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US tariff expiry date draws near

On 26 September, the US tariff on Chinese-manufactured consumer tyres is scheduled to end. On that day it’ll be exactly three years since a 35 per cent duty was slapped upon all such tyres imported from China; this was reduced to 30 per cent in 2010 and for the past 12 months US consumers have paid a 25 per cent duty on Chinese passenger car and light truck tyres. The tariff received a mixed welcome – the Tire Industry Association referred to it in 2009 as “a politically motivated decision that will end up costing more jobs than it saves” while the United Steelworkers union praised Barack Obama as being “a President with the guts to enforce trade laws.” Either way, in little over a month the tyre tariff will be history.

21st August 2012/by Tyrepress Editors

GiTi debuting six new CV tyres at IAA 2012

With GiTi Tire having launched 12 new tyres in 2012, and with 10 more due before end of the year, the company has announced that it is taking six of its latest truck and bus tyre products to the IAA commercial vehicle show in Hanover. Two of the new GT Radial products – the GAR820 steer axle and GDL617 drive axle patterns – will form the foundation of six product debuts in hall 16, stand A43.

15th August 2012/by Tyrepress Editors

Online while you wait – The Cloud comes to ATS Euromaster

The forecast at ATS Euromaster is overcast. But before shrugging your shoulders and bracing for a return to dismal summer weather, you should probably be aware that the cloud heading in the fast fit network’s direction is spelt with a capital C. Wi-Fi provider The Cloud is rolling out its network across ATS Euromaster locations throughout the UK, and as of next month customers will be able to access the internet via a fast and reliable Wi-Fi connection while work is performed upon their vehicles. Wireless connectivity will be offered free to ATS Euromaster customers.

15th August 2012/by Tyrepress Editors

Pirelli confirms £20 million investment in Carlisle

Pirelli has confirmed that it is investing a total of £20 million in its Carlisle tyre production factory. As Tyres & Accessories reported following a visit last month, the money is being invested in research and development as well as factory upgrades. According to company representatives, of the £20 million total, £11.4 million is being spent on research and development and £9 million on machinery upgrades.

14th August 2012/by Tyrepress Editors

Bridgestone chooses Arizona site for guayule farm, research centre

A location has been found for the US-based guayule research farm and process research centre that Bridgestone Corporation intends to set up. A 281-acre site in Eloy, Arizona has been acquired for guayule farming activities, and Bridgestone Corporation will establish a process research centre in nearby Mesa, Arizona together with Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations.

2nd August 2012/by Tyrepress Editors

HiQ responds to BMW theft claim

A report in the consumer press claiming that a rise in BMW thefts can be attributed to aftermarket technicians – courtesy of a European Union regulation – has been branded as “outrageous and wholly inaccurate” by HiQ. The company’s fast fit manager, Stuart Carr, has joined the Independent Automotive Aftermarket Federation in refuting claims that a recent rise in BMW thefts is linked to the independent automotive aftermarket.

30th July 2012/by Tyrepress Editors

Conti opens Singapore R&D centre

To accommodate the company’s growth in Asia, Continental has opened a new research and development centre in Singapore. The facility, which covers a floorspace of some 10,170 square metres, houses around 650 employees from the company’s Tire and ContiTech divisions and the Automotive Group’s interior division. Continental invested S$36 million (£18.4 million) in setting up the new seven-storey centre.

27th July 2012/by Tyrepress Editors

John Rizkallah joins Rösler

Rösler Tyre Innovators has announced the appointment of John Rizkallah to the role of technical services engineer. Rizkallah, who was born in Cairo, Egypt and speaks fluent Arabic, joins Rösler with over seven years’ experience in tyres as both a project engineer and contract manager for clients such as Rio Tinto, BHP Billiton and FMG in Australia.

25th July 2012/by Tyrepress Editors

CRIA, Lanxess to collaborate on Chinese tyre label

Lanxess reports it will work with the China Rubber Industry Association (CRIA) towards developing and implementing tyre labelling in China. The two parties signed a letter of intent on 13 July, and the German specialty chemicals and synthetic rubber specialist says it and the CRIA have “agreed to cooperate closely on sharing knowledge and expertise” in this area.

20th July 2012/by Tyrepress Editors

Marangoni adds products to retreaded earthmover tyre range

Marangoni has introduced a number of new products to its range of large-sized and earthmover orientated tyres. These new products, available in sizes 27.00×49, 31/80×49 and 31/90×49, have reportedly been developed with the MRLS Recaflex and MDT Recaflex profiles. In addition these tyres now have a deeper tread pattern than the previous models, with the depth increased from 70 to 75 mm. This feature, combined with a larger footprint and a low hysteresis compound, is designed to offer longer tread life without negatively affecting casing life.

18th July 2012/by Tyrepress Editors

Bridgestone launches “overhauled” POS materials

Bridgestone has announced an overhaul of its consumer focused point of sale material. The action comes following an “extensive review of all collateral”, Bridgestone said. The manufacturer has also formed an independent focus group of drivers, who Bridgestone says have “helped shape the new look and feel as well as content”. The new product posters and leaflets are designed to “position the product with the relevant audience” instantly, with “a plain English explanation of what the main features of the product are, closing with bullet points summarising the main benefits,” Bridgestone states

13th July 2012/by Tyrepress Editors

Bridgestone reports rubber tree genome, disease detection research breakthroughs

A strong recent focus at Bridgestone, as at several other tyre makers, has been on researching alternatives to natural rubber sourced from the Hevea brasiliensis tree. At the same time, the tyre maker has also investigated the optimisation of Hevea brasiliensis productivity, and as part of this basic research into molecular breeding – breeding using genetic information – Bridgestone has successfully decoded the main genome sequence for Hevea brasiliensis.

10th July 2012/by Tyrepress Editors

Tyres play a starring role in Japanese EV research

If work being carried out by Professor Takashi Ohira and his team at Toyohashi University of Technology can be successfully applied to the real world, the day may come when we drive electric cars powered by current flowing through their tyres. The Toyohashi team is working on a project known as EVER, or Electric Vehicle on Electrified Roadway, and it says the technology being developed applies the same basic concept used on suburban electric railways for more than a century. On 5 July the Ohira and the Toyohashi team demonstrated its prototype technology at the WTP2012 trade show in Yokohama.

9th July 2012/by Tyrepress Editors

TPMS rendered useless by apathetic component

Kwik Fit has identified a weak link in the tyre pressure monitoring systems fitted to modern vehicles – and that weak link is, it appears, you and I. The retail network commissioned a study to investigate motorist responses to vehicle warning lights – and discovered that almost a half of all drivers don’t know what a tyre pressure warning light means.

4th July 2012/by Tyrepress Editors

CT facility added to expanded Conti R&D centre

Continental says it has expanded its research and development centre in Hanover-Stöcken and installed a new facility that can inspect the insides of passenger car and commercial vehicle tyres more quickly and efficiently. The advantage offered by the LINAC (Linear Electronic Accumulation) computer tomography facility, says Conti, is that it enables internal tyre components to be tested under conditions that replicate on-road driving conditions.

29th June 2012/by Tyrepress Editors