Manufacturing Archives - Page 152 of 257 - Tyrepress

Whether its raw materials, machinery, research and development or the latest manufacturing trends, this tag provides up-to-the-minute insights into the upstream part of the tyre industry.

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Norbar Wins Family Business Award

Norbar Torque Tools Limited from Banbury, has been named ‘Best UK Family Business, Southern England and Wales Region’, in the £5-25m turnover category of the Coutts Prize for Family Business 2008/9. The company will now go on to compete in the same category at the national finals to be held in central London on 23rd June 2009.

Established in 1942, Norbar as a third generation family business became the first company in Britain to commercially manufacture a torque wrench. The initial demand was driven by the need for the gasket-less cylinder head of the Rolls Royce Merlin engine to be accurately tightened. Since then, Norbar has continued to invest in the latest design, manufacturing and quality control technology to achieve the highest level of innovation and precision in the field of torque control and equipment. The company now employs 200 people in Banbury, with a further 90 staff within its sales companies in North America, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore and China. The Company’s philosophy is about providing customers with high quality value for money products and services whilst being committed to the principals of environmental sustainability.

24th February 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Pirelli Carlisle Begins Two Week Shutdown

Pirelli’s Carlisle tyre production plant has today halted production for two weeks. An official statement issued by the company explained that the factory has been forced to close until 4 March in combat the effects of the global economic downturn. It is the second shutdown at the plant, which employs around 1000 people, this year. Further shutdowns have not been ruled out.

“Pirelli Industrial in the UK has already taken steps to mitigate the effect on employees by reducing to zero overtime, an extended Christmas and New Year break, and announcing a further shutdown in February 2009,” the statement explained, blaming the “spectacular fall in production experienced in the car industry.”

24th February 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Compound Interest

Road transport dominates Europe’s haulage business, with over 80 per cent of total freight in the region shipped by this means. The story is much the same in North America and in most world markets, and the pressure to remain competitive is high. Opportunities to reduce operating costs without compromising the standard of service are limited, and fuel economy is viewed as one of only a few factors that can be positively manipulated. Indeed, the September 2008 PricewaterhouseCoopers report “The Truck Industry’s Green Challenge: headwind or competitive edge?” identified fuel economy as the road transportation industry’s number one purchasing criteria. Yet an innovation widely embraced by manufacturers of passenger car tyres, the use of silica in the compound to facilitate lower rolling resistance, has remained beyond the commercial sector’s reach – until now. In November 2008, two established providers of solutions for the tyre industry, Rhodia and Dow Corning, announced the formation of an alliance to address this problem. The result of their joint work is already on the road.

24th February 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Self-Inflation Device Scoops 2009 Tire Technology Awards

The Self Inflating Tire (SIT), developed by Coda Development, has walked away with the Tire Technology of the Year award at the Tire Technology Awards for Innovation and Excellence 2009, presented at Tire Technology Expo in Hamburg, Germany on February 18. Coda Development’s SIT system is primarily designed to aid fuel economy and safety. As well as benefiting drivers through the elimination of pressure checks and the need to manually inflate tyres, it helps to address the serious drawbacks of incorrect tyre pressure.

20th February 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

A focus on changing perceptions

Retreading has long been recognised by commercial fleet operators as a major means of saving on operating costs, yet in some quarters retreads are still seen as offering less than their new tyre equivalents. Putting a stop to these misperceptions through elevating public awareness of retreading’s economic and environmental benefits has been a major focus of the US based Tire Retread & Repair Information Bureau – more commonly known as TRIB – for almost four decades. Recently Tyres & Accessories spoke with TRIB managing director Harvey Brodsky about an industry that commercial vehicle operators simply cannot afford to ignore.

20th February 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

New BTMA Chief Executive Named

After more than 12 years chief executive of the BTMA (and BRMA as it was known previously), John Dorken is retiring. His successor, Graham Willson, brings 30 years of industry experience to the association having worked in both vehicle construction and more recently in tyre manufacturing. Wilson will take up the position from 1 May 2009.

BTMA chairman, Mark Brickhill commented: “John has made a major contribution to the industry over the years and has guided the association through many changes. He was instrumental in setting up the Tyre Industry Federation which works to align all the industry’s stakeholders including the National Tyre Distributors Association and Tyre Recovery Association. We will miss his extensive knowledge and considerable expertise. However, I am excited by the appointment of Graham to this important mission. Graham joins us from Michelin and has previously helped the Association in obtaining relief from the climate change levy. Our industry faces great challenges at this time and the Association’s role has never been more important.”

20th February 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Fitch Relegates Michelin to BBB-

Fitch Ratings has downgraded Compagnie Generale des Etablissements Michelin Long-term Issuer Default Rating (IDR) and senior unsecured ratings to a BBB- rating from BBB. According to a statement detailing the news, Michelin’s “outlook for the long-term IDR is negative.” The downgrades are said to reflect “the further deterioration of Michelin’s financial profile beyond Fitch’s previous expectation amid the accelerating downturn in the global auto markets…” Noting that the group net leverage has increased 50 per cent (to 2.7x at full-year 2008 from 1.8x at full-year 2007), the agency said it “does not expect a marked improvement in the tyre manufacturer’s financial profile before 2010.”

The analysts put the deterioration down to the slump in tyre demand the market has experienced “particularly in the fourth quarter of 2008.” Fitch expects a further decline of the global tyre markets in the first half of 2009, primarily due to significant production cuts by vehicle manufacturers. “A key issue for management is adjusting its manufacturing capacity to reflect expected volumes in the future,” the agency said in its statement.

20th February 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Bridgestone Announces Temporary Closures at European Facilities

Bridgestone Europe has announced temporary closure of factories in the region following worsening market demand during December, January and February, especially in the OE tyre segment. According to Bridgestone, these temporary shutdowns will affect the bulk of its European facilities, including the company’s plants in Béthune, Bari, Bilbao, Burgos and Poznan. Only the Tatabánya factory in Hungary and the agricultural line at the Puente San Miguel plant in Spain have been exempted from this action, reports Gert Meylemans, senior manager at Bridgestone’s European Communications Office. These temporary closures are already being implemented, Meylemans adds, and employees affected by the closures are being continuously informed as circumstances change.

19th February 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Hero Forza F278 Inks JMC Light Truck OE Contract

Federal’s second brand Hero has announced that Jiangling Motors has signed a deal to fit the Forza F278 light truck tyre in size 700/R16 10PR as original equipment on its commercial vehicles. The radial is built with a durable steel belt and stronger casing, designed to withstand higher loading capacity.

Initially introducing international advanced technology to the manufacturing of pick-up trucks in the mid-1980s, JMC has become one of the largest commercial vehicle enterprises in China, of which the market share of light truck reaches 28 per cent. Hero’s deal with JMC allows the brand to tap into this market potential, by placing the Forza F278 LTR so prominently.

19th February 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Michelin German Plant Starts Short Time Work

Michelin has reportedly reduced working hours at its Homburg, Germany tyre production plant. The move affects 900 of the 1200 workers at the factory that specialises in manufacturing truck tyres. The Saarbruecker Zeitung newspaper quoted a company spokesperson as saying the measure is planned to take effect from 1 March for six months.

19th February 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Standards Testing Labs Nominated for Innovation Award

Standards Testing Laboratories (STL) has been nominated for the Tire Technology International Award for Innovation and Excellence, competing in the Tire Industry Supplier of the Year category. The winner will be selected during the Tire Technology Expo in Hamburg, Germany today. Five categories are under consideration at the event.: Tire Manufacturing Innovation of the Year; Environmental Achievement of the Year; Tire Technology of the Year; Tire Industry Supplier of the Year; and Manufacturer of the Year.

The Supplier of the Year Award “recognizes excellence and new endeavours in the field by industry suppliers. We’re honoured to be considered for the Tire Industry Supplier of the Year award as we focus on company growth that allows us to serve tire and wheel customers throughout the world,” said Cheryl Schnuth, STL’s vice president of marketing.

18th February 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

American Pacific to Market Pegasus PCR Tyre Brand in Europe

American Pacific Industries (API) is preparing to introduce its Pegasus passenger car tyre brand into the European market in the second quarter of 2009. The range, which will be available in a range of 14 to 24-inch sizes will be distributed exclusive in the EC countries by InterSprint. API told Tyres & Accessories that Pegasus is the European version of it Spector tyre programme, which has been re-engineered for the European market.

According to company literature, API has built its name on developing “first class American engineered, Chinese manufactured products with a reputation for consistent quality and good value.” API says it is actively seeking partners “in most regions of the world.”

18th February 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

I’ll Have Four ViaductRock Tyres Please….

According to the much used childhood retort, sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me. This, however, doesn’t apply to companies whose vocabulary includes words suspiciously similar to well-known trademarks….

On February 17 Bridgestone Corporation gave notice that its complaint of trademark infringement against two Chinese tyre manufacturers has been upheld. Bridgestone claimed that the companies in question, Shandong Santai Rubber Co., Ltd and Hangzhou Bridgesteel Rubber Co., Ltd, attempted to infringe on the goodwill established by certain Bridgestone intellectual property through the use of their respective brand names, Rockstone and Bridgesteel.

17th February 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Magna M/S To Represent Italmatic In UK

Derbyshire-based Magna M/S Ltd has been appointed to represent the interests of Italmatic Srl, of Italy, in the UK market. Italmatic has a long association with the UK, stretching back to 1969, when the company exhibited a buffer at the London Motor Show. Today the Italmatic product portfolio includes retreading equipment, such as autoclaves, or even complete turnkey retreading installations, a range of retreading accessories (bladders, curing envelopes, buffing blades etc) and tyre shop consumables and accessories. A recent addition to the product range is a series of Comfort, superelastic industrial tyres.

Director of Magna M/S is Ian Smith, who has many years technical and hands-on experience in the tyre industry, in both new tyre manufacturing and retreading. Speaking of the new arrangement, he said: “I have a long association with Italmatic and as such understand their products and their market, having been a customer in the tyre manufacturing and automotive wheel and tyre assembly industries.” The agreement between Italmatic and Magna, he says, shows Italmatic’s commitment to the UK market.

12th February 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Pirelli Plan to Focus on Cost Rationalisation & Green Solutions

As part of its 2009-2011 Industrial Plan, Pirelli Tyre reports it is continuing with the cost cutting strategy it commenced last year. The goal of this plan is to save more than 300 million euros over a three-year period through the rationalisation of manufacturing structures and staff in Europe, the renegotiation of raw material purchasing agreements in order to take advantage of falling prices, and savings from lower energy and logistics costs.

Manufacturing capacity in emerging markets is to be expanded so as to take advantage of increasing demand in these regions, coupled with their lower manufacturing costs. In the commercial tyre sector 87 per cent of Pirelli’s total production is already located in low-cost countries, compared with an average of 50 per cent for the company’s four major competitors.

12th February 2009/by Tyrepress Editors