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.
Solvay has begun production of Highly Dispersible Silica (HDS) at its new plant in Wloclawek, Poland. HDS production has been increases in order to address “strong and growing regional demand for energy saving tyres”, according to the company.
Another of Goodyear Dunlop’s European plants has today announced plans to cease a portion of its production in addition to the planned withdrawal from Wolverhampton. Tyrepress sister site Reifenpresse.de reports that Goodyear Dunlop Tires Germany informed its employees of its intention to relocate remaining car tyre production from Wittlich to other plants within the region EMEA (Europe, Middle East, Africa). PCR production has been shifted away from the plant gradually for several years, with the latest announcement completing cessation of Wittlich’s production of these products.
Following the news of Goodyear’s planned closure of its Wolverhampton mixing and retreading operations, Express & Star journalist, Peter Madeley has quoted “a union spokesman” on Twitter, saying that the closure proposal was “out of the blue”.
Latest figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) reveal a steady growth in UK car manufacturing in May, with 119,338 cars built – a rise of 2.3 per cent. The strong domestic market once again played a significant part with a 13.3 per cent increase outweighing a small dip (-0.2 per cent) in production for export.
The proposed closure of Goodyear Dunlop’s Wolverhampton retread plant will bring to an end 90 years of tyre production in the city. The factory was part of the first Goodyear factory outside USA, when the manufacturer first started producing new tyres in the city in response to post-World War One import tariffs designed to boost British industry. At its peak, the manufacturer’s operations in Wolverhampton were estimated to have provided more than 7,000 jobs, making it one of the most significant players in the local economy. This role diminished throughout the 2000s, as Wolverhampton job losses became a regular occurrence.
Goodyear Dunlop Tyres UK has announced a proposal to close its Wolverhampton mixing and retreading facility. Under the proposal, the company would move its compound mixing activities and the production of commercial retreads to other existing sites across the Europe, Middle East and Africa region. It has been reported that the process of transferring operations would be completed over the next two years under the closure proposal.
Ge Guorong, vice president of Zhongce Rubber Group (known as ZC Rubber), visited Thailand for an update on construction progress of ZC Rubber Thailand factory in March.
ContiTech specialist compounder Phoenix Compounding Technology will exhibit its latest developments and showcasing its international locations at Booth 213, Hall 12 at the Deutsche Kautschuk-Tagung 2015 (DKT; German Rubber Conference) in Nuremberg from 29 June to 2 July, 2015. The focal point of its trade showcase is compounds in various delivery forms, which all meet the current requirements of the REACH regulation. More of ContiTech’s technologies will be unveiled during the lecture programme.
SMMT figures show that the strong British car market drove domestic production up 1.9 per cent in March with 144,893 cars built – the best March since 2006. Manufacturing output for the domestic market, meanwhile, rose almost a quarter, reflecting continuing strong demand for new cars in the UK.
Britain’s booming car manufacturing industry has received a huge boost with three major manufacturers announcing UK investments worth more than £1 billion in the past six days.
Eberspächer (UK) Ltd has opened a new purpose-built UK headquarters and manufacturing facility in Ringwood, Hampshire. The company, a manufacturer and supplier of vehicle, construction, marine heating and air conditioning systems, is part of the global Eberspächer Group, which is still family owned and is celebrating its 150th year.
The official opening was carried out on 25 March at Climate House, Yeoman Road, Ringwood, BH24 3FA by Eberspächer Group COO and managing partner, Heinrich Baumann and UK managing director, Vince Lee, with the Mayor of Ringwood Cllr. Barbara Woodifield in attendance.
Klarius’ R&D department has had a busy start to 2015, with “more than 100” new part numbers to be introduced by the end of March. The new list of parts covers over 170 applications, including new exhaust system components, CATs, DPFs and accessories. Klarius stated that it has responded to customer requests for replacement emission control parts new to the company’s range.
The Lotus Elise 20th Anniversary Special Edition celebrates the unveiling of the iconic sports car at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September 1995.
Former Continental manager, Pedro Matos, has been appointed as the chief quality officer at Apollo Tyres Ltd. He will be based at the company’s “Global Quality and Business Excellence Office” in Enschede, The Netherlands and will handle the entire portfolio of quality and business excellence in the organisation.
Commenting on Pedro’s appointment, Neeraj Kanwar, vice chairman & managing director, Apollo Tyres Ltd said: “As we grow our business across geographies, the scope of quality as a function has grown multifold. With Pedro’s well-rounded experience in benchmarking, developing and implementing best management systems and processes, he is best-suited to handle this critical function at Apollo Tyres.”
Vacu-Lug has added two more phases of conveyor system, as well as another 12-segment, high-pressure “Logistik” press and installed new LED lighting in various areas of the Vacu-Lug site as part of a suite of measure investing in the company’s retread manufacturing capabilities. The installation of conveyor systems within Vacu-Lug’s Hotcure department began in 2012 […]
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