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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

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

Turnover And Profits Up For Nokian

Nokian Tyres has released its figures for the second quarter. Looking at the figures for the first six months, both turnover and operating profit were up on 1H 2001. Turnover rose 12.6 per cent to 193.3 million Euros (1H 2001 171.6 m Euros) and operating profit was 8.7 m Euros (6.7 m). Net profit was 1 m Euros (-0.8 m Euros). The good figures were the result of price increases, improved product mix and lower material costs. Most product groups showed increased sales, with the exception of retreading materials, and the Vianor retail chain lost 2.5 m Euros.

12th August 2002/by Tyrepress Editors

Trouble For Dunlop Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe’s only tyre manufacturer, Dunlop Zimbabwe, is at the centre of a political row. A member of the ruling Zanu PF party visited the company after reports on the state-owned Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation alleged that Dunlop was closing down as part of a plan by white-owned businesses to stir up unrest against the government. This has been refuted by a source close to Dunlop, which says that the company is suffering because of Zimbabwe’s shortage of foreign currency and government controls over tyre prices, but there are no plans to close down. The company, which employs around 800 staff, imports 90 per cent of raw materials needed to make tyres and wants to raise tyre prices. It has already suspended credit sales to customers in order to minimise losses.

12th July 2002/by Tyrepress Editors

Pirelli Unveils Automatic Mixing System

Pirelli unveiled its automatic Continuous Compound Mixing system (CCM) which complements its MIRS tyre production system and allows extremely accurate and environmentally-friendly mixing of up to 40 components. Seven patents have been applied for, with the first one granted in North America. Together, says Pirelli, CCM and MIRS will mean “a new generation of tyres, with performance unimaginable up to now.”

20th June 2002/by Tyrepress Editors

Gajah Tunggal

Gajah Tunggal was established in 1951 to produce bicycle tyres and inner tubes. 20 years later production of motorcycle tyres began, followed in 1981 by car tyre production. Gajah Tunggal produced its first car and light truck radial tyres in 1989, and was listed on the Jakarta Stock Exchange in 1990.In the past ten years Gajah Tunggal has grown by acquisition of suppliers such as GT Petrochem, a producer of tyre cord and nylon filament, Langgeng Bajapratma, a wire manufacturer, and Meshindo Alloy Wheel Corporation. These developments linked to constant improvements in quality control, gaining ISO 9002 quality certification in 1995, along with TÜV Certification from Germany, helped create Gajah Tunggal as one of the leading tyre manufacturers in South East Asia.The Gajah Tunggal radial tyre plant gained ISO 9001 in 1997 and has also received quality certification from several countries i.e. E-Mark from the European Community, TÜV CERT from Germany, quality testing certification from the U.S. Department of Transportation, the BPS from the Philippines and a similar certification from the Government of Brazil.Currently Gajah Tunggal sources 36% of its raw materials from its subsidiary companies. Further vertical integration and synergy of its group activities to develop higher technology and higher value-added products, are a key policy in future development of the business operation.The company has entered into an off-take agreement with Pirelli to manufacture tyres for North America and Europe.

25th March 2002/by Tyrepress Editors

Michelin Is Leaving The Competition Behind.

In 2001, the Michelin corporation generated a world-wide turnover of 15.775 billion Euro (+2.5% compared to 2000) and an operating profit of 1.04 billion Euro (-10.5% compared to 2000), thus showing a net profit of 314 million Euro (-28.4% compared to 2000). Under difficult economic circumstances world-wide, Michelin’s two main competitors, Bridgestone and Goodyear, could not even get close to Michelin’s operating profit, which corresponds to 6.6% of turnover. Bridgestone is still suffering from the consequences of the Firestone tyre recall in the USA, in 2000, and Goodyear has shown a loss for 2001. During a press conference at the end of February in Paris, Michelin’s COO, Edouard Michelin, clarified the course of business events during the last year, and Michel Rollier, Chief Financial Officer, offered a detailed view on the corporation’s figures. For the very first time, the corporation answered questions during a big press conference (other conferences were held in London and New York), and mentioned turnover and profit figures for the individual divisions.

7th March 2002/by Tyrepress Editors

Waste Tyres: A Problem Or A Resource?

Waste tyres are a problem around the world. The prominence given to dealing with the problem varies, depending upon the local conditions. So, on searching for news on illegal tyre dumping, we will find it is accepted that tyre disposal is recognised as a problem in all the leading, or developed, economies. The USA, Britain, Germany, New Zealand and Australia amongst others, all have severe problems with disposing of waste tyres. In many third world countries there is less of a problem, possibly due to a lower level of use, to lower environmental awareness, and, partly to economic pressures in “catching up” on the developed world. In the race to catch up many developing nations feel they have the right to use the same freedom from environmental restrictions that were enjoyed in the developed nations during the first 200 years of the industrial revolution. It is difficult for them to look at the USA or Europe and see what we have lost and compare it to what they have yet to lose. It might be argued that the burden of dealing with the environmental problems in the developing nations is possibly a problem which ought to be carried by the leading economies, rather than by the embryonic economies around the world.Whoever carries the cost, we must surely recognise that the tyre industry has a duty to ensure that the products created have as efficient a life span as possible. The production and the ultimate destruction of the tyres created must also be as efficient and as least damaging to the environment as is feasible. Right now, the leading nations are taking steps to address the problem of waste tyres. The biggest single step is the ultimate banning in landfill of waste tyres. However, this in turn, creates other problems for the tyre industry. If we produce millions of waste tyres every year, they will all, one day, have to be disposed of. It is estimated that some 21% of these tyres currently get landfilled. They get landfilled because there are no other uses for these tyres. If there are no other uses and the tyres can no longer be landfilled, what do we do with them?Alternative uses for old tyres would indubitably be more beneficial and more economic in the long-term. The environmental lobbyists at Friends of the Earth and Greenpeace continually scream that recycling old tyres as retreads is a far better option than burying or burning. However, there are problems associated with that too. The obvious one is that there is an insufficient market for retreaded tyres. The industry could doubtless remanufacture as many tyres as it could get its hands on, but where are they going to be sold? Instead of having massive stockpiles of old tyres, we end up with massive stockpiles of retreaded tyres no-one wants to buy. And in today’s Just-In-Time economy, no manufacturer wants to stockpile unwanted goods. So that is not a real solution to the problem. Then, again, there is the reality of retreading. That it is only extending the life of the tyre, and, at the end of the day, it will still need to be disposed of. Retreading could reduce the number of new tyres manufactured and extend the lifespan of a tyre carcass, reducing the demand for raw materials – which most would argue is a good thing. The producers of the raw materials in South East Asia and the oil producing companies might disagree.So we need to find other uses for the end product. Turn the waste tyre into a raw material which can be “mined” to create a new product. This is not a new idea, and there are a number of possibilities available. Each though has its own costs and benefits which must, in turn, be considered. Sometimes the obvious options turn out to be less acceptable than we might expect.

23rd December 2001/by Tyrepress Editors

RubberNetwork Moves Forward

RubberNetwork.com, the electronic global purchasing marketplace set up by six tyre manufacturers, has taken a step forward. Transactions are due to begin in April and Bob Webster has been appointed as vice president of operations. A chief executive officer will be appointed at a later date. The organisation has also launched its own website.

30th November 2001/by Tyrepress Editors

Vietnamese Rubber Producers Call For Export Limit

Vietnam’s rubber producers have called for a limit on exports of crude rubber. Exports to countries such as China have increased to the stage where the domestic rubber processing industry is facing a shortage of raw materials.

30th November 2001/by Tyrepress Editors

Conflict May Damage Stomil-Olsztyn

Ongoing rows between minority shareholders and main shareholder Michelin may have an adverse effect on company results for 2001. The company is already suffering from decreased demand, a weak Euro and rising raw materials costs. Benoit de la Breteche, president of Stomil’s board said “This year is going to be a difficult one and we should focus on business.”

30th November 2001/by Tyrepress Editors

“Business As Usual” As Trelleborg Acquires All Of TWS

The Trelleborg group has purchased Pirelli’s 40% share of the agricultural joint venture company Trelleborg Wheel Systems. Recently-appointed President of TWS, Maurizio Vischi, said that the customer would not notice any difference in products or service and that TWS would continue to have a close relationship with Pirelli. Later on this year TWS will manufacture Trelleborg-branded radial tyres at its Tivoli factory.

30th November 2001/by Tyrepress Editors

Price Increases In German Market For Continental Tyres

Continental has announced that the prices of its passenger, van and 4×4 tyres sold in Germany will go up by four per cent from 1st August. Higher costs of raw materials are being blamed for the increase, particularly the price of synthetic rubber and carbon black. The price hike does not apply to markets outside Germany.

30th November 2001/by Tyrepress Editors

“BioTred” To Replace Soot And Silica

According to the US tyre manufacturer Goodyear, they have developed a filling material for car tyres on the basis of renewable raw materials. Thanks to this new rubber mixture, as reported by the press officer Mr Fischer, tyre production will be less harmful to the environment and, compared to the normal silica tyre tread mixture, it offers a lower rolling resistance. Above all, it should be fuel saving. This new technology, which will be used for the first time in the summer tyre GT 3, will offer additional advantages for safety and handling. Presenting the BioTred for the first time to the German press at the end of January in Frankfurt, the company attracted a lot of interest. BioTred is an artificial name, with a deliberate spelling difference to “tread”, in order to highlight its ecological advantage immediately to the consumer. BioTred is a patented tread mixture containing an element from corn starch. However, in parts this element will replace the substances soot and silica which have been used for processing up to now. According to Dr. Annette Lechtenböhmer, who is a chemical engineer at the Goodyear Technical Centre in Luxembourg and also a university teacher at the Hanover University Institute for Process Engineering, this new filling material will reduce CO2 emissions in different ways. On questioning it was confirmed that the starch suitable for producing the filling material could also be generated from potatoes. Since Goodyear has spent five years developing this material and holds a couple of patents, a lead over the competition should be possible.

30th November 2001/by Tyrepress Editors

No Re-arrangement Of Continental/Michelin JV

Continental spokesman Peter Schwerdtmann has denied reports that Continental and Michelin are planning to re-arrange or discontinue their two-year-old joint venture which includes combined purchasing of raw materials and Michelin’s share of Barum. The teamwork between both companies is excellent, he said, and the joint venture will continue. Terms to form the basis of a new settlement would have caused problems because of the brand rights for Uniroyal, owned by Michelin, but produced in Europe by Continental, under licence.

7th December 2000/by Tyrepress Editors