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Marangoni: Back To Basics With Verso

Verso is the new passenger car tyre from Marangoni, which the company says is the result of a long process of product development and improvement. The target market for this T, H, V and W-rated tyre is broad; the sizes in the Verso line cover more than 45 per cent of the European market for replacement summer car tyres.

The Marangoni Research Centre focused on the progressive fine-tuning of ideas, materials and technologies. The key characteristic of Verso’s design is the progressive elimination of every superfluous element, concentrating on refining only the essential characteristics. This evolutionary process begins with the tyre’s name: because in Italian Verso means “towards”. Below is a brief summary of how this search for basic elements has been incorporated into the Verso design.

13th December 2006/by Tyrepress Editors

Are Your Zinc Weights Legal?

Cheap imports of scrap zinc-based balancing weights are poor quality and contain dangerous levels of heavy metals such as cadmium. Premium weight manufacturers told Tyres & Accessories that preliminary research shows such imports may contain up to 50 times the level of cadmium currently allowed in the products.

See the January issue of Tyres & Accessories (published in the third week of the month) for the full story.

13th December 2006/by Tyrepress Editors

Apollo to Start R&D Facility In Germany

Apollo Tyres plans to set up a research and development facility in Germany, according to Onkar S. Kanwar, co-managing director of Apollo Tyres. The company plans to use the facility as a stepping-stone towards strengthening the company’s relationship with the Leipzig Institute of Polymer Science, a school of Germany’s Leipzig University which employs professionals from various global tyre majors as experts. These experts are helping to develop novel technology for tyres. News reports suggest the company is also on the look out for another two universities in Germany for similar partnerships. Apollo is also working with Indian institutes such as National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad and IIT, Kharagpur, for design and development of rubber technology, respectively.

11th December 2006/by Tyrepress Editors

New Tyre Sensor Offers Increased Safety and Lower Operating Costs

A new tyre sensor that can warn drivers of dangerous road conditions or urgently needed tyre maintenance has been developed in Germany. The Tyresense sensor, developed by the Centre of Advanced European Studies and Research, can detect and monitor tyre performance in real time, providing information on the levels of grip and friction between road and tyre. Drivers can thus be warned to modify their driving behaviour in dangerous conditions or when tyre pressure needs adjusting.

5th December 2006/by Tyrepress Editors

Herman Trend Alert: Manufacturers Being Squeezed

(Akron/Tire Review) In the United States and elsewhere, structural (non-wage) costs for manufacturers, as a percentage of the total costs, are continuing to rise. According to a study released in September by the U.S. National Association of Manufacturers (NAM), The Manufacturing Institute and the Manufacturers Alliance/MAPI, structural costs increased from 22.4% to 31.7% of the total costs, compared to similar costs for similar companies in nine trading partner countries in 2003. “(This) sharp rise in these non-wage costs represents a significant and long-term problem for our nation’s manufacturers and America’s economy,” said John Engler, president of the NAM.

1st December 2006/by Tyrepress Editors

NTDA: Reducing MOT Frequency Naive

A report by the HM Treasury, recommending major changes in the frequency of MOTs, has been labelled a “naive view of the contribution MOT’s make to safety on our roads” by the NTDA. “We have been aware for some time that the Treasury have been reviewing the current MOT regime in the UK,” commented NTDA director Richard Edy, adding: “These initial findings, that motorists would save £465million if the tests were done after the first four years and then every two years, takes no account of the importance of regular vehicle testing plays in reducing accidents on our roads.”

30th November 2006/by Tyrepress Editors

SmarTire to Provide TPMS to Spartan Motors

SmarTire Systems Inc. announced that Spartan Chassis, Inc, a subsidiary of Spartan Motors, Inc. now offers SmarTire’s tyre pressure monitoring systems (TPMS) as options for its fire truck and motorhome customers. Spartan currently has 36 models riding on its custom chassis and supplies 100 per cent of the custom motorhome chassis for Newmar, Travel Supreme and the American Division of Fleetwood. Spartan also manufactures fire truck chassis and features SmarTire’s products in its catalogue.

SmarTire President and Chief Executive Officer Dave Warkentin said: “We are pleased that Spartan has selected our SmartWave wireless sensing system to fulfil their TPMS requirements. Spartan’s decision supports our market research that owners of recreational vehicles, fire trucks, ambulance and emergency-rescue vehicles are beginning to demand TPMS.”

24th November 2006/by Tyrepress Editors

Study Hints at Shifts in American Vehicle Buying

(Akron/Tire Review) A new study by the Opinion Research Corporation says that 78 per cent of Americans want the federal government to impose a 40-mile-per-gallon (MPG) fuel-efficiency standard for vehicles. And, the study shows, nine out of 10 Americans expect gas prices to go up in the near future. The study also said that 70 per cent of Americans now factor expected future gas prices into their vehicle buying criteria, and are looking for more fuel-efficient vehicles. Forty-five per cent claim they are now more likely to buy a hybrid or other fuel-efficient vehicle than they were six months ago, compared to 30 per cent who are unchanged in their plans.

23rd November 2006/by Tyrepress Editors

European PCR Replacement Market up 9 per cent

Passenger car tyre replacement markets were “very strong in October,” according to Michelin. The research shows that the European replacement market sales grew 9 per cent (+2.9% year-to-date); and 4 per cent in North America (-3.2% year-to-date). Truck tyre sales also grew in the period, according to report, although not as much as the passenger car market.

23rd November 2006/by Tyrepress Editors

Scrap Tyres Can Be Used to Filter Wastewater

Dr. Yuefeng Xie, associate professor of environmental engineering at Penn State Harrisburg, has developed a method that uses crumb rubber to filter wastewater, the US university has reported. “My research has found that crumb rubber, derived from waste tyres, can be used as a filter media,” Xie explains. “The crumb rubber could be used for treating wastewater, ship ballast water, and storm water.”

21st November 2006/by Tyrepress Editors

European Commission Awards LIFE-Environment Grant to Goodyear

The European Commission has awarded Goodyear a major research and development grant for development of an ultra low rolling resistance tyre with environmentally friendly resources. The grant of three million euros is part of the European Union’s LIFE-Environment program. The total cost of the project is more than 12 million euros. Goodyear is working in close co-operation with two research partners on this project – the Italian research company Novamont and the German carmaker BMW.

20th November 2006/by Tyrepress Editors

Kwik-Fit Says “Back-Off”

Research by Kwik-Fit(1) found that more than half (56 per cent) of UK motorists admit to driving too close to the vehicle in front – a contributory factor in 7 per cent(2) of road accidents in Britain last year. The Highway Code(3) provides clear rules on the distance that drivers should leave between themselves and the vehicle in front yet when tested, 9o per cent of motorists underestimated the distance required to stop a car at 30, 50 and 70mph.

13th November 2006/by Tyrepress Editors

Trelleborg Launches Tallest Agri-tyre Ever

Trelleborg Wheel Systems has launched the TM900 High Power (710 75R42), the tallest tyre on record according to the manufacturer. The new pneumatic tyre will be on-show during international exhibitions, starting with EIMA, which is going to be held in Italy – Bologna, from 15 – 19 November. Co-designed with leading tractor manufacturers, the TM900HP 710/75R42, Trelleborg says the new tyre has been specifically developed to fit tractors with up to 300 horsepower or which require high load capacity.

9th November 2006/by Tyrepress Editors

RAC: Fleet Tyres a Big Problem

Fleet drivers are risking breakdowns through ignorance about their vehicle and suffer from a lack of knowledge about the basic maintenance of modern tyres, according to research published this week Changing tyres on the roadside and the use of sealants are reportedly major reasons for patrol call outs.

6th November 2006/by Tyrepress Editors

All Round Safety

Continental AG’s two tyre divisions – Passenger and Light Truck Tires and Commercial Vehicle Tires – are addressing the company’s vision of making individual mobility safer and more comfortable with about 850 employees in the field of research and development (R&D). In order to manage the balancing act between scientific curiosity and practical use both tyre divisions have implemented an innovation management system. The tasks of the system include actively seeking new business fields and motivating staff to incorporate new ideas.

26th October 2006/by Tyrepress Editors