Manufacturing Archives - Page 199 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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Tyre Manufacture in SA – Will it Have a Future?

(SA Treads – South Africa) The South African business sector is applauded the world over for its unflinching work ethic, its determination to succeed against all odds and its uncanny ability to come up with creative solutions whenever the occasion demands it. Nowhere is this more evident perhaps than in the tyre manufacturing segment. Rocketing oil prices, unstable currency, raw material shortages and subsequent price hikes, not to mention the seemingly relentless infiltration of foreign makes landing at suspiciously rock-bottom prices, have all taken their toll on our four domestically-based tyre makers. How are they meeting these challenges? Is tyre manufacturing in this country sustainable or can it expect to meet a similar fate to that of nations like Australia which has seen the demise of local industry in favour of low-cost imports?

4th June 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Introducing the Dunlop Interactive Display – a First for South Africa

(SA Treads- South Africa) An exciting new development – the Dunlop Interactive Module Display – was launched early this year, exclusively for Dunlop’s Accredited Dealers. This hi-tech selling tool – the first of its kind in South Africa – is set to make an irrevocable mark in this business and is likely to provide Dunlop’s loyalty programme with an added advantage in the marketplace.

Set on a hi-tech display stand that not only makes a fashion statement, but also reinforces the fact that the shop in question is at the cutting edge of the latest global phenomenon, the new Interactive Display Module is operated at the touch of a button via an advanced touch screen option. Easy to drive and fun to explore, it provides customers and motoring enthusiasts with exciting footage and plenty of information. Take the Land Speed Record for example. Here, customers are provided with the full story behind the record-breaking run, thereby demonstrating the outstanding performance of the SP Sport 7000D.

4th June 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Up Close and Personal With Dunlop

(SA Treads – South Africa) April of this year marked the end of an era. Industry icon, Pierre Dreyer, outgoing managing director of Dunlop Tyres SA and Mike Hankinson, CEO, officially announced their joint retirement from Dunlop and the tyre industry as a whole, in a move that will see them pursuing new business ventures and personal aspirations in the months and years to come. Simultaneously, Brazilian-born Dr Luis Ceneviz assumed the role of managing director of Dunlop Tyres SA on 1 April 2007. Amidst all the last-minute frenzied activity, we managed to secure an exclusive interview with all three, to not only recap any historic milestones the Company may have achieved, but gain some insight into what we can expect from this new tyre manufacturer going forward.

1st June 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Solideal Factory in China achieves ISO 9001 Certification

Solideal is pleased to announce that Solideal Rubber Products (Qingdao) Co. Ltd has achieved the ISO 9001: 2000 Quality management certification from Lloyds Shanghai on April 25th 2007. After one year working on the project, the factory was audited by Lloyd’s Register Quality Assurance and has officially been granted the certification for quality management, aligning itself on all the other Solideal factories worldwide.

Since 1996, Solideal has strived to achieve and maintain ISO certification for its factories and research and development facilities. Through its global network of manufacturing, distribution and service centers, the Solideal group supports the Forklift and Tire dealers throughout the world. The Solideal group employs over 7000 people in 20 countries.

30th May 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Michelin Investing Heavily in Poland

This autumn Michelin will launch production of new rubber mixes at its manufacturing site in Olsztyn, Poland. This comes as part of a £172 million investment program that also incorporates the construction of an adjacent logistics and warehousing centre. This investment program, Michelin’s largest in Europe, will create more than 500 new jobs.

The Olsztyn site first opened in 1967 and was incorporated into the Michelin Group in 1995. It is currently Michelin’s only facility in Poland.

29th May 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Maxxis Aims for Growth through Retail Network

Speaking exclusively to Tyres & Accessories, Maxxis International (UK) Ltd managing director, Derek McMartin has given more details of plans to grow its PCR business in the UK by setting up a series of retail ‘Centres of Excellence’ to actively promote the brand to the tyre buying public. The centres are being developed with recent TAFF wholesale award winners Group Tyre (UK) Ltd.

Derek McMartin describes the Maxxis Centres of Excellence programme as a key element of UK growth strategy. While the Maxxis brand is already well-known within the industry and particularly strong in sectors like motorcycle and speciality, the move to develop a retail network is seen as the company’s pathway towards increased passenger car/4×4 market penetration.

23rd May 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Toyo to Expand North American Tyre Production

Japan’s Toyo Tire & Rubber Co,. Ltd has announced plans to increase production capacity at its North American manufacturing subsidiary, Toyo Tire North America. The company will inject about 6,000 million yen (£25 million) into the US operations with a view to expanding North American sales of the company’s 16 to 24-inch UHP tyres and meet anticipated future OE demand from local car makers.

Georgia-based Toyo Tire North America was established three years ago and began the volume production of passenger car and light commercial vehicle tyres in March 2006, employing a new, proprietary, automated “Advanced Tire Operation Module (A.T.O.M.)” system that facilitates the multi-item small-lot production of products within a much smaller space. The A.T.O.M. will be upgraded as part of the announced capacity expansion so as to help achieve higher product quality while boosting output to approximately 3.3 million units per year by 2009.

23rd May 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Sibur-Russian Tyres Looks for PCR Production Partner

Be in no doubt – Russian manufacturer Sibur-Russian Tyres has set its sights on the global market. And with annual sales of around $800 million and debts of only $100 million, the company has a good credit rating and is willing to go to great lengths in order to achieve this end. The plan, which is already underway, is to enact a radical restructuring programme that will see Sibur-Russian Tyres focus on high value business (like its currently strong truck tyre operation), and offer itself up to premium international manufacturers as a minority shareholder in a new Greenfield passenger car tyre production joint venture. In an interview with Tyres & Accessories during Brityrex International ‘07, Sibur-Russian Tyres business development director Igor Karavaev explained just how his company planned to achieve this; and what lessons they have learnt from certain other Russian tyre businesses.

23rd May 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Pirelli Tyre Romania Reports 2006 Turnover of £12.7 million

Pirelli Tyre’s operations in Romania ended the 2006 year having recorded a turnover of 60.36 RON (£12.7 million) and losses of 18.49 million RON (£3.9 million). The division has a capital share of 77.16 million RON (£16.3 million). However, while on paper the company’s 2006 appears less than illustrious, late October saw the opening of a new tyre manufacturing facility near its existing steel cord plant in Slatina. The establishment of this new plant, which specialises in the manufacture of high performance tyres and employs about 450 people, required an investment of £115 million.

22nd May 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Cooper Names Ron Shield as Interim VP, Asian Operations

Cooper Tire & Rubber Co. has named Ron Shield as interim vice president and general manager for the company’s Asian Operations. A 20-year employee, Shield joined the company’s Avon Tyre organization as a tyre consultant with responsibility for establishing a Pakistan operation. Through the years Shield held various management positions including business development director, with responsibilities for logistics, supply chain, international business development, information technology and new product introduction. In 2001, he was named vice president, European Operations, and managing director for Cooper Tire Europe, with responsibility for the entire European operation.

“Ron Shield’s success in Europe, as well as his extensive international experience, make him well-qualified to manage and continue the success of our Asian footprint,” said Hal Miller, president, International Tire Division.

22nd May 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Microwave Ready Tyres

New Jersey based Global Resource Corp. (GRC) claims to have developed a patent pending process that allows for the low cost acquisition of alternative petroleum products from various resources. According to the company, the process uses specific frequencies of microwave radiation to extract oils and alternative petroleum products from secondary raw materials. As part of its broader resource acquisition technology program GRC has revealed, through filing with the US Securities and Exchange Commission, that it intends to build a US$70 million tyre-recycling plant at the site of a former steel works in the state of Pennsylvania.

The facility will take approximately a year to build once official clearance has been granted for work to commence, and when operational will employ around 250 people and be able to process approximately 16,000 kilograms of tyres per hour, according to GRC head engineer Hawk Hogan. The plant will employ the company’s microwave process in a vacuum environment, using what they call ‘molecular vibrations’ to ‘crack’ the hydrocarbon chain and breaking tyres down into their base material components.

18th May 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

ContiTech Releases Statement on Dunlop Oil & Marine Investigations

In the wake of allegations regarding price fixing practices in the marine hose manufacturing industry, Germany’s ContiTech AG has released the following statement:

The investigation into employees of Dunlop Oil & Marine Ltd. has taken the management of ContiTech AG by surprise. Dunlop Oil & Marine Ltd. was taken over by ContiTech AG with the acquisition of Phoenix AG at the end of 2004 and has since been integrated into the Fluid Technology business unit.

ContiTech AG does not yet have sufficient information regarding the matter. The employees therefore have to be presumed innocent. ContiTech will cooperate with the authorities in their investigation. Should it be determined that the allegations are true and that violations of law have indeed been committed, ContiTech AG will take the necessary actions.

18th May 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

World Trade Association Completes 6th OTR Auditing Trip to China

World Trade Association (WTA), a leading independent US tyre wholesaler, recently completed its sixth auditing trip to China to ensure the quality of production for its Xtreme line of OTR tyres. WTA’s auditing team includes former Goodyear engineers with very specific areas of expertise; a compounding specialist, design specialist and plant manager, as well as Jim DeChene, Vice President of WTA. The team recently spent two weeks investigating Chinese manufacturing plants to provide current and future production of both bias and radial OTR tyres.

“Our frequent and extensive auditing is proof of our commitment to the highest level of quality for all of our OTR tire brands,” said DeChene. “WTA’s line of OTR tyres, Xtreme Force and Xtreme Load, are the perfect solution for companies looking for a steady supply of quality OTR tires in a market where supply is limited.”

WTA’s audit team spent 12 hours each day for two weeks investigating seven different plants in China. The team checked every aspect of production, including the plants’ overall conditions, raw materials, formulations, production methods and the experience level of its technicians.

16th May 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Right To Repair Under Threat

Did you know that something as straightforward as replacing a battery or a bulb could soon mean a car will refuse to do as its told? Did you know that as little as changing a tyre on a some vehicles with tyre pressure monitoring systems (TPMS) can set off a dashboard warning light? As David White said in his introduction to the NTDA organised event the “Right to Repair” issue is a “topic that has serious implications for you and your business.”

Certainly, an impressive line-up of speakers had been assembled, namely Dave Garratt, Director Garage Equipment Association; Mike Owen, of the Retail Motor Industry Federation and Bob Davis, Head of Aftermarket Section of the SMMT. Davis laid special emphasis on the fact that he was involved with the aftermarket section of the SMMT and not the manufacturers’, for reasons that will become plain.

11th May 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

European Commission Approves VB Autobatterie Acquisition

The European Commission has reported its approval of German company VB Autobatterie GmbH’s proposed acquisition of Italy’s FIAMM group’s automotive starter battery business, subject to the German company allaying competitor’s concerns about the impact such a deal may have.

These concerns are related to the FIAMM group’s business in Italy, Austria, the Czech Republic and Slovakia, as the company holds a strong market position there. A question mark hangs over the impact the planned transaction will have in these markets. VB Autobatterie has offered to divest some of its manufacturing capacity and some key FIAMM brands relevant to the replacement part markets in these countries.

The Commission’s initial market investigation in December stated that the proposed acquisition would raise ‘serious competition concerns’, but its latest position is that, subject to a number of conditions, the takeover would not have any significant hindering effect upon competition within European markets.

11th May 2007/by Tyrepress Editors