A new technology for manufacturing butadiene from butenes has been developed and tested by Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation (MCC). Production in a pilot plant at the company’s Mizushima facility in Japan has already begun, and MCC states it is proceeding with plans to industrialise the new production technology within the coming year.
Around 3,500 workers at Michelin Canada’s factories in Nova Scotia have been asked to take extra holiday time to hep the company reduce production output. According to spokeswoman Lynn Mann, Michelin has already prolonged its normal holiday shutdown period by four days and has reassigned workers on some shifts to perform maintenance tasks. She added, however, that the changes being implemented in Nova Scotia have nothing to do with the problems facing the ‘Big Three’ vehicle manufacturers in the US – according to Mann, sales to General Motors, Ford and Chrysler account for less than five per cent of sales.
A new tyre launched onto the Japanese market on December 11 utilises the world’s first recycled polyester tyre cord product. The Toyo Proxes Ne features tyre cord manufactured using a substance produced by Teijin Fibers Limited, part of Japan’s Teijin Group. The chemically recycled Ecopet Plus polyester fibres are manufactured through a Teijin developed closed-loop recycling system known as ‘Eco Circle’, and are used in carcass of the environmentally oriented tyre. This is, comments Teijin Fibers, the first time a recycled material has been able to meet the strict requirements necessary for tyre carcass fabric.
Production at two factories operated by Goodyear in Turkey will be halted for ten days in December and January, says the president of the country’s petroleum, chemical and tyre union. The factories in Adapazari and Kocaeli will be closed between December 12 and 17 and then from January 2 – 7 due to reduced demand. Union president Abdullah Karacan added that production at the factories had decreased between 30 per cent and 60 per cent.
Continental Tire North America launched a new environmental program tied to reduction in tyre rolling resistance and reduced production emissions. The program – Continental Tire Responsibility – extends the company’s efforts at improving tyre-related fuel efficiency and cuts its use of resources while cutting CO2 emissions. According to Andreas Gerstenberger, CTNA executive vice president of sales and marketing, by 2012, the company is committed to reducing energy consumption by 18 per cent from 2007 levels; water usage by 17 per cent; waste by 16.3 per cent and CO2 emissions by 15.5 per cent.
“We are continually aligning the production, quality and performance of our products with environmental soundness, and we strive to conduct all of our activities in an environmentally conscious manner,” he said. “Going forward, each and every employee is obligated to protect the environment, and we will continue to avoid harmful emissions and waste. Continental is not just focused on a green message but a responsibility message which encompasses community, environment and fuel efficiency.” (Tire Review/Akron)
Production at the Amtel-Povolzhye factory in Kirov, Russia has resumed as of December 8. Operations at the Amtel-Vredestein subsidiary facility had been suspended due to a lack of working capital following the foundering of merger talks between its parent company and Sibur-Russian Tyres. This pause in production was reported to have been scheduled only for the period between October 11 and 20, however the resumption of work was repeatedly postponed.
Kraiburg Austria recently powered up a new internal mixing line. According to the retreading material supplier, the new machinery will primarily be used to produce high-performance compounds for tyre retreading. The new equipment is said to be more efficient and capable of mixing compounds with little or now oil. This means polymer chains are maintained better, which has a positive effect on mileage.
The new line is now producing K_base, K_tech, and K_plus products. Prior to the installation of the new machinery the K_tech and K_plus products, which are said to be “very demanding from a technical perspective,” have only been available in limited capacities.
Production output at Continental AG will reportedly be reduced at the end of this year following cuts in production at most German vehicle manufacturers. According to Continental spokeswoman Antje Lewe, in the next few weeks the company will be “looking at each location individually” before deciding how long to curb production or at which facilities.
On November 28 Bridgestone Corporation announced that its board of directors has approved a number of proposed changes in corporate officers. Mikio, Masunaga, currently vice president and senior officer responsible for procurement and internal manufacturing management in the Internal Manufacturing Management section and concurrently assistant to the vice president and officer, Motorsport is now focusing on the first of these duties exclusively.
Thirty-three people have been permanently laid Goodyear’s rubber mix plant in Radford, Virginia. The retreading materials facility is said to be reducing its workload from two shifts to one. According to a company spokesperson, decreased production at Goodyear’s other facilities has reduced demand for the product made in Radford.
Titan Tire has temporarily halted production of giant tyres at its Bryan, Ohio facility due to what it says is a pressure issue with one of its 53/80R63 curing presses. A build up and release of pressure from the curing press resulted in building structure damage. Fortunately, reports Titan, there were no serious injuries.
Production of the giant tyre ceased on November 23 and the company reports that it will be approximately 10 to 14 days before it recommences, the time required to undertake necessary repairs. Titan expects that certain repair costs will be covered by insurance.
Michelin has notified Romanian media that it will temporarily close its factories in that country until further notice in response to a greatly reduced demand for tyres. In a press release sent to national press agency Agerpres, Michelin management said that the demand for tyres in the European Union has decreased, forcing the company to “adjust production.”
According to a news report broadcast by Luxembourg television station RTL, Goodyear will next week stop production at its Colmar-Berg, Luxembourg facility. The reason given for this week-long pause in production is a sharp decline in demand for truck tyres. According to the broadcaster, this stoppage is a one-off action. Since early October the manufacturer has first shut down production in the truck tyre factory on Sundays, and then also on Saturdays.
STA, the Slovenian Press Agency, is reporting that the Central European country’s Goodyear subsidiary, Sava Tires, has announced that it will suspend production for two weeks towards the end of December. It will be the fourth time since June that the company has halted production.
In order to align its production levels with demand in the European market, Tata Steel subsidiary Corus announced in October plans to reduce its third quarter (October to December 2008) production by one million tonnes of crude steel, the equivalent of 20 per cent of its output. The company has now decided to extend the production cuts beyond December. Corus says it expects to produce about 30 per cent less crude steel than planned during the two quarters to the end of March 2009.
To meet this planned reduction Corus, currently Europe’s second largest steel producer, will temporarily idle one blast furnace at each of its IJmuiden (Belgium) Port Talbot and Scunthorpe facilities, the last of which manufactures steel rod from which tyre cord is produced. The company will also adjust output levels on its downstream production units to suit market conditions in respective regions and end-use sectors.
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