The preliminary national data on miles traveled in November is good news for the aftermarket, according to the Automotive Aftermarket Suppliers Association (AASA). November mileage reported an uptick following a dismal October, when the string of year-over-year positive monthly mileage reports for 2009 ended, according to the Federal Highway Administration of the U.S. Department of Transportation.
Following VOSA’s decision to publish MOT test failure data last week, the BBC is reporting details of a similar report from German motor testing authority TUV. While VOSA was pushed into publishing the failure information for the first time on the 11 January 2010 after a Freedom of Information (FoI) request made by the BBC, over in Deutschland the TUV data is said to have become so popular that the authorities are considering translating it into English.
Vacu-Lug Traction Tyres has invested £150,000 in a latest-generation, twin-headed fully-automated buffing machine to ensure the greatest possible accuracy in the preparation of its retread tyre casings. Capable of working to a tolerance of one millimetre, the new Danish-built SI0 buffing machine is reportedly being used in the production of Vacu-Lug's Duramold range of premium quality retread tyres.
"Our new machine is fully computer-controlled and has been pre-programmed with data for every tyre in the Duramold range," said Vacu-Lug Plant Manager, Brian Barron. "Our casings typically require between two and three millimetres of rubber above the steel belt and this machine can achieve that with pinpoint accuracy. In practice, this enables us to work to the most exacting quality standards, with a perfect result every time for any retread tyre from 17.5-inch through to the largest super-single."
Despite the positive impact of the scrappage scheme the recession led to the lowest annual sales in the new car industry for almost fifteen years. According to data released by the SMMT, full year registrations were down 6.4 per cent to 1,994,999 units in 2009, the lowest level since 1995. New car registrations rose in December by 38.9 per cent to 150,936 units.
What’s worse is that the situation would have ben dire had it not have been for the scrappage scheme backed by both manufacturers and the government. Since its introduction, the scrappage scheme has accounted for over a fifth of all new car registrations and is estimated to represent 20.8 per cent of the December market.
Cooper Tire’s new ERP, or Enterprise Planning Resource, system is intended to standardise, automate and integrate the company’s data and processes into one system and provide access to information in a real-time environment. To assist in the successful roll out of this system, Cooper has appointed Ron Ranallo to the newly created position of vice president, ERP implementation. In this new role, Ranallo will supervise numerous business process owners who are tasked with designing and configuring the enterprise resource planning business processes and enabling software.
The trend towards environmentally-friendlier vehicles, particularly those drawing on the benefits of start-stop technology, has been observed with interest by Johnson Controls. The company notes that, of the 20 plus new cars at the show fitted with its Varta batteries, nearly a quarter of them featured an AGM (absorbent glass matt) battery to power this energy-saving technology. Indeed, driven by EU targets to reduce CO2, the micro-hybrid market is accelerating. Johnson Controls notes that, since the adoption of stop-start technology in the BMW1 Series, more than a million micro-hybrid cars fitted with Varta AGM battery power have been sold in Europe. A further estimated 2.5 million micro hybrid vehicles will be manufactured by 2010, and this is expected to rise to 10 million by 2015.
This is a short extract. Tyrepress and Tyres & Accessories subscribers can log in below to read the full article.
If you are not yet a Tyrepress or Tyres & Accessories subscriber, you can change that here.
Becoming a member has benefits such as:
A limited field study by the US Environmental Protection Agency found no cause for human health or environmental concerns with the use of tyre rubber in athletic fields and playgrounds, reports Tire Review. The EPA said it will use the information to determine possible next steps to address questions regarding the safety of tyre crumb fill in the fields. The limited field study was conducted between August and October 2008.
TMS Motor Spares Ltd has installed the Autocat+ electronic parts catalogue from MAM Software Ltd. throughout its branch network for quick and accurate parts identification.
TMS, a founding member of the RAPID buying group, is the largest independent supplier of motor parts in South Scotland and Northern England. The company has installed Autocat+ at trade counters throughout its entire branch network, giving its sales staff access to the latest product information.
Tire shipments in the United States through the first half of 2009 posted perhaps their worst performance in history, according to new data from the RMA. OE passenger tyre shipments through the first six months fell an incredible 54.3 per cent versus the same period last year. By comparison, OE shipments for the first half of 2008 were down 10.8 per cent year-over-year. The replacement side wasn’t much better, off 11.9 per cent versus the same period last year. 2008’s first half saw shipments off a meager 0.7 per cent versus the first half of 2007.
Corghi has released the passenger car tyre changer it hopes will “widen the success of the Artiglio 50,” the Artiglio 500. The new model has been improved on the basis of feedback from the market, resulting in what Corghi hopes will be received as “an even higher performance product.” It will be demonstrated by Apaseal at Brityrex on the 5-7 October, 2010, and will be available from February. The company will continue to provide its “Blue Light” system for wheel balancing.
Bridgestone Motorsport reports that motorsport’s finest up-and-coming drivers sampled its Potenza Formula One tyres in the final group test of 2009 at the Jerez racing circuit in southern Spain on 1-3 December. All four compounds of 2009 specification dry tyres were available and used at the test. Twenty drivers drove 2,602 laps over the course of the three days for the nine attending teams. Bridgestone’s intermediate and wet tyres were also used. The test was designed to gather data on the old tyres in preparation for their 2010 development, with teams all running different programmes and heavier cars to simulate extra fuel loads. Jun Matsuzaki, chief engineer at Bridgestone Motorsport stated: “It was good to see so many young drivers here at the same test, and there were more experienced F1 test drivers in action too, so we had a good benchmark. We could see some of these names again in the future and our current F1 drivers will always need to keep looking over their shoulders because of these youngsters.”
Continental AG is aiming to complete the refinancing negotiations of its syndicated loan before Christmas, Reuters quoted sources “familiar with the matter” as saying. Further reports suggest Continental is opting to pay a higher interest rate in exchange for postponing a 3.5 billion euro payment due in August next year. Instead the automotive supplier is expected to use a 1 billion euro capital increase and extend the remaining 2.5 billion in loan payments, “temporarily eliminating any need to raise cash via the disposal of its Rubber Group activities” according to Reuters.
Australia’s Motor Magazine has published its 2009 tyre test, and Goodyear is quite pleased about how its Eagle F1 Asymmetric has faired up. The Goodyear tyre scored 131.4 points across all the test categories, almost a full 17 points ahead of the next best performer, Dunlop’s SP Sport Maxx GT.
The recently released infra red tyre temperature and pressure monitoring system (IRTPTMS) from BERU f1systems has been selected as the 2009 Testing Technology of the Year at this year’s Professional Motorsport World exhibition. A panel of judges comprised of senior motorsport personalities, including an ex-Formula One driver, selected the DigiTyre IRTPTMS from Norfolk-based BERU f1systems to receive the award at the Cologne show.
The use of simulation technologies by tyre manufacturers and race teams to improve performance is not new. The perennial challenge is validating tyre models to the required level of accuracy to allow a reliable simulation of reality. To gather the vast amount of data required to make a tyre model, manufacturers can acquire tyre performance during the race and then desktop simulation tools can help to validate it – but this is often not enough. The challenge is compounded now that data for thermal modelling is required in conjunction with structural models. Driver-in-the-loop simulators, such as Cruden’s latest generation 6DOF Hexatech model, allow experienced racing or development drivers or to inject a significant dose of reality; data based on actual feel.
If you would like the latest news from the Chinese tyre industry in Chinese, visit our partner site TyrepressChina.com. Or click below to continue on Tyrepress.
