Manufacturing Archives - Page 249 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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New Bridgestone Production System

Bridgestone has unveiled a new tyre production system which automates the entire manufacturing process from initial materials processing to final inspection of finished tyres. Called Bridgestone Innovative and Rational Development (BIRD), the system consists of three elements. First is Bridgestone’s Automated Tyre Manufacturing Synchronised System (ATMSS) technology covering materials processing to vulcanisation. Second is Automated Inspection Modular System (AIMS) for automatic inspection of finished tyres and the third element is the Flow Oriented Approach (FOA) implementation of autonomous information processing for managing the system. Among the advantages claimed for BIRD include flexibility, quality improvements, smaller plants (a unit can produce up to 350,000 car tyres a year), occupying one-third of the space of a conventional plant, smaller lot production and reduced environmental impact.

26th November 2002/by Tyrepress Editors

Analysts Downgrade Goodyear

In the United States, analysts UBS Warburg have downgraded Goodyear stocks from “Hold” to “Reduce” and the price target per share from $8 to $5.50. The analysts accept that the company’s sales performance overseas is improving, but Goodyear is struggling in the US and the analysts cite five reasons why it might be difficult to make further progress in this market.

6th November 2002/by Tyrepress Editors

Michelin Agrees to Purchase Up to 1,000 Design Licenses

Michelin has agreed to purchase up to 1,000 licenses of SolidWorks three-dimensional computer-aided design (3D CAD) software to design new tyre manufacturing machines. Michelin expects SolidWorks to reduce its tyre manufacturing machine design time significantly throughout its global operations. It will also use SolidWorks to convert existing 2D designs to 3D and effectively communicate designs with customers, suppliers, and different departments in the company.

5th November 2002/by Tyrepress Editors

Goodyear Eagle F1 Goes Global

The Goodyear Eagle F1 which has been progressively rolled out around the world through 2002 is to become the first global tyre. The aim of global tyres is to produce tyre sizes for the worldwide market from single region manufacturing points. That is to say, tyres of any given size type will be manufactured in a single region and shipped globally. Currently eight North-American specific tyre sizes are manufactures in Lawton, Oklahoma, and 31 popular European sizes are manufactured in Germany. The global approach will significantly reduce manufacturing and equipment costs. The F1 is the first of many tyres that Goodyear will be offering on a global scale.

31st October 2002/by Tyrepress Editors

Recycled Tyres To Go To War?

The US Military is a large consumer of retread tyres but a new development may see them also utilising recycled tyres. The Denlin Corporation is to demonstrate a new helicopter landing pad made from the company’s Treadoles(R) recycled tyres. “This product is of great interest to the military, industrial, commercial and retail markets,” said Dennis Martin, president. Besides helicopter landing pads, Martin said Denlin is using it in ballistic armour shields for military vehicles and ground troops. Both products are weeks away from first commercial use, he claimed.Denlin’s helicopter landing pad, custom made for desert fighting and field combat installation, helps eliminate sand blasting of critical helicopter parts, including rotors and engines. The manufacturing process uses “an unique, innovative cutting process,” according to Martin. Recycled vehicle tyres are used without the need for further processing of the rubber material. Other applications include flooring, roofs and roadways for third world countries.

28th October 2002/by Tyrepress Editors

Components Business Boosts Cooper 3Q Results

Cooper Tire & Rubber has published its third quarter figures. Turnover rose 6 per cent to $839 million (3Q 2001: $791 m). For the first nine months, sales have totalled $2.5 billion, with a net income of $88 million, up 87 per cent on the same period last year. Tyre sales were almost static in 3Q at $464 million ($462 m), while auto component sales were up 14 per cent at $381 million. The company’s overall net income for the quarter was $23 million, compared to a loss in 3Q 2001 of $20 million, due largely to charges relating to settlement of class action litigation.

17th October 2002/by Tyrepress Editors

Car Manufacturers In Joint Procurement Plan

Hyundai, DaimlerChrysler and Mitsubishi are said to have held talks exploring ways to jointly develop and purchase parts. The procurement talks were held in Hyundai’s Seoul HQ and covered parts purchased in the US, Japan and Europe in addition to South Korea.

14th October 2002/by Tyrepress Editors

Price-Fixing Investigation Into Chemical Firms

Three companies which supply chemicals for tyre manufacturing are being investigated for possible price fixing. Investigations are on-going in both the USA and Europe into Bayer AG, Flexsys NV and Crompton Corp. Experts estimate that sales of rubber-processing chemicals in the USA are worth around $900 million annually.

11th October 2002/by Tyrepress Editors

Goodyear GB Sells Wolverhampton Site

Goodyear Great Britain has sold its Wolverhampton manufacturing site to Birmingham-based St. Modwen Developments Limited and entered into a 10-year, extendable lease-back agreement which will enable production to continue. Financial details were not revealed. Wolverhampton was Goodyear’s first factory outside North America, opened in 1927. Production has fallen due to lack of competitiveness and clerical jobs have been relocated to the new HQ at Tyrefort in Birmingham. The sale/lease arrangement allows production to continue and for Goodyear to release value from the 88.6 acre site.

8th October 2002/by Tyrepress Editors

15 Million Euro Investment By TRW

TRW Automotive has opened a new 15,000 square metre state of the art braking friction manufacturing facility dedicated to the aftermarket. The 15 million Euro investment at Olvega, in Spain’s Castilla-Leon region, has been opened in to meet demand for TRW’s breakthrough heavy metal free Lucas brake pads. TRW now has nine dedicated European aftermarket manufacturing sites in addition to 23 OE braking, steering and suspension plants, supporting the company’s ambition to have the best original equipment based chassis systems programme in the aftermarket. Currently, production at Olvega is running at almost two million pad sets a year; at full capacity, the site will produce in excess of five million pad sets annually. The plant employs 200 workers.

19th September 2002/by Tyrepress Editors

Bridgestone US Executive Appointment

Bridgestone Firestone Americas Holding Inc. has appointed Mark Emkes (49) as chairman, president and chief executive of Bridgestone Firestone North America, effective from Monday. Mr. Emkes has been with the company for 26 years and most recently headed up Bridgestone Firestone’s business in Latin America. He succeeds Isao Togashi, who has returned to Japan as head of global manufacturing for the Bridgestone Corporation.

13th September 2002/by Tyrepress Editors

Changes In Tyre Manufacturer World Rankings

Last year Michelin achieved total sales of $13.4 billion, putting the company ahead of Bridgestone ($13 billion) and Goodyear ($12.5 billion). However, in unit terms, Goodyear considers itself the largest manufacturer with an output of 219 million tyres.

10th September 2002/by Tyrepress Editors

DaimlerChrysler AG: Buy

Last month the American vehicle market recorded good sales figures, still influenced largely by the offer of zero per cent financing. However, it is better to offer zero per cent deals and keep manufacturing capacity high rather than risk losing market share, say the analysts at M. M. Warburg, who have set a target figure for DaimlerChrysler shares of 62 Euros.

10th September 2002/by Tyrepress Editors

Tiger Wheels Grow

South African Tiger Wheels has benefited from a weak Rand pushing attributable earnings up by 63.3 per cent for the year to June. Revenue was up by 22 per cent and earnings by 49 per cent. According to the company the average euro-to-rand rate of R8.95 had most benefited the German-based division, ATS which became one of the main drivers for the growth in revenue. The company reported an improvement in production at its Babelegi plant in South Africa, increased production from the new Polish facility and the first phase of a new US wheel manufacturing facility at Auburn, Alabama was now under way. The US expansion has come about to meet the demand for wheel rims from DaimlerChrysler.

4th September 2002/by Tyrepress Editors

Ceat To Import Pirelli To India

Indian manufacturer Ceat Ltd has caused a stir by agreeing to outsource some 10,000 tyres per month from Pirelli. Recently Indian companies have sought to find cheaper alternative products by buying from other, lower cost markets but this move goes against the trend with Ceat importing higher cost, higher quality products from a world leading brand. The reasons are said to be to fill the gap left by the collapse of the Ceat – Goodyear JV to produce radials and to try and give the company a foothold in the growing radial tyre market without setting up another manufacturing operation in India. It may also offer a low risk opportunity to test the Indian market’s capacity for high quality, high cost premium brand products. The outcome of the exercise may alter the nature of the Indian tyre market according to some commentators.

3rd September 2002/by Tyrepress Editors