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Testing Times

Need the services of an independent tyre testing laboratory? There are several big names in the business (TUV SUD and Smithers Rapra immediately spring to mind), but Standards Testing Laboratories (STL) claims it operates as the world’s largest independent testing facility for tyres, wheels and related automotive components. Through its four divisions, STL provides the rubber and automotive industries with dynamic laboratory testing, static and physical testing, fleet testing, test machines, specialized photographic and video services and consulting services.

Founded by R.L. Fuller in 1971, the company began as an independent laboratory with one roadwheel machine, operating from a trailer office adjacent to the Fabricated Machines Company. Today, STL runs more than 100 test positions 24 hours a day, 365 days a year through its four testing divisions:

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Goodyear Takes “Small Step Backwards” in Moon Tyre Development

Goodyear and NASA have, in the US tyre major’s own words “taken one small step backward to make one giant leap forward” in their preparation for future missions to the moon and to Mars. A project jointly funded by Goodyear and the NASA Glenn Research Center (GRC) has recently been completed. This project called for the development and production of twelve exact copies of the original wire-mesh moon tyre used on the Apollo Lunar Roving Vehicle in the early 1970s. The creation of these replicates was, says Goodyear, the first step toward understanding this unique non-pneumatic tyre technology, and its applications on both the moon and Earth.

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Continental Named Fleet Van Tyre Provider of the Year

This year’s inaugural Fleet Van awards ceremony in Birmingham saw Continental Tyre Group named as Tyre Provider of the Year. The judging panel evaluated entrants based on a number of criteria, which included: validated performance of the current product range; availability of supply; simplicity of fitment and evidence of the company’s commitment to future development and innovation. Trevor Gelken, Editor of Fleet Van Magazine commented: “We were very impressed with Continental’s performance in all of the judging categories, but the deciding factor for us was the outstanding focus on safety”.

Continental actively promotes safety through its work with road safety and government organisations using initiatives such as the 3mm minimum tread depth campaign. In addition, safety has always been the first consideration for Continental’s research and development teams in developing new product.

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Hankook Design Acknowledged at iF Awards

Hankook Tire has picked up awards for the design of its enfren and Optimo 4S tyres at the iF Product Design Awards 2009 ceremony, held in the German city of Hanover. The two tyres became the first passenger car tyres to ever win the design award organised by the International Forum Design. They were both awarded in the ‘Transportation’ category, and were judged according to their technology, environment friendliness, functionality, safety and design quality.

The tyres are appraised independently for their quality and performance in terms of the environment and fuel efficiency, and Hankook attributes the tyre’s recognised innovative qualities to its consistent 5 per cent investment into its Kontrol Technology programme, which it states is one of the highest proportional levels of R&D investment in the tyre industry. The enfren tyre was launched in Korea in June 2008 and according to the Korea Automotive Technology Institute reduces rolling resistance by 21 per cent and improves fuel economy by two per cent. The Optimo 4S is currently the only tyre in the world and first all-season tyre ever to receive the famous German eco-label, the Blue Angel (Der Blaue Engel, in use since 1978 and considered to be the world’s first environmental-related label for products and services).

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Continental Sime Relocates Retreading Facility

Continental Sime Tyre is relocating its retreading operations. The majority Conti owned Malaysian joint venture company will move the plant from Alor Gajah in the Southern Malay Peninsula to Petaling Jaya, near Kuala Lumpur, in a series of stages, starting early 2009. The relocation is expected to be completed by March 2009.

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Motorists Facing ‘Trade or Upgrade’ Dilemma, Says Kwik-Fit

We’re all familiar with the ‘move or improve’ dilemma – where homeowners weigh up the cost benefits of moving home versus making home improvements. But new research from Kwik-Fit shows that, with money tight and new car sales down, more motorists are facing a similar conundrum in deciding whether to ‘trade or upgrade’ their car. The company’s research found that some 6.4 million motorists aim to make a number of upgrades to their existing vehicle over the next 12 months, in order to make it look and feel more like new.

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Car Dealers Freeze Pay

Franchised car dealers across the UK have responded to the downturn in the economy by freezing pay scales, according to the rts Auto Retail Industry Salary Survey 2009. The survey reports that 25 per cent of franchised dealer respondents did not increase basic pay for their staff between 2007 and 2008. More than that, it seems that dealers have been taking advantage of the industry’s high staff turnover rates to actually reduce pay rates for new recruits.

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Rhodia inaugurates Shanghai R&D Centre

On November 19 Rhodia inaugurated its new International Research & Development Center, located in Shanghai. Created to focus upon the group’s activities in the Asia-Pacific zone, this centre is the fifth major R&D centre operating by Rhodia globally. As such, Rhodia says it will help the group achieve its ambitious growth and development objectives in Asia.

Rhodia reports the centre will specialise on the development of high technology innovations that respect the principles of sustainable development and aim to provide cost-effective solutions for the automotive, electrical, electronic and other markets.

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State Funds to Help Goodyear Headquarters Project

Goodyear’s global headquarters project will receive US$2 million in funding from the state of Ohio, the state’s government revealed on November 13. The grant is part of a $46 million ”Job Ready Sites” programme funding available through the Ohio Department of Development. The funding is intended to help with utilities and transportation infrastructure at commercial sites throughout the state.

According to the Ohio state government, the grant will go towards the construction of a new headquarters building and research and development centre for Goodyear Tire & Rubber in Akron. The headquarters is part of a $900 million redevelopment plan.

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PYReco Facility at Planning Stage

British company PYReco reports its first UK facility to extract raw materials from end of life tyres through pyrolysis is now at the planning stage. The plant, to be located in Teesside, is expected to recover more than a quarter of a million barrels of oil equivalent per annum and 20,000 tonnes of carbon black, along with other materials.

The construction of the new facility comes following a decade of research and development conducted by Metso Minerals, with whom PYReco has been affiliated for the last two years. These tests have been carried out at Metso’s Process Research & Test Center in Pennsylvania, USA, a fully equipped pyrolysis test facility with a scrap tyre feeding capacity of over 100 kg/hr.

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Snapshot of UK Replacement Market Released

Research and Markets has released its “Snapshots UK Replacement Tyres 2008” report. It provides 2007 year-end market size data and 2008 estimates, as well as covering the past five years of historical data and looking forward with five-year forecasts.

The report, as its name suggests, is designed to give an overview of the UK replacement tyre market, covering both summer and winter rubber for passenger cars. Market volume figures are based on sales, with data supplied in tabular and graphical formats. The report excludes motorcycle, OE and retread tyres.

Snapshots Report Overview:
– Snapshots Executive Summary
– Category Definitions
– Market Size by Volume (2003-2007)
– Market Segmentation by Volume
– Market Shares by Volume
– Company Websites (Main Players)
– Market Forecast

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Nanjing a ‘Strong Partner’ for Kumho

As reported on November 7, Kumho Tires has officially opened its new $US100 million factory in Nanjing, China. This facility, with an annual capacity of more than 300,000 truck and bus tyres, will feed China’s market, which in this segment is expected to grow between 25 and 30 per cent each year.

“Kumho Tires is already the number one passenger car tyre maker in China and this state-of-the-art plant gives us an important foothold in its fast-growing truck and bus tyre market,” said Sae-chul Oh, president and CEO of Kumho Tires. “China has enormous growth potential and is a key part of our strategy to become one of the top five global tyre makers.”

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Lanxess Shows Off Latest SR Know-How

The consistent further development of synthetic rubber has resulted in a significant improvement in the overall performance of vehicle tyres. Synthetic rubber manufacturer Lanxess AG highlighted recent progress in this area at the recent 4th Intelligent Tire Technology Congress, held on October 21 and 22 in Wiesbaden, Germany.

Newly developed production processes have paved the way for the use of solution styrene-butadiene rubbers (S-SBR), reports Lanxess. Trials performed at the company’s test laboratories and in customer trials have shown that, with these new tyre tread elastomers, it is possible to simultaneously raise wet grip and rolling resistance – formerly totally contradictory properties – to a completely new level.

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Uninsured and Unlicensed

Stop slouching and listen up, lad. I’ve got something to say to you….Not only do you have a bad attitude, a stupid haircut and dismal taste in music…you’re also most likely to be uninsured and unlicensed! This is how a certain relative of mine – let’s call him Uncle Bruce – would inform our nation’s younger drivers of the findings in a recent report from road safety organisation IAM. The IAM itself, of course, tackles this important issue in a much more constructive and tactful manner.

According to the report, published in the latest edition of the organisation’s Advanced Driving magazine, potentially lethal unlicensed drivers tend to be younger and male, and drive up to an accumulated 3.7 million hours a month. Neil Greig, IAM Motoring Trust director, said that a new ten-point plan is needed to prepare young people to drive safely on their own or with passengers after their test.

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Michelin Develops Lunar Wheel For NASA Moon Rover Vehicles

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NASA intends to return to the moon, with both manned and unmanned missions planned for the coming decade. To meet the unique tyre requirements presented by a no-atmosphere operating environment, Michelin has developed a new lunar wheel for the next generation of NASA moon rover vehicles. The structurally supported tyre and wheel assembly, made from composite materials, was jointly developed at Michelin’s European and North American research centres.

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