After visiting South West Yorkshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust to test the pressures and condition of employees’ tyres, Michelin calculated the NHS Trust could save almost £22,000 per year if all employee vehicles in the Trust’s 2,000-strong fleet were driven with tyres at the correct pressure.
Bridgestone has revealed its second generation air-free concept tyre. The manufacturer said the new model features improved load-bearing capabilities, environmental design and driving performance. The tyre is “one step closer to a viable, commercially available air free tyre,” Bridgestone stated.
Dunlop has helped Oak Racing to claim the 2013 LMP2 World Endurance Championship (WEC), and G-Drive Racing to a race victory at the 6 Hours of Bahrain, the final round of the 2013 series. Dunlop Engineer, Matt Rees congratulated Oak Racing “for the championship win and having the #24 car in second place in the series. They have had a good season and deserve the title.”
Trelleborg has launched the TH400 Trelleborg Agro Industrial radial range of tyres for telescopic handlers, backhoes and mini loaders in North America. According to the company, the range’s advanced radial casing and reinforced structure ensures maximum stability even when booms are fully extended.
Titan International has set a 2014 revenue goal of US$2.4 billion to $2.7 billion, the company reported on 25 November. This target assumes that Titan will not make any further acquisitions and is calculated on the premise that pricing and raw material costs will remain flat next year. Titan forecasts maintenance capital expenditure will be $70 million in 2014.
The Freight Transport Association has written to the Chancellor of the Exchequer ahead of his Autumn Statement on 5 December, asking him to confirm his commitment to freeze fuel duty until 2015 in order to stimulate economic growth and give businesses confidence to invest in the future.
The Chancellor, George Osborne, has shown a continuous reluctance to increase fuel duty, and in his speech to the Conservative party conference in September he said that he wanted to freeze fuel duty for the rest of this Parliament. However, this came with the significant caveat “provided we can find the savings to pay for it.”
The performance of equipment in the field can greatly impact productivity, and thus, bottom line. Titan International points out that tyres are a very important part of this equation, and with regular inspection, and – if necessary – minor adjustments, agricultural machinery operators can see great improvements in the durability and performance of the tyres in the field. Titan says that following the completion of spring planting, the time is right to inspect tyres and make necessary adjustments to ensure the rest of the season goes off without a hitch.
Scott Sloan, agricultural product manager for Titan and Goodyear Farm Tires, says it’s as simple as following the ABCs.
The Tokyo Motor Show 2013 opens to the public on 23 November, and during the press days ahead of the official start of the exhibition Bridgestone unveiled its second generation ‘air free’ concept tyre. The manufacturer says the latest improvements to the air free concept bring it one step closer to developing a viable, commercially available non-pneumatic tyre; the second generation concept features improved load-bearing capabilities plus a more ‘environmental’ design and driving performance.
Michelin will provide three tyre lines as original equipment on Porsche’s new Macan SUV. Most notably, the French tyre manufacturer’s new Latitude Sport 3 will make its debut on the SUV, while the Latitude Alpin 2 will equip the Macan with a winter fitment and the Latitude Tour HP all-season tyre will be used for the SUV’s American release, in addition to some other specific regions. The Sport 3 and Tour HP are available in three size specifications, while the Alpin 2 will be supplied in one size specification.
The Petrol Retailers Association (PRA) has recently outlined initiatives to the Minister for Energy & Business, Michael Fallon, that will improve fuel supply resilience and encourage investment in petrol forecourts at zero cost to the Treasury. More than 5000 sites (62 per cent of UK total) are still owned by independent businesses but numbers have been declining for many years.
Indian off-road tyre manufacturer TVS Srichakra has unveiled its latest TVS Eurogrip tyre at the Agritechnica show. The Tigertrac is a newly-developed range of agricultural radials suited intended for both farm and on-road use.
A Canadian firm is setting up what it says will be North America’s largest tyre retreading plant. The CA$37 million facility in St. Mary’s, Ontario will open in February 2014 and operator Green Arc Tire Manufacturing Inc. stated in a press release that it will remould up to 3 million passenger, SUV and light truck radials a year at the facility.
Motor Wheel Service Distribution (MWSD) and Wheels India have signed a three-year extension to the European supply agreement of xlite forged aluminium wheels, having rolled out the product on the European market since 2011. The xlite brand became global after an exclusive 10-year trademark agreement between MWSD and Wheels India.
A low rolling resistance tyre has been added to Bridgestone’s BattlaxSC maxi scooter range. The Battlax SC Ecopia is said to reduce rolling resistance by 15 per cent while maintaining the wet and dry handling, stability, wear life and comfort found in the standard Battlax SC. Bridgestone says it was able to reduce rolling resistance – which primarily results from tyre deformation and the loss of energy via heat generation during rotation – by working on three factors that directly affect tyre rolling resistance.
Developed in co-operation with Europe’s leading car manufacturers, the ContiEcoContact 5 “sets new standards in terms of the environment and safety”, according to Continental. As we all know, the continued challenge in tyre design is to reduce rolling resistance and wear whilst, at the same time, ensure that the tyre is still good at wet braking.
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