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Crumb Rubber Retreads Compare Well With Standard

A WRAP-funded project has published research which claims to demonstrate that crumb rubber from waste tyres can be added to truck and OTR tyres in much higher rates than was previously thought. According to the report, tyres using a compound that was up to 40 per cent crumb rubber from tyres “suffered no reduction in durability or performance when compared to the industry standard.” Truck tyres fitted to dual-drive axle tipper lorries and earthmover tyres, with a diameter of 1.6 metres were used in the trial.

11th December 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Goodyear Introduces New US Light Commercial Tyre Range

Goodyear has introduced several commercial-duty light truck tyres featuring what the manufacture calls ‘Armor Max Technology’; the new tyres have been designed with steel-reinforced sidewalls and steel belts, providing long mileage and casings for multiple retreads, which help drive down overall life-cycle costs and deliver value to fleets. Four new load-range E tire models have been developed: Unisteel G949 RSA and G947 RSS all-position tyres and Unisteel G933 RSD and G971 drive tyres for heavy pickups, delivery vans and trucks up to 14,000 pounds gross vehicle weight (Class 3). A complete line of retreads also is available for use with Armor Max tyres.

6th December 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Kumho Names New US R&D Centre Chief

(Tire Review/Akron) Former Continental Tire North America executive Terry Edwards has been named vice president of the Kumho America Technical Center, located in Fairlawn, Ohio. Edwards will oversee day-to-day operations of Kumho Tire (USA) Corp.’s US research and development facility.

6th December 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Goodyear to Remain in Akron

The decision that many in Goodyear’s hometown of Akron, Ohio have awaited for months was finally made public on December 5 – the US tyre major will continue its long-standing relationship with the city. At a press conference held at Goodyear’s World Technical Center, adjacent to the proposed future site of its new headquarters building, Goodyear chairman and CEO Bob Keegan made the announcement in the presence of state, city and county representatives, along with representatives from Industrial Realty Group (IRG), the developer selected to build the company’s new world headquarters.

6th December 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Performance Fibers Strengthens NA Presence through Acquisition

Performance Fibers Holdings Inc. has signed a deal to buy North American tyre cord and polyester filament producer Invista Sárl. The agreement includes Invista plants in Salisbury and Shelby, North Carolina and Winnsboro, South Carolina; as well as several production assets currently operating inside Invista’s Querétaro, Mexico, facility. Terms of the agreement, signed on November 30, have not been disclosed.

Affected operations include the manufacturing of industrial polyester and nylon 6 fibres for use in a wide range of end uses, including tyres, as well as netting and fabrics for use in tyre manufacture. INVISTA Querétaro’s PET Resin business and its contract manufacturing operations for fine denier staple are not included in the agreement.

5th December 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Bridgestone Announces Management Changes

Bridgestone Corporation announced on November 28 that its Board of Directors has approved the following proposals of the changes in Member of the Board and in Corporate Officers. The following board member will undergo changes in position and responsibilities, effective January 1, 2008.

– Toru TSUDA

New position and responsibilities: Vice president and senior officer responsible for products development, tyre products development, tyre research and material development.

Current position and responsibilities: Vice president and senior officer responsible for products development, tyre products development.

30th November 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Study Shows Nokian Most Productive European Auto Company

According to an article published in the German periodical Manager Magazin, of the 500 largest stock exchange listed companies in Europe, Nokian Tyres is the most productive company in the automotive sector. In its study, the magazine measured the economic success and productivity of Europe’s 500 largest listed companies, with the aim of showing which companies produce wealth for investors and which consume it.

Nokian came out on top in the automotive sector, ahead of Porsche at number two. The company’s nearest ranked direct competitor was Continental, in third place. The automotive sector was but one of 20 categories included in the report, and Nokian Tyres was placed 63rd across the board.

29th November 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Marangoni Industrial Tyres Invests in Sri Lanka

Marangoni Industrial Tyres recently invested in the production of superelastic tyres in Sri Lanka, mainly for use on fork lift trucks but also for other equipment, such as: loading platforms, loaders and other industrial and commercial machinery. Company representatives did not give details of the investment that took place.

Division president, and group vice-president Mr Giovanni Marangoni stated: “This investment, part of the division’s development plans, is aimed at increasing the company’s production capacity, expanding the current customer base and -in general- increasing market share. We already have a significant presence in Europe, given the large number of customers and important partnerships with specialists in the distribution and servicing of industrial tyres. Nonetheless, we are convinced that our expertise, the superior quality of our products, and an increasingly solid industrial base will allow us to achieve even better results in the coming years”.

28th November 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Conti Signs European Road Safety Charter

On November 26 Continental AG added its signature to the European Road Safety Charter, a document outlining the goal to halve the number of fatalities on roads within the European Union by the year 2010; in other words, a reduction to 25,000 from 50,000 EU road deaths recorded in 2004. With the signatures of Continental’s board executive Dr. Hans-Joachim Nikolin and the European Commission Vice President, Jacques Barrot, Continental AG commits itself to supporting this initiative.

“For years now Continental has been engaged in the development of intelligent automotive safety systems and in initiation of educational and research projects, including programs aimed at children and young people, all of which is intended to improve European road safety,” underscored Dr. Nikolin at the ceremony in Brussels. “Our signature under the European Road Safety Charter moves us closer to realisation of Vision Zero. For us that means making future road traffic even safer.”

27th November 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Trelleborg TM800 Line Now “D-Rated”

Trelleborg Wheel system’s Research & Development department has announced that its TM800 line is now D rated, allowing the agricultural tyres to be driven at speeds of up to 65km/h. In addition the TM800 range is said to offers increased productivity compared with its main competitors, resulting in “consistent savings for agricultural professionals.”

According to the company, ploughing tests show that, under the same conditions and using the same size, Trelleborg tyres proved to reduce slippage and working time per hectare compared with unnamed “main competitors.” After a week of tests in medium-high severity conditions, the TM800 (in 650/65R38 – the most popular size in the segment) fitted to a 165 horsepower tractor with three ploughshare reported: up to 4.2 per cent more traction fuel consumption. According to the company this factor alone, at an average working cost per hour of 50 euros and a fuel cost of 0.85 euros per litre, saved between up to 120 euros compared with other leading brands.

23rd November 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Continental Technology Shines Through in Driverless Test

In what Continental is calling a “high-tech triumph”, the “Boss”, a self-driving Chevrolet Tahoe equipped with Continental technology, won the DARPA Urban Challenge 2007. With the help of a dozen sensors and the Conti know-how in the domain of sensor data fusion, the vehicle’s computer was fed optimally prepared data on its surroundings. As a reward for its efforts the “Boss” development team came away with the top prize – two million dollars.

21st November 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Smithers Rapra, the Polymer Specialist

Smithers Rapra Technology Limited is better known as Smithers Rapra, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Smithers Group and recognised as a world leading plastics and rubber consultancy. The company has premises in two UK sites – Shawbury, Shropshire and Billingham, Cleveland – and can provide clients with a comprehensive independent service, including technology and information services for the polymer industry and for industries that utilise plastics and rubber in any component, product or production process.

The industries supported by the services Smithers Rapra provides are varied and include the commercial, industrial, pharmaceutical, automotive and transport sectors; a diverse range of business, yet all requiring specialist assistance in the area of polymers. Smithers Rapra can provide a mix of on-site expertise and facilities that enable the application of an integrated approach to problem solving, and the company believes the core capabilities possessed by Smithers Rapra lie in the skills and experience of its people, many of whom are recognised and accepted as leading experts in their field.

14th November 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

New Artificial Turf May Be Unsafe, Officials Claim

(Akron/Tire Review – New Haven Register) Every new expanse of artificial turf contains plastic grass and about 120 tons of finely chopped tyres that may emit a small amount of cancer-causing agents. The layer of rubber “crumbs” makes the surface softer and more forgiving. It also gives off dozens of compounds that have not been studied or assessed for safety in the United States. Despite assurances from the Connecticut Department of Public Health that the chemicals in artificial turf are little cause for concern, environmentalists and a growing number of public officials in the Northeast are questioning the wisdom of building athletic fields containing the equivalent of 26,000 tyres of unknown composition.

Outdoor sports were played on grass and dirt until 1966 and the advent of the enclosed Houston Astrodome, which was too dark inside to grow grass. A Monsanto subsidiary produced ersatz grass that came to be called Astroturf. In 1967, Indiana State built the first stadium with outdoor Astroturf. Astroturf evolved into a product similar to a plastic shag carpet in-filled with granulated rubber.

13th November 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Michelin to End Pax System R&D

Michelin described it as “revolutionary” and “our biggest technological breakthrough since we patented the radial tyre in 1946,” yet news indicates that the French manufacturer is turning its back on the product about which it once said “we haven’t been this proud since we invented the radial.”

The director of research at Michelin’s Technology Center in Ladoux, France is reported to have said that the company has halted further research into its Pax run-flat system as there is “no big market demand” for the product. He added that demand for the Pax was not sufficient to justify the expense of the research invested into it.

13th November 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Michelin to Cut Some, Upgrade Other Operations at Stoke Facility

The Michelin factory at Stoke on Trent is to cease its calendaring operations, and investment in the plant over the next few years will be directed towards retreading operations. According to a Michelin spokeswoman, the production of calendered steelcord, which currently supplies the company’s factory in Ballymena, Northern Ireland, will end in March 2008. Approximately 40 jobs will be lost as a result; Michelin is seeking voluntary redundancies, and will attempt to place those who wish to remain with the tyremaker in other suitable roles. The remaining 1,300 jobs at the Stoke on Trent factory are secure, added Michelin, and the Ballymena plant will be supplied from other Michelin facilities.

The Stoke site seems likely, however, to benefit from an upgrade to its Remix retreading operations. Michelin reports that plans are afoot to invest in a “multi-million” pound programme that will provide the technology required to retread tyres incorporating Michelin Durable Technologies. Research into the proposal will be carried out next year and implementation of the upgrade will begin in 2009, with a 5-year timeframe slated for its completion.

13th November 2007/by Tyrepress Editors