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.
Hella, the lighting and electronics specialist, has opened a new plant in Lithuania. Based in the Lithuanian Kaunas region, the new facility will serve the rising demand for electronics components in the European market. The production focus will initially be on lighting electronics components, but will soon be expanded to include various sensors, actuators and control units.
On 12 September VMI’s new extrusion technology centre and manufacturing facility was officially opened by Karin Bucher, mayor of Cham and Edward Holweg, COO of VMI, in the presence of employees and invitees.
During a ceremony held at Pirelli’s headquarters in Milan, Italy recentlym VMI received the Supplier Award for high quality and support. Chief purchasing officer Matteo Battaini handed over the Award to Harm Voortman, CEO of VMI Group:
Apollo Tyres’ manufacturing facilities in Kerala (located in Perambra and Kalamassery) are now returning to normal production levels, according to the company. Production operations in the two plants were affected by heavy floods in the state which prevented employees getting in to work.
Writing in an official statement on the matter, company representatives said: “There is no damage to equipment or property, and all the employees of the company are safe and secure. The production loss due to this natural calamity is 3000 metric tonnes approximately. However, consequential loss of profit is not significant.”
Polymer producer DuPont has announce that it will increase its Zytel prices globally. Effective from 1 October, or as soon as contracts allow, DuPont Transportation & Advanced Polymers is increasing the price of Zytel products by the equivalent of $550 per metric tonne.
Three Eastman scientists will discuss using insoluble sulphur to improve manufacturing productivity, the relationship between resin chemistry and tyre performance, and innovative solutions to maintain steel cord adhesion at the International Tire Exhibition and Conference (ITEC) in Akron, Ohio, 11-13 September 2018.
Following serious flooding in Kerala state, India, Apollo Tyres wrote to the stock exchange warning of plan shutdowns in light of the adverse conditions.
A report published by E4TechA shows that UK companies are well-placed to supply valuable materials needed for batteries to be built in UK, representing a potential £2.7 billion per year business opportunity. The report was commissioned by Warwick Manufacturing Group (WMG) at the University of Warwick, was launched to the Chemical Industry Association at the Chemistry Growth Partnership meeting in London, chaired by Steve Foots, chief executive of Croda, and attended by Richard Harrington MP.
Retreader and tyre management provider Vacu-Lug, which has today been acquired by Zenises, was visited by its local MP Nick Boles. The member for for Grantham and Stamford spent his time at the company seeing its latest manufacturing developments and learning more about its recently developed VMS Mobile app, designed to provide operators with fingertip access to their fleet’s tyre data whenever and wherever they need it.
A new track manufacturing plant is being set up in the USA to meet growing demand from agricultural and construction segment customers for Camso’s tracks and track systems. The 139,000 square foot (12,900 square metre) facility, located in Junction City, Kansas, is expected to open in January 2020. The increase in production capacity that will accompany the plant’s opening will enable Camso to shorten its delivery lead times.
In mid-June US president Donald Trump announced plans to impose 25 per cent tariffs on US$50 billion worth of Chinese goods. However, the above round of tariffs was actually an additional wave that followed as part of the Trump administration’s ongoing trade war with China. Steel is at the centre of this dispute, with President Trump suggesting that China is dumping steel in America. But now US tyre cord makers could close due to steel tariffs.
Bekaert Group is closing its rubber reinforcement entity in Figline e Incisa Valdarno, Italy and cease all activities there.
At the Movin’On conference on future mobility held last month in Montreal, tyre cord and composite technology company Kordsa made a presentation that emphasized the need to lighten vehicles for efficient and sustainable mobility.
In May Cimcorp, the Finland-based manufacturer and integrator of turnkey robotic gantry-based order fulfilment and tire-handling solutions, shared construction plans to expand its production and office facilities at its headquarters in Ulvila, Finland. The new facilities will be built on 8,500 square metres of land, bought by Cimcorp in August 2017, nearly doubling the footprint of its current 9,500-square-metre space. The expansion will enable the company to accommodate its continuing business growth with greater capacity and efficiency, as well as incorporate new space for research and development.
On 21 June 2018 ExxonMobil announced it had started production of hydrogenated hydrocarbon resin and halobutyl rubber at its integrated manufacturing complex in Singapore, the company’s largest integrated refining and petrochemical complex in the world. ExxonMobil’s new Escorez hydrogenated hydrocarbon resins plant will be the world’s largest with a capacity of 90,000 tonnes per year, and will meet long-term demand growth for hot-melt adhesives used in packaging or baby diapers. The new 140,000-tonnes-per-year butyl plant will produce premium halobutyl rubber used by manufacturers for tyres to better maintain inflation to improve fuel economy.
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