The printing technology Bridgestone previewed at the 2012 Geneva Motor Show is now a commercial reality. The Japanese manufacturer has released the first tyre featuring its sidewall printing process – now known as ‘Colorside’ – in the domestic market.
On 16 July, Bridgestone’s domestic tyre subsidiary, Bridgestone Tire Japan, opened a new facility that integrates its Osaka Bandag retreading factory and waste tyre processing plant into a single location. The new 7,100 square metre plant takes in used casings collected from the within Osaka and Kyoto, Hyogo Prefecture, Wakayama Prefectures and has the capacity to produce 3,000 truck and bus retreads per month, including Ecopia retreads. This figure is 30 per cent higher than the combined output of the two previous facilities. Tyres not suitable for retreading are shredded and sold as fuel.
Following confirmation of a return to Formula One for the 2015 season in May, Honda has announced that it will base its European racing operation in Milton Keynes. Honda says the new facility will be the European frontline operation for its F1 participation, a joint project with McLaren to supply the power unit, including the engine and energy recovery system. It will rebuild and maintain power units developed at the Honda R&D centre in Tochigi, Japan, while its trackside support operations from this new European office.
Continental has released details of its upcoming Eurobond offer. It says it will issue a bond with a volume of at least €500 million and a term to maturity of five years, and intends to use the issue proceeds thereof for the partial refinancing of its bond issued in September 2010. The offer is open to investors residing outside the US, Canada, Australia and Japan. The issue volume and bond conditions are expected to be determined in the next few days.
The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd., carried out a "Heisei Forest" tree planting event on 18 May to support recovery of Otsuchi-cho, Kamihei-gun, Iwate prefecture, one of the areas affected by the Great East Japan Earthquake. 553 participants, including 160 Otsuchi-cho residents, planted about 5,000 broad-leaved evergreen seedlings indigenous to the local area. Together with guests, including Otsuchi Mayor Yutaka Ikarigawa, representatives of supporting companies, Dr. Akira Miyawaki (plant ecologist) and former F1 driver Ukyo Katayama, 245 people from Yokohama Rubber attended the event, including chairman and CEO Tadanobu Nagumo, President Hikomitsu Noji and 54 employee volunteers.
As of 1 August 2013, Continental’s Chinese activities will be overseen by Executive Board member Dr. Ralf Cramer. The incumbent head of the company’s Chassis & Safety division will take up the Shanghai-based position in order to “strengthen” Continental’s organisation for “sustained fast and profitable growth in China.” His successor within the Chassis & Safety division will be appointed at a later date.
Singapore-based YHI International’s Advanti Racing propriety brand has been named ‘official supplier’ to the Mercedes AMG Petronas Formula One Team. Through YHI International’s subsidiary, YHI Manufacturing (Singapore) Pte Ltd, the group has inked an agreement to supply Advanti Racing Alloy Wheels for all Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 race cars through to the end of the 2015 championship.
Avon Motorsport has taken its place alongside Pirelli as one of two tyre companies sponsoring the Time Attack series in 2013. At the first event of the year at Cadwell Park Avon tyres were used to claim the overall fastest lap, a new Time Attack lap record in qualifying, and second place overall in the intensely close Pro Class final, thanks to the Mitsubishi Evo of Gareth Lloyd. Time Attack organiser, Andy Barnes praised Avon for recognising the potential of the championship, and the good fit with the brand’s products provided by the series.
On 26 April, Yokohama Rubber announced plans to set up a new plant to manufacture truck and bus tyres in the United States. The plant will be established with a capital investment of US$300 million and construction work will begin at the site in West Point, Mississippi by September 2013. The Japanese tyre maker intends for production to start in October 2015 and says the factory will have an annual production capacity of one million tyres.
Stewart Oades has handed over the presidency of the Freight Transport Association to Ian Veitch, managing director of Yusen Logistics UK, following FTA's National Council meeting in London on 23 April. Stewart Oades steps down after completing a four year term as FTA President.
Hydrogen fuel cell vehicles – seen by many people as the answer to clean, all-electric mobility without the range restrictions of battery-electric cars – could be a step closer and a lot cheaper as a result of the pioneering efforts of a British company. There are currently two major barriers to the full-scale introduction of fuel cells – cost and the lack of a hydrogen refuelling infrastructure. But ACAL Energy, a small company based at Runcorn in Cheshire, claims to have devised a cell which would cost no more than a four-cylinder petrol or diesel engine.
The phrase “looks like you’ve got a flat – let me fix it for you” sounds like a clumsy pick-up line, and for a 25-year old Japanese man it may also turn out to be an expensive one. Our friend the Internet reports the tale of Yoshihito Harada, whose desire to meet women prompted a spate of tyre slashings in Japan’s Aichi Prefecture.
As of this month, Yokohama rubber’s tyre factories in Japan will begin using a newly developed inner liner technology that is said to “substantially” improve the retention of air pressure in truck and bus tyres. The tyre maker says it can reduce natural air leakage by approximately 30 per cent compared with conventional liners. Not only does this help maintain air pressure, Yokohama says it also permits the design and manufacture of lighter tyres. Following the technology’s adoption in Japan, Yokohama Rubber will gradually introduce it at truck tyre factories in other parts of the world.
The UK distributor of TSW, Beyern and Mandrus replacement alloy wheels, Yokohama HPT has confirmed the addition of several new wheels to its UK line-up that use the “rotary forging” process to create strong, dynamic and lighter wheels. During manufacturing the outer rim is forged while the wheel centre and rim mould are spun at high speed. TSW’s Panorama and Tanaka, the Beyern Spartan, the Mandrus Rotec and the Victor Equipment Innsbruck are all products of this technique in the current Yokohama HPT range.
Japan’s Zeon Chemicals says its new solution styrene-butadiene rubber plant in Singapore will now enter operation in September, two months behind its initial projected start-up date. The hold up has been attributed to the construction of a number of public service tunnels. Despite this delay, the company states the plant will run “flat-out” as of September.
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.
