Korean tyre manufacturer Nexen is in the process of establishing a European Technical Centre in Frankfurt/Höchst, Germany. The company says that the Centre underscores its efforts to establish itself further on the European market. Two experienced tyre specialists and developers have been involved with the interface between Europe and Korea since the beginning of the year – engineer Hee-Jong Lee and Dr. Hendrik Stevens.
The iF Product Design Award 2011 has been awarded to two tyres made by the Korean manufacturer Nexen. The N8000 UHP summer tyre and the Winguard Sport winter tyre prevailed from a field of 2,756 products from 1,121 registered participants in 43 countries. John Bosco Kim, managing director of Nexen Tyre Europe, hailed the win of the iF product design award in a statement: “For us, design prizes are among our most important distinctions.
UK car leasing customers are struggling to avoid potholes on the nation's roads, a study has revealed. According to Kwik Fit, nearly four in ten British motorists (or 13.7 million) have taken dangerous action to avoid hitting a pothole over the past 12 months.
The cost of natural rubber price has reportedly doubled in 2010 and is said to have increased a further 15 per cent during the opening weeks of January 2011, according to an equity research note published by Deutsche Bank analysts Gaetan Toulemonde. So far this month natural rubber costs have continued to surge to US$5.7/kg, a new record high.
Based just about an hour outside China’s rubber capital city (Qingdao in Shandong province), Himile Mechanical Science and Technology Co., Ltdis purportedly the largest mould manufacturer in the People’s Republic.
Growing into the position of leadership in one of the largest tyre markets is a process that has been completed within the space of one and half decades. Founded in 1995, Himile initially went into business with just two production lines – one for tyre mould making and one for manufacturing tyre manufacturing equipment. Since then the scale of the business has multiplied many times over.
Current annual production stands at 100 units a year, with annual turnover totalling 400 million yuan. The main customers, which include names known to European tyre import business such as Shandong Jinyu and Yongtai Chemical, reside within the People's Republic. Less than 10 per cent of production is exported.
That said the company reports that it plans to develop its export business depending on market conditions. The intention is to further develop the “excellent local support” the company's products and services have been receiving before moving into the export business. In the meantime domestic demand is described as a “more than sufficient opportunity.”
The AutoSport International show gets underway tomorrow and runs until January 16, and Maxxis reports it is ready and waiting and will launch its new ZR9 UHP tyre during the Birmingham show. It will also use the opportunity to showcase several key Maxxis products for different market sectors and to launch its new hospitality unit and launch the new maxxis.co.uk website, 2011 calendar and mobile phone app to the general public.
New research by analysts at Plimsoll suggests the UK tyre market is polarised between “those getting it right and those struggling to recover.” David Pattison, senior analyst and author of the 2011 Plimsoll Analysis explained: “Now that the storm is lifting we have been able to assess the damage left behind. 38 companies are in parlous state and starting the New Year clinging on for dear life. We have rated them as Danger accordingly. Falling demand was the final nail in the coffin for many. The mistake they made though was to not make those painful cuts early enough to protect their business”.
Bedfordshire-based H.E. Payne Transport Limited and its customer, potato merchant Greenvale AP, are trialling a new generation of energy-efficient Duramold retread tyres produced by Vacu-Lug. Unlike other ecologically aware tyres, these products are actually coloured green to reinforce their environmental credentials, the tyres are fitted to a truck and trailer in the Greenvale AP-liveried fleet operated by H. E. Payne Transport on the nationwide distribution of fresh potatoes.
A total of ten of the new tyres have been fitted to the H. E. Payne / Greenvale AP Euro 5 440hp 6×2 Volvo FH13 combination.
With the burgeoning smartphone market driving mobile internet usage, recent research shows a dramatic increase in sales of these items during the past year, analysts GfK NIS have revealed that the average smartphone user makes up to 24 web sites visits per day, and a vast majority of these are to traditional websites and not just mobile specific sites.
In the annoying sound stakes, it jostles for pole position with fingernails scraped across the blackboard. For thousands of motorists, all too many a winter journey is accompanied by the cacophony of wipers making their squealing progress back and forth across the windscreen, jarring our aural sensibilities while leaving us with a smeared field of vision. Yet Kwik-Fit rightly points out that this is a torture of our own choosing – the fast fit network’s research shows that one in three British motorists are driving with defective windscreen wipers blades and 56 per cent of us don’t check this easily and affordably replaceable item from one year to the next.
ATS Euromaster has issued the following comment in response to reports of insurance companies charging drivers a premium for fitting cold weather tyres to their cars / vans: “We are in agreement with Tyresafe's criticism of insurance companies charging higher premiums for drivers with cold weather tyres,” says Huw Williams, Group Marketing Director of ATS Euromaster. “It highlights the widespread confusion surrounding their fitment and proven suitability for the UK market.
Trelleborg has reported signing an agreement with the European Investment Bank for an 80 million euro long term-loan. This loan, the Swedish company explains, is intended to finance a part of Trelleborg’s expenditures for selected research and development projects in number of European countries extending out into 2012. These research and development projects focus on the further development of advanced polymer technology and related products to seal, damp and protect in demanding environments.
Dunlop Aircraft Tyres is the world’s only specialist aircraft tyre company, and in 2010 the firm celebrated a century in the business. After a hundred years the Birmingham-based manufacturer is still going strong and recently announced further additions to its research, quality and production teams.
ATS Euromaster has issued the following comment in response to reports of insurance companies charging drivers a premium for fitting cold weather tyres to their cars / vans:
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