Hayes Lemmerz Announces Senior Management Changes
Hayes Lemmerz has announced that company vice president, James Stegemiller has decided to retire.
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.
Tag Archive for: Manufacturing
Tyre Manufacturers Form New Federation
NewsThe BRMA and ITMA have joined together to set up a new federal body to represent the interests of both associations’ tyre manufacturing members. The new Tyre Industry Federation will come into force as of 1 January 2005 and will take the form of a limited company. The BRMA are describing the union as “formalising the already close working relationship that already exists between them.”
Slow Quarter for Tyre Manufacturers
NewsFinancial analysts are reporting that this quarter is likely to be a slow quarter for retailers and tyre manufacturers. According to the Deutsche Bank analysts, tyre shipments were weak in September declining 6 per cent year over year. This is said to have follow a 7 per cent decline in July and a further 1.5 per cent slip in August. As a result, the consultants are predicting that US tyre makers will experience, on average, a 5 per cent drop during the quarter. Industry players are attributing the weakness to weather in Southeastern US and the ever-increasing fuel prices, impacting on car maintenance spending. This analysis means that the bank is lowering is third quarter estimates for both Goodyear and Cooper.
Rondell Targets Prestige Brands
Product NewsRondell is to aim at enhancing its market share of luxury and performance brands, the company has announced. The news follows the successful launch of a number of other wheels earlier in the year. According to Rondell’s UK distributor, Sherbrook International, demand for the existing designs has “soared.”
Nokian Initiates Chinese Manufacturing Contract
NewsNokian Tyres and Giti Tire (China) have signed an offtake agreement which will see Giti Tire manufacture passenger car tyres on Nokian’s behalf. Based in Shanghai, Giti Tire is one of the biggest producers in China and is part of the Indonesian Gajah Tunggal group.
Bridgestone to Use New BIRD Production System
Product NewsBridgestone Corporation has announced that it will introduce a ‘next-generation’ production system to the company’s Hikone Plant.
New OE Aluminium Casting Wheel Manufacturer
NewsOnly two years after its foundation, Cevher Alloy Wheels (Izmir, Turkey) has achieved the impressive feat of becoming an original equipment (OE) manufacturer of aluminium casting wheels. The company’s first assignment will be producing wheels for the Volkswagen T5, followed by a contract to work with Ford in the company’s Turkish car plant. In a promising development for the company, there have also been discussions with BMW. The acceptance of the company into the OE ‘circle’ is down to years of OE experience producing a range of other aluminium car parts says group president and CEO, Haluk Oezyavuz.
Toyo Forms New Chinese Subsidiary
Product NewsToyo Tire & Rubber Co has announced that it has set up a wholly owned subsidiary in Guangzhou, southern China.
Down-Under and Back Again
Product NewsThe Italian aluminium wheel brand, OZ, is known worldwide for its involvement in motorsports. It is equally well known in the aftermarket because of its good reputation. But, in recent times there have been many fears that Italian companies couldn’t compete in European market, where high quality and low prices are paramount. Now, at thirty years old, the company has experienced the sharpest turnaround in its history. A turnaround that the management believes has a lot to do with its acceptance of Japanese Kaizen Philosophy. To download this article as a PDF file, click here.
Hankook: Ready To Move On
Product NewsThese are exciting times for Hankook Tyre UK, as the company prepares to relocate its headquarters into a new warehouse and office complex, designed and built to the company’s own specifications. In terms of distance, the move is negligible – just half a mile or so down the road in Daventry, Northants – but in terms of what it means to the company, the significance is enormous.
To download this article as a PDF file, click here.
Amerityre Replacing Rubber
Product NewsTyres have been made from rubber for more than 100 years, using the same fundamental manufacturing processes. However American tyre corporation, Amerityre, claims to have invented a polyurethane material that will replace rubber and revolutionise the entire tyre manufacturing industry, within the next 15 years.
This proposed polyurethane elastomer tyre production is essentially a unique process. Revolutionary it may be, but what does it mean for the tyre manufacturing industry?
The new polyurethane elastomer material can be used in the manufacture of tyres and automated manufacturing equipment. The significance of the new material is placed on the cost efficiency of the manufacturing process. According to Amerityre, manufacturing tyres from polyurethane is considerably more efficient than manufacturing tyres from rubber.
It may be new to the market, but the company has big objectives for its new technology. The company claims that polyurethane will ultimately replace rubber in tyres. It also predicts that the transition from rubber to polyurethane tyres will occur quickly, because of the amount of benefits it provides. It estimates that this conversion will begin in the next 12 months, and will be complete in the next 12 to 15 years. And on top of this, its prototype tyre, ‘ARCUS,’ awaits its launch into the market and its opportunity to silence critics. Whichever way you look at it, these are high aims for a product the industry knows little about.
The company was originally formed in 1995 as the American Tire Corporation. Its initial business objective was to take advantage of, and develop, existing urethane formulations. At first the company used these formulations to produce Flatfree bicycle tyres from polyurethane foam. In 1999 the company changed its name to Amerityre Corporation. Located in Nevada, it occupies a 49,200 square foot site. And has now developed two distinct proprietary chemical systems for tyres: a polyurethane elastomer and a closed-cell polyurethane foam.
China Leads the Global Bus Business
Product NewsAlthough western European bus manufacturing is still the driving force in the global bus business, China is now ahead on volume according to the latest news published by Truck & Bus Builder Reports Limited. Analysts believe that the Chinese manufacturing pace has quickened because they are now using European standards for bus building and operation.
The report also claims that in India, the two leading domestic bus makers, Tata and Ashok Leyland, are involved in a Government-led transport programme, which “could transform the whole of the Indian sub-continent in terms of public transport.” The report details production and registration data for the main bus building countries and carries market forecast figures for the next five years.
Amtel Expand Profits 64 per cent
Product NewsAmtel Holdings Holland has announced a 64 per cent increase in profits as part of its consolidated results for the 2003 financial year.
Pirelli and Alcatel Complete Transaction
Product NewsAlcatel and Pirelli announced today that they have completed the transaction regarding their respective submarine telecommunication businesses, after having received approval of Italian Antitrust Authorities.
A-Z Formen and Maschinenbau Divide Business
Company News, International NewsA-Z Formen and Maschinenbau GmbH Germany has sold its Rubber Extruder Division and the related IPR and know-how to VMI – AZ Extrusion GmbH Germany, a newly founded company which is part of the VMI Group. All staff have been transferred to the new company.
VMI is a supplier of tyre manufacturing and rubber compound handling machinery. Plants operating in Europe, North America and East Asia will now produce the systems. Following the acquisition the VMI Group is now in a position to supply products, process know-how and service to rubber extrusion and retread customers worldwide.
The new company’s production facility and headquarters will be based in Runding Germany, whilst its sales offices will remain in Munich and Akron USA at their existing addresses. Business contacts within both locations will remain the same, however Mr Florian Fischer, currently manager of the Machine Division of A-Z will now become the new general manager. Mr Auke Dalstra, currently VP and CFO of the VMI Group will assist him.
A-Z Formen and Maschinenbau GmbH, has been supplying molds and mold closing systems for the tyre industry, special machinery for tyre mold production and components for the aerospace and other industries for over 40 years and will now fully concentrate on this sector of its business.
