Manufacturing Archives - Page 232 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.

Posts

Cambridge-MIT Institute publishes ‘Who killed MG Rover’ Report

The Cambridge-MIT Institute’s Centre for Competitiveness and Innovation (CCI), at the University of Cambridge has published a 33-page report investigating the final collapse of the MG-Rover in April 2005. Report authors Dr Matthias Holweg and Professor Nick Oliver investigate the final collapse of MG-Rover in April 2005, and address two main questions. First, what were the reasons for the final collapse, and was this avoidable? Second, who or what was responsible for the circumstances that put MG Rover in such a precarious position, and what critical choices sealed the fate of Rover?

29th April 2005/by Tyrepress Editors

Bridgestone to Build Fourth Tyre Plant in China

(Akron/Tire Review) Bridgestone Corporation is planning to invest about $300 million in the construction of a fourth tyre plant in China, the company recently announced.

28th April 2005/by Tyrepress Editors

Enhancing a Global Position

The last year has been eventful for Cooper Tire & Rubber. First the company sold its Cooper Standard business, then it bought an 11 per cent stake in Korean manufacturer Kumho Tire, now the company’s management is optimistic that it is “in the middle of a transformation.” Tire Review’s Jim Smith met Cooper president and CEO, Tom Dattilo, and found out his thoughts on the diverse diverse subjects of emerging markets, run-flat technology and how Cooper can enhance its position as a global player.

26th April 2005/by Tyrepress Editors

Putting the UK Market in the Picture

This year Trelleborg is 100 years young. The company’s name is fairly well recognised in the UK market but there is still room for improvement. Ask where the company comes from, what it’s up to on the UK market, or how Trelleborg Wheel Systems (TWS) fits into the picture and the response is often vague. However the manufacturer is addressing these brand awareness issues and is beginning to focus more and more on its agricultural division as well as marketing itself as a specialist in agricultural tyres. Tyres & Accessories spoke to Ian Gillespie, managing director of Trelleborg Wheel Systems UK, to discern its UK market approach.

26th April 2005/by Tyrepress Editors

Goodyear and Continental Receive General Motors Supplier Awards

General Motors has awarded Continental Automotive Systems and Goodyear with supplier awards. GM gave the 2004 “Supplier of the Year Award for Tyres” to Goodyear in a ceremony held at GM’s vehicle engineering centre in Warren, Michigan. GM’s vice president of global purchasing and supply chain, Bo Andersson, noted: “Only suppliers that drive to be world class and exceed GM’s expectation in quality, service, technology and price win this award.” This year, fewer than 80 suppliers were selected for a top supplier award from GM.

26th April 2005/by Tyrepress Editors

Amtel Completes Vredestein Acquisition

Amtel Holdings Holland NV has completed its acquisition of Vredestein Banden BV from Vredestein Investment Consortium (VICO) for 195.6 million euros in cash. Amtel says it plans to use the opportunity to expand its global operations in Europe, Asia, the former Soviet Union and North America. Combined production capacity will now amount to around 22 million tyres a year.

26th April 2005/by Tyrepress Editors

Strikes at Bridgestone NZ

Staff at Bridgestone’s Christchurch tyre plant will start picketing today, reports a New Zealand newspaper, in protest of their unsettled wage claims.
The workers, members of the Engineering, Printing and Manufacturing Union (EPMU), have been on an indefinite strike since 9 April after negotiations with the company broke down on 21 March.

Union delegate Dave Cahill said that the workers want a five per cent pay rise, shift allowances and a minimum of nine statutory holidays each year. An irregularity in the existing agreement meant some staff received as few as three statutory days off annually, he said.

26th April 2005/by Tyrepress Editors

Wheel Manufacturing in the UK

International News, News, Product News, UK News

It would be something of an understatement to say that high raw material costs, the weak dollar and unprecedented competition from the Far East is affecting UK alloy wheel manufacturing. But, in the cases of the selection of companies that Tyres & Accessories spoke to, it is more a question of ingenuity triumphing over adversity. So, in the face of such pressing circumstances, how are UK manufacturers holding firm? Work smarter, not necessarily harder, they say.

25th April 2005/by Tyrepress Editors

Bridgestone Breaks Ground on Mexican BIRD Plant

(Akron/Tire Review) Bridgestone executives along with members of the Mexican government gathered in Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Mexico, to celebrate breaking ground for the company’s new BIRD based tyre plant. Representatives from Bridgestone Americas Holding Inc. (BAH), Bridgestone/Firestone North American Tire (BFNAT) and Bridgestone/Firestone Mexico, SA. de CV (BFMX) were all present.

21st April 2005/by Tyrepress Editors

US Panel Decides to Keep Steel Tariffs

(Akron/Tire Review) The US International Trade Commission voted 4-2 yesterday to retain tariffs on steel imports, saying that removing the duties would further hurt the struggling US steel industry. The tariffs specifically cover steel from Japan, Brazil and Russia. Duties on flat-rolled steel range from 20 per cent to 50 per cent, and were imposed about five years ago.

18th April 2005/by Tyrepress Editors

GE Expands to Meet Demand for Silica Tyres

GE has expanded its capacity for high technology silanes used in the production of silica tyres. Additional capacity was brought on line last week to meet the high demand for GE’s new proprietary process.

“Demand has been very strong for our new NXT silane that helps enable fast and easy dispersion of silica during rubber compounding for silica tyres,” said Dr. Ian Moore, general manager for GE’s global silanes business. “We are focusing resources on new products and processes, and this is another move in our long-term strategy for growth in the silica tyre segment. In fewer than 24 months of design and construction, we developed and deployed an innovative process that delivers vastly increased capacity for silanes.”

15th April 2005/by Tyrepress Editors

Alcoa Opens New Facility in North Carolina

Following a $6 million investment Alcoa’s Subassembly and Logistics business will open a new manufacturing plant in North Carolina.

The company, a part of Alcoa Wheel and Forged Products, provides wheel and tyre assemblies to the Freightliner Group, the largest heavy-duty truck manufacturer in North America and a leading manufacturer of medium-duty and specialised commercial vehicles.

The new facility is scheduled to begin production in mid-April. It will add to Alcoa’s presence in North Carolina, where it already has four other operating locations.

15th April 2005/by Tyrepress Editors

Steelworkers and PACE Agree to Merger

(Akron/Tire Review) Members of the United Steelworkers of America (USWA) and the Paper, Allied-Industrial, Chemical and Energy Workers (PACE) have voted overwhelmingly to merge. The votes were held yesterday at concurrent national conventions of the two unions, both being held in Las Vegas.

The new union will be called the United Steel, Paper and Forestry, Rubber, Manufacturing, Energy, Allied Industrial and Service Workers International or USW for short, according to the USWA. The merger creates North America’s largest labor union, with a combined total of 850,000 members.

14th April 2005/by Tyrepress Editors

Marangoni Adds New Locations to Ringtread Network

(Akron/Tire Review) Marangoni Tread North America Inc. has added four new Ringtread plants in the Northeast, Sourtheast, North Central and Northwest regions of the US

Two of the new plants were converted from competitive precure systems, said Marangoni, while the other two are additional facilities opened by existing Ringtread dealers.

12th April 2005/by Tyrepress Editors

NHTSA Bows Again to Car Manufacturers

(Akron/Tire Review) Initial analysis of NHTSA’s final regulations mandating tyre pressure monitoring systems (TPMS) on all new passenger vehicles shows the new regulations are badly flawed, raising questions about how well they will protect drivers.

And they illustrate clearly just how much sway the car manufacturer lobby has with the safety agency, and how little consideration the logical and correct argument raised by the tyre industry and the automotive aftermarket really received.

11th April 2005/by Tyrepress Editors