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South Korean Agency Believes Hankook Factory Deaths Linked

According to a report published in South Korea’s The Korea Times newspaper, the Korea Occupational Safety & Health Agency reported on November 28 that the deaths of 15 workers at a tyre manufacturing facility in the South Korean city of Daejeon between May 2006 and October 2007 are seen to be a “collective outbreak.” This means, adds the paper, that a possible work related connection is seen between the deaths, as all occurred within a short time to employees working in the same area.

30th November 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

On a Mission

Speaking to Nigeria’s Vanguard, Ambassador John Fashanu, managing director/chief executive officer of Tyre Protector Nigeria Ltd said his inspiration to enter this business as a way of giving back to the African people following the blowout related death of a friend, a former speaker in Niger State House of Assembly.

Two years after entering the business Fashanu reports that 85 per cent of road accidents in Nigeria are from punctured tyres. If nothing else, this clearly shows that there is a market for his non-toxic, glycol based, water soluble tyre sealant. The product is designed for use on tubeless tyres and operates in a similar way to most sealants – it forms a thin protective coating between the tyre and the air within the tyre. When a puncturing object penetrates the tyre, air pressure forces the sealant into the “wound” repairing the damage instantly.

26th November 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Conti: Casumina Tyres are for Asian Market

Continental AG has published a clarification of press coverage that suggested it had signed a five-year deal to import 170,000 truck tyres into Europe from the Casumina factory in Vietnam. Company representatives told Tyres & Accessories: “The information [that] Continental AG, will import 170,000 truck tyres for sale in EU countries is definitely wrong and not part of the contract.”

Herbert Mensching, managing director of Continental for Marketing and Sales Commercial Vehicle Tires Europe commented: “These bias truck tyres are typical for the Asian market; they are not being used in Europe. There is no intention to import these tyres into the European market”.

26th November 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Dunlop Nigeria to Borrow Funds for Modernisation

The Economic Community Of West African States (ECOWAS) Bank for Investment and Development has granted Dunlop Nigeria PLC a loan of US$8 million. The company was scheduled to sign a loan agreement at the ECOWAS Commission in the Nigerian capital city Abuja on November 23.

“The loan will enable Dunlop to partially finance the modernisation of some existing installations in its factory and procure new moulds for the manufacture of a greater range of products to meet the needs of the local market,” read a statement released by ECOWAS, a regional grouping comprised of 15 African member nations. Dunlop Nigeria will repay the loan over a five-year period.

23rd November 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Bridgestone Run-Flats OE for New Nissan GT-R

Bridgestone announced on November 22 that it will supply Potenza RE070R RFT run-flat tyres as OE on the latest Nissan GT-R, which made its global debut on October 24. The tyre major reports that a 255/40ZRF20 (97Y) size tyre will be fitted to the front axle of the high performance car as standard, and size 285/35ZRF20 (100Y) to the rear. The highly rigid structure of the Potenza RE070R RFT has been specifically tuned for the Nissan GT-R, commented Bridgestone upon announcing the deal, adding also that the tyre’s asymmetrical tread design would provide the GT-R with excellent handling in both wet and dry conditions.

23rd November 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Yokohama Begins ‘Forever Forest’ Project

Yokohama Rubber’s inaugural “Yokohama Forever Forest” tree planting ceremony, held at is factory in Hiratsuka City, Japan, proved to be a highly successful introduction to the tyremaker’s long-term tree planting initiative. Around 3,500 local residents and Yokohama employees, with family members, attended the factory site on Sunday November 11 and planted about 27,000 seedlings. Yokohama reports that 54 varieties of tree were planted on the day, including tabu (persea), shii (castanopsis) and akagashi (quercus acuta).

15th November 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Anjityre Rubber: Tubes For All Tyres

Anjityre Rubber Industrial was established in July 2003 and is a manufacturer of high quality butyl tubes and tyre flaps, using advanced, imported equipment and techniques.

The success of the company was immediate and a second factory was built and opened in June 2005, giving Anjityre Rubber a production capacity of 12 million inner tubes and 1.5 million flaps per year.
The range of tubes covers all kinds of tyres; passenger car bias and radial, light truck and truck and bus (bias and radial), industrial, tractor, implement and OTR tyres (bias ply) as well as a comprehensive range of tyre flaps. A selection of valves (not manufactured by Anjityre Rubber) is also available.

Anjityre Rubber has been awarded ISO 9001 quality accreditation and the company exports its products globally.

14th November 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Michelin to Cut Some, Upgrade Other Operations at Stoke Facility

The Michelin factory at Stoke on Trent is to cease its calendaring operations, and investment in the plant over the next few years will be directed towards retreading operations. According to a Michelin spokeswoman, the production of calendered steelcord, which currently supplies the company’s factory in Ballymena, Northern Ireland, will end in March 2008. Approximately 40 jobs will be lost as a result; Michelin is seeking voluntary redundancies, and will attempt to place those who wish to remain with the tyremaker in other suitable roles. The remaining 1,300 jobs at the Stoke on Trent factory are secure, added Michelin, and the Ballymena plant will be supplied from other Michelin facilities.

The Stoke site seems likely, however, to benefit from an upgrade to its Remix retreading operations. Michelin reports that plans are afoot to invest in a “multi-million” pound programme that will provide the technology required to retread tyres incorporating Michelin Durable Technologies. Research into the proposal will be carried out next year and implementation of the upgrade will begin in 2009, with a 5-year timeframe slated for its completion.

13th November 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Michelin Celebrates Double Milestone in Canada

Michelin’s Waterville facility in Canada has in November produced its 25th millionth tyre, a double milestone for a factory also celebrating its 25th year of manufacturing tyres for the commercial truck and earthmover market. Tyre number 25,000,000 was an XDA5 long haul drive tyre.

“I’m always saying that we like to do things ‘big’ here at the Waterville plant, so we’re very happy to celebrate two ‘big’ achievements at once,” said plant manager Grant Ferguson. “Our employees certainly have a lot to be proud of because they have worked hard and as a result we’ve enjoyed many significant accomplishments over the years. But, to produce our 25th millionth tyre in our 25th year is very unique indeed and twice the reason to be proud.”

12th November 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Workers Blame Manufacturing Solvent for Hankook Factory Deaths

Korea’s Ministry of Labour is investigating the relationship between the working environment at two of Hankook’s factories and the sudden deaths of 14 plant employees over a 17-month period. The deaths in question occurred between May 2006 and October 2007, and co-workers of the deceased employees, all workers at the company’s South Korean factories in Daejeon and Geumsan, North Chungcheong Province, claim the deaths can be linked to a toxic chemical solvent used during the manufacturing process – a claim Hankook reports it has examined but as yet remains unverified.

8th November 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Yokohama to Hold “Forever Forest” Tree Planting Ceremony

Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd., has announced it is to hold a tree-planting ceremony as part of its “Yokohama Forever Forest” project on 11 November 2007 at its Hiratsuka Factory. About 3,500 people, including local residents and employees of the Yokohama Rubber Group and their families will plant 30,000 trees that day. Professor Emeritus Akira Miyawaki of Yokohama National University will supervise the planting, which will be followed by various events including a discussion on stage between Mr. Tadashi Tateuchi, a noted automotive journalist, and former F1 driver Mr. Ukyo Katayama.

5th November 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

MOT Approval For Beissbarth Test Lane

Beissbarth UK has won approval of its 600 series automatic test lane (ATL) for use in the MOT testing of vehicles. Philip Hodges, Beissbarth UK’s managing director, says he regards this new development as part of their ongoing process of providing the very latest technology to assist in the MOT, which is such a part of everyday motoring requirements and garage revenue.

He added: “The Beissbarth ATL 600 brake tester is capable of testing – as an option – vehicles with the Haldex Clutch as used by VAG and others and which is becoming a feature of many of the four wheel drive off-road vehicles.

2nd November 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Kumho Plans to Lift Capacity by One Fifth

Plans are afoot to increase Kumho Tire’s global capacity by 20 per cent in the coming year. The company’s CEO and president, Dr. Sael Chul Oh, has commented that this growth would be fulfilled in part by the Korean tyremaker’s operations in China; two of Kumho’s three established plants in the country are scheduled for expansion. A fourth facility is also currently being built in China.

In 2006 Kumho had a global capacity of 45.3 million tyres, and plans to increase this to 56.4 million by 2008 appear to have been met and surpassed ahead of schedule, with the manufacturer reported to possess a current worldwide capacity of 60 million units, through which it generates US$12 billion in annual tyre sales across 180 countries.

1st November 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Dunlop Takes 15th Consecutive 250cc World Championship Title

Jorge Lorenzo’s podium finish in the 250cc Race at the Malaysian GP on October 20 not only sealed his second consecutive World Championship title, but also brought Dunlop their 15th consecutive title in the 250cc category, whilst Hiroshi Aoyama’s win for KTM extended their unbroken sequence of 250cc GP wins to 186. Ten riders (Harada, Biaggi, Capirossi, Rossi, Jacque, Kato, Melandri, Poggiali, Pedrosa and Lorenzo) have contributed to this sequence of World Championship titles, whilst 30 different riders have stood worn their Dunlop winners caps on the top step of the podium since Max Biaggi started this unbroken chain of race wins at Suzuka in April 1996.

Despite what the manufacturer sees as a lack of competition in this class from other tyre manufacturers in recent years, Dunlop has continued to push forward with tyre development. During the year new race lap records have been established at nearly every circuit where racing took place in dry conditions, as riders reaped the benefits of a new front profile, introduced at the beginning of 2007, whilst its multi-compound rear tyres – first introduced to 250 GP at the end of 2005 – have continuously been improved and are now available worldwide as part of Dunlop’s standard range. Dunlop usually offers riders on factory machines a choice of three front and three rear dry specifications at each race.

26th October 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

C-Tyres In Administration

C-Tyres, the Langley Moor, Durham-based manufacturer of the Colway brand of car and truck tyre retreads, has today called in the Administrator. Gary Oliver, managing director of C-Tyres, told T&A that the company had been served with a forfeiture notice by its landlord at the weekend and had been unable to gain access to the site. With no access to the factory, stock and customer records, the directors of C-Tyres were forced to call in the Administrator. Said Oliver: “Because we couldn’t get on to the site, we couldn’t even access our employees’ contact details to tell them not to come to work.” C-Tyres employs around 100 staff.

The current management team took over C-Tyres in January 2002, when the company was turning over £3 million annually. “This year we were on course for a £6 million turnover and were making an operating profit” Oliver told T&A. During this time, C-Tyres concentrated its efforts on niche products and actually increased the product range, adding truck retreads.

25th October 2007/by Tyrepress Editors