Toyo Tires has released an image of what it calls a ‘design study’ from its Japanese studios. Showcasing the possible future direction of its Proxes UHP range the tyre features an all-weather silica compound.
The US Justice Department indicted one Bridgestone Corporation executive and two former officials for conspiring to fix the prices of certain automotive parts, reports Tire Review. Bridgestone itself agreed in February to plead guilty to price-fixing, paying a $425 million criminal fine. The case involves anti-vibration parts used in automotive suspension systems and engine mounts.
British parts supplier Ricardo has announced a multi-year deal as the sole source of racing transmissions for the Japanese Super Formula series. Mark Barge, managing director, Ricardo Performance Products comments: “Ricardo has a long standing relationship within Japanese motorsport further underpinning our reputation for designing, manufacturing and assembling high performance racing transmissions, combining technology and quality to provide highly competitive and highly durable transmission solutions to our partners around the world.”
Showcasing significant technological and performance breakthroughs, Falken launched its latest Azensis and Sincera products at the Ascari Race Resort near Malaga, Spain. Tyrepress took the opportunity to speak to Isamu Ishida, managing director, Falken Tyre Europe, and Matt Smith, managing director UK & Ireland, about the direction of Falken post Sumitomo and Goodyear’s Dunlop joint venture, having sampled the benefits of the new tyres at Ascari.
This summer, run-flat fitments will join Falken Tyres’ Ziex ZE914 Ecorun range. Falken says the run-flat version retains the standard variant’s rolling resistance and wet weather characteristics and is additionally able to run for at least 80 kilometres or 50 miles at 80km/h with zero air pressure. the first fitments to be released will be 225/50RF17 94W and 225/45RF17 91W sizes suitable for the BMW 1, 3 and 5 Series.
Connell Brothers (CBC), the largest distributor of specialty chemicals and ingredients in Asia-Pacific, has announced a partnership with specialty materials company Lehigh Technologies to market Lehigh’s PolyDyne micronised rubber powders (MRP) to the tyre and rubber industries in Southeast Asia.
Researchers from Yokohama Rubber report making progress in a project that may lead to lower external tyre noise and improved tyre aerodynamics. The Yokohama contingent is working together with a team of researchers at the Institute of Space and Astronautical Science (ISAS), which is a part of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA). The team, led by Professor Kozo Fujii, has successfully conducted the world’s first simulation of near real-scale flow structures (turbulence) around a tyre rolling on a road surface and the acoustic waves, or noise, generated from these structures. Yokohama Rubber expresses confidence that the ability to simulate a flow structure that enables precise measurement of acoustic waves opens up potential for new technological breakthroughs, and the company says it will therefore continue to support further research in these areas.
Continental AG majority shareholder Schaeffler AG is one of five companies that have been handed substantial fines for operating a cartel in the automotive bearing market. The European Commission fined the companies a total of more than €953 million, with the largest single fine given to Schaeffler. The German manufacturer must pay €370.5 million, almost 40 per cent of the total penalty.
Although construction work at Bridgestone Americas’ new Aiken County plant in South Carolina is still ongoing, Tire Review reports that the production of 9-foot OTR tyres has already begun there. The tyre maker is building a 1.5 million-square-foot (approximately 140,000 square metre) facility to produce OTR tyres for quarry and construction machine applications. Bridgestone says equipment to produce larger 12-foot tyres should be ready by 2015.
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.
At the end of April, Yutaka Yamaguchi will end his tenure as managing director of the Bridgestone Technical Center Europe. The tyre maker has not yet named his successor in this Italy-based role.
The new solution styrene-butadiene rubber (S-SBR) manufacturing facility built by Sumitomo Chemical subsidiary Sumitomo Chemical Asia Pte Ltd in Singapore officially opened on 7 March. The 40,000 ton per annum plant will primarily supply the tyre industry and complements the company’s existing 10,000 ton facility in Japan.
Nankang Tire sponsored driver Yokoi Masashi became the 2013 MSC Challenge on 18 January. One of the popular motor sport events in Japan, the MSC Challenge is composed of 10 competitions with the final championship was held on 18 January 2014.
Japan’s Sumitomo Rubber Industries has reported net sales of ¥780,608 billion (€4.57 billion) for the 2013 financial year, 9.9 per cent higher than in 2012. Annual operating income amounted to ¥77,055 billion (£450.74 million), up 10.5 per cent year-on-year. Net income, at ¥44,794 billion (£262.03 million), was 26.4 per cent higher than in 2012. Net income per share was ¥170.75 (£1.00).
The latest annual results from Bridgestone Corporation show a rise in sales, operating income and net income, although the latter was pared back by fines linked to antitrust cases and the cost of product recalls during the year, including the 1.2 million tyre recall announced in Japan in November 2013. The company also anticipates that sales and operating income will further increase in 2014.
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