will be restructured to enhance lean production. A new R&D and engineering office will also be built. In China, VMI reports that it is working with authorities to expand its facilities there. According to the company, the expansions follow “strongly increased turnover” at VMI.

26th March 2014/by Tyrepress Editors

Double Coin profits up almost 5% in 2013

Company News, International News

Double Coin Holdings has posted operating revenue of approximately CNY 14.33 billion (£1.4 billion) for 2013, up 18.43 per cent from the previous year. The company attributed the increase rise to expanded production of tyres at its Anhui branch, as well as products and increased trades of other subsidiaries. Net profit attributable to shareholders rose 4.63 per cent to CNY 306 million (£30.1 million). Earnings per share was CNY 0.344 (£0.03).

26th March 2014/by Tyrepress Editors

BYD’s Qin is China’s best-selling electric car

International News, Product News

BYD’s second-generation dual-mode, plug-in high performance hybrid electric saloon car, the Qin, has set a second record month of sales in February. Trends in March now make it ‘China’s Best-Selling Electric Vehicle’ according to China’s National Passenger Car Association. The Qin, in renamed form, is expected to spearhead BYD sales in the European consumer market in the coming years.

24th March 2014/by Tyrepress Editors

JiangXi Black Cat inaugurates a further carbon black plant

International News

Last September, German chemical company Lehmann & Voss and its ‘Luvomaxx’ business unit signed an exclusive sales agreement with China’s Jiangxi Black Cat Carbon Black, giving it exclusive distribution rights in Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Slovenia, Sweden, Switzerland and the UK. Luvomaxx business unit head Karl-Heinz Teschke recently returned from China, and has reported on the entry into service of JiangXi Black Cat’s eight carbon black facility.

21st March 2014/by Tyrepress Editors

Indian market launch for Conti truck radials

International News

Continental has begun producing and distributing radial truck tyres in the Indian market ahead of the product range’s official launch there on 1 April. The tyre maker says its initial truck radial capacity in India is 220,000 tyres a year; these will be distributed to a dealer network that contains more than 1,400 outlets in over 70 cities across the country. The first products to be launched include the HSR2 steer tyre and HDR2 drive tyre for freight carrying vehicles and the HSX2 and HDX2 coach tyres.

20th March 2014/by Tyrepress Editors

Bridgestone tyre supplier for new Asian motorbike series

This week a new motorcycle championship gets underway for the first time, and Bridgestone will serve as sole tyre supplier for the series. The inaugural season of the Shell Advance Asia Talent Cup begins in Qatar on 21 March, and over the coming half year it will be followed by rounds in Indonesia, China, Japan, and two rounds in Malaysia. For the first race, Bridgestone will supply its Racing Battlax R03 (front) and R04 (rear) tyres; around 1,500 of the new Racing Battlax V02 (GP3) tyres will be supplied to subsequent rounds.

19th March 2014/by Tyrepress Editors

Cooper Tire: 2013 figures show impact of ‘unique challenges’

Less than two weeks after releasing overdue third quarter 2013 results that reflected the disruptions experienced at Cooper Chengshan in China – a situation that cost the company US$56 million in negative impact, including $47 million in lower volumes and $9 million in manufacturing inefficiencies – Cooper Tire & Rubber has published its fourth quarter and full year 2013 figures. Sales, operating profit and net profit are all lower than in 2012.

14th March 2014/by Tyrepress Editors

Conti planning to grow workforce by 7,000 this year

Company News, International News

Assuming the market develops according to expectations, Continental intends to increase its global employee count by around 7,000 in 2014. This would bring the number on its payroll to approximately 185,000 by the end of the year. This is about 50,000 jobs more than in 2009, during the midst of the financial crisis. At the end of 2013, the employee count had reached around 178,000, with 50,000 of these positions based in the company’s home country, Germany.

13th March 2014/by Tyrepress Editors

Kirkby Tyres boosts bus range with Double Coin RT606

Exclusive importer and distributor of several budget brand truck and bus radial tyre product lines to the UK, Speke-based wholesaler Kirkby Tyres says it has sold over one million Double Coin truck tyres into the replacement market to date, and this partnership now includes a regional and all-position tyre built for urban and regional bus applications.

12th March 2014/by Andrew

Brembo revenues, profits up in 2013

Brake manufacturer Brembo S.p.A. has posted positive results for 2013 despite an 11.2 per cent drop in net profit during the final quarter of the year. The company’s revenues grew 12.8 per cent to €1.6 billion in 2013 while EBITA rose 23.5 per cent to €212.1 million, with a margin of 13.5 per cent. EBIT increased 35.6 per cent to €121.4 million, with a margin of 7.8 per cent. Net profit rose 14.4 per cent year-on-year to €89.0 million in 2013.

11th March 2014/by Tyrepress Editors

Conti anticipating minor tyre market growth in 2014

This year, Continental expects to sell a total of 11 million more tyres in the European and the NAFTA replacement markets than in 2013. Speaking at the company’s press day in Hannover, Germany today, Continental CEO Dr. Elmar Degenhart stated that the tyre maker anticipates an increase of two per cent in these two regions, markets he said were “very important to our tyre replacement business”. He added that together with further growth effects in Asia and South America, Continental is looking forward to its global replacement tyre business rising three per cent this year. In regards to the original equipment segment, the CEO said Continental expects global production of passenger cars, SUVs and light commercial vehicles to increase by about two per cent.

6th March 2014/by Tyrepress Editors

Linglong Thailand tyre factory up and running

International News

Five weeks after its first high performance tyre was produced at the facility, Shandong Linglong Tyre Co. Ltd has inaugurated the initial phase of its ‘LLIT (Thailand) consumer tyre plant. The Chinese tyre maker’s first overseas project was opened on 22 February in the presence of approximately 500 guests from 180 countries. Upon the pressing of a ‘starting ball’ by Linglong Tyre president Wang Feng and six guests of honour, including Chinese ambassador to China Ning Fukui and Surender Singh Kandahari, president of the Al Dobowi Group, the production line stirred to life, marking the plant’s official entry into service.

6th March 2014/by Tyrepress Editors

Industry-regulated green tyre standard launched in China

International News

Trials of a new specification standard for eco tyres began in China on 1 March, the China Rubber Industry Association (CRIA) reports. Standard number XXZB/LT-102-2014, which was originally proposed by the association, is the Chinese tyre industry’s first self-regulating green tyre standard and is based on the draft the CRIA opened for industry comment between 27 December and 20 January.

5th March 2014/by Tyrepress Editors