Korea’s Kumho Tires has announced a tyremaking first, namely that it has developed products that incorporate a new environmentally friendly material known as Lyocell. Kumho will use the material in the production of tyre cord for ultra-high performance products, and the company claims that the use of Lyocell can mimimise the production of hazardous materials during the manufacturing process.
The world’s first and only tyremaker exclusively dedicated to the production of racing tyres, Hoosier Racing Tire, has announced its development of a new sprint car tyre. The tyre in question is a 105/18-15 tyre for fitting to the sprint car’s right rear side, and features a stiffer construction than open competition tyres. It will be available in three compounds, and the company believes that by keeping the number of compounds on offer to a minimum they can significantly reduce overall tyre expenses.
The tyres will be made available through Hoosier dealers from Spring 2007 onwards.
Gelu Tofan, one of Romania’s most prominent businessmen during the last decade, and the tyre manufacturer he controls, Danubiana, are facing significant financial problems. The tyremaker’s lack of funds has reached such a serious level that it has had to cease all activity, endangering the company’s distribution activity and the security of its employees.
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(Akron/Tire Review) Pirelli Tire North America’s automated tire plant in Rome, Ga., received Ford Motor Co. Q1 Accreditation for operational excellence recently. The plant, featuring Pirelli’s MIRS production system, supplies OE tires for various Ford vehicles.
“This is a prestigious award from a world-class organization and is a sure indication of the rapidly developing capability of our company in the U.S.,” said Francesco Gori, managing director of Pirelli Tire. “Pirelli Tire North America is focused on selective growth in both the replacement and original equipment markets in the U.S. and Ford is very much part of that strategy, making it doubly satisfying to receive the accolade of their Q1 Accreditation.”
According to USW union officials some striking Goodyear workers may yet return to the company’s Topeka plant to build Humvee tyres for the US military. However the union insists that Goodyear must fire the plant’s temporary workers before any such move is made.
Production of Humvee tyres at the Topeka factory has dropped by 35 per cent since the strike began, creating a shortage for the military.
Cheap imports of scrap zinc-based balancing weights are poor quality and contain dangerous levels of heavy metals such as cadmium. Premium weight manufacturers told Tyres & Accessories that preliminary research shows such imports may contain up to 50 times the level of cadmium currently allowed in the products.
See the January issue of Tyres & Accessories (published in the third week of the month) for the full story.
(Akron/Tire Review) The United Steelworkers claims that Goodyear has placed ads in “several North Carolina newspapers” apparently looking to attract experienced tyre plant workers to work as replacements at its plants. Goodyear’s 12 unionized North American tyre plants are being picketed by the USW.
Nokian Tyres has decided not to build a 9 billion Czech korona (£216 million) vehicle tyre production plant in Valasske Mezirici, vice-president Raimo Mansikkaoja said in response to a letter from local mayor Jiri Castecka. The Lesna industrial zone near Valasske Mezirici was one of a number of European locations that the Finnish company was considering for the plant that would have employed 900 people.
(Akron/Tire Review) Sibur-Russian Tires has begun developing polyester cord fabric and “technical fibers” at its Sibur Volzhsky facility. The new production was started to reduce the amount of materials the company has to import. Sibur-Russian Tires expects that the Russian tyre market will grow 10 per year for the next few years.
Usha Martin India and Gustav Wolf of Germany, who have jointly set up a 2,400 tonnes per annum (tpa) capacity steel cord manufacturing facility at Ranchi, India have decided to diversify into the manufacture of tyre bead wire. A 30,000 tpa capacity tyre bead manufacturing facility will be set up at Ranchi in two phases at an estimated investment of 400 million rupees (£4.667 million). The proposed 30,000 tpa tyre bead manufacturing facility will be set up with Gustav Wolf’s product know-how and process technology, according to Dr P. Bhattacharya, joint managing director of Usha Martin Ltd.
Bridgestone UK has donated a set of tyres for a charity auction in aid of Children in Need. The rubber contributed to a total of more than £12,000 towards this year’s appeal after they were sold under the hammer by BBC Worldwide Magazines Production department.
A mere two months after Dunlop India’s Ambattur factory restarted production, a cut in power supply has halted work yet again. The plant had recently reopened after eight years when the Ruia Group acquired the ailing tyre company. The Tamil Nadu Electricity Board (TNEB) cut supply to the plant at the end of October as current consumption charges for September were unpaid, thus halting production at the factory.
Pirelli & C. SpA, the parent company of the tyre manufacturer, reported a loss in its third quarter after writing down the value of its investment in Telecom Italia SpA, Italy’s largest phone company. The net loss, excluding some items, was 1.6 billion euros ($2 billion), compared with net income of 105.8 million euros ($135 million) a year earlier.
(Akron/Tire Review) The Associated Press has reported that Continental AG’s Automotive Systems Group will close its Buffalo plant and move production to Asia – likely to the Philippines. The move, expected by 2009, will eliminate about 380 jobs. Continental spokesman Jim Gill told the AP that the move was due to the “hyper competitive” automotive industry. The plant, located in Elma, New York, produces engine and transmission control sensors.
Dunlop India Limited’s plant in Sahagange, reportedly the oldest tyre plant in Asia, restarts production today (Tuesday 30 October) after years of inactivity. Dunlop’s Ambattur plant re-opened a little over a month ago. “We are dealing with old machines at Sahagange. The problem has been compounded by damage and thefts when the plant had be closed,” S K Paul, managing director of Dunlop India, told reporters at the opening of the Ambattur plant.
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