Tyres can’t function without this critical raw material. Whether its natural or synthetic rubber you are interested in, articles bearing this tag feature this indispensable polymer.
News reports emanating from Germany’s Auto Motor und Sport suggest that two of South Korea’s tyre makers – we’re looking at you, Hankook, Kumho and Nexen – could be in line to take the reigns from Bridgestone as the tyre supplier for Formula One, following the Japanese giant’s exit at the end of the 2010 season.
Last November, when he took the presidency of the Tire Industry Association (TIA), one of Wayne Croswell’s goals for his term was to increase the organisation’s presence in tyre recycling and other “green” issues. To achieve this goal, on January 14 TIA announced the creation of its new Environmental Advisory Council (EAC). The EAC, says the organisation, will provide strategic information, advisory services, educational programnes, and governmental assistance that promote environmental awareness throughout the tyre industry.
Half a year after announcing a postponement in the setting up of its Singapore based butyl rubber facility, synthetic rubber company Lanxess is bringing the timetable forward again. The company will now hold a groundbreaking ceremony in May 2010, and production is expected to start in the first quarter of 2013. The 100,000 tons per annum plant on Jurong Island will require an investment of up to 400 million euros.
The estate of Adam “DJ AM” Goldstein has settled a lawsuit with Goodyear Tire & Rubber and several other defendants over a 2008 plane crash that killed four and left the disc jockey with burns.
Vacu-Lug Traction Tyres has invested £150,000 in a latest-generation, twin-headed fully-automated buffing machine to ensure the greatest possible accuracy in the preparation of its retread tyre casings. Capable of working to a tolerance of one millimetre, the new Danish-built SI0 buffing machine is reportedly being used in the production of Vacu-Lug's Duramold range of premium quality retread tyres.
"Our new machine is fully computer-controlled and has been pre-programmed with data for every tyre in the Duramold range," said Vacu-Lug Plant Manager, Brian Barron. "Our casings typically require between two and three millimetres of rubber above the steel belt and this machine can achieve that with pinpoint accuracy. In practice, this enables us to work to the most exacting quality standards, with a perfect result every time for any retread tyre from 17.5-inch through to the largest super-single."
Coinciding with the current UK obsession with snow and ice-covered roads, consumer-based interactive review website Tyrereviews.co.uk has published its seven reasons for the country’s drivers to consider fitting winter tyres in the colder months, regardless of whether the current extreme conditions – for Britain at least – are a sign of things to come. Starting with the concept that UK drivers misunderstand winter tyres, compared to their status as a “legal requirement in most of northern Europe”, the website substantiates why UK road-users should think about purchasing seasonal rubber in greater quantities than currently seen – estimates put the UK market for winter tyres way under 1 per cent. The relatively new Tyrereviews.co.uk says that it aims to give motorists “impartial feedback on road and track tyres” by allowing “the people that drive on the tyres every day” the opportunity to review them.
Maxxis and Grouptyre, its exclusive UK distributor, recently supplied MA-Z1 tyres for Total BMW Magazine’s long-term test of the German auto manufacturer’s BMW 318ti Compact. The magazine features regular updates on upgrades and improvements it has made to the car and has reported (in the Running Reports section of the December 2009 issue of Total BMW Magazine) taking the 318ti to the Croft Circuit for a BMW Car Club Track Day, where journalist Andrew Everett switched from Pirellis to the MA-Z1 high performance tyre in size 225/50×16. Maxxis received excellent feedback following the switch, reports UK MD Derek McMartin.
Goodyear’s TyreFort in Birmingham was today visited by a rather special guest; the British Steam Car. The unusual and record-breaking car braved the snow to be demonstrated to the 250 employees based at TyreFort; an especially appropriate setting given that the car runs on Goodyear rubber.
Staff at Cooper Tire’s UK headquarters in Melksham raised more than £4,000 for the Help for Heroes charity last month with a festive raffle. The raffle, organised by HR officer Steve Forbes and Unite representative Steve Saunders, took place on 23 December and raised £2,052.03 for the forces charity. That amount was matched by Cooper Tire & Rubber Company Europe, to bring the total to £4,104.06.
In the USA, the TireJobs Company has announced an upgrade to its “Post Jobs” section of the TireJobs Classified website to make posting jobs a much easier process. A “one time” free job posting is available if contact is made directly with Carl Koester, the company president. TireJobs also provides comprehensive job searches and customised employment referral services for the tyre industry at www.tirejobs.com. It is a division of TAF Management, Inc; a consulting and project management company that helps commercial tyre dealers with sales promotions, business planning and other services.
The Toyota Cooper Tire team of Xavier Foj and co-driver, Pablo Jaton, is holding a podium position in the Dakar Rally as the legendary event enters its second half. The 32nd running of the Dakar, famed for being the toughest off-road challenge in the world, started on New Year’s Day and will come to a close on January 17, having covered thousands of kilometres through Argentina and Chile. Spanish Dakar veteran, Foj, and his Argentine co-driver are racing a Toyota Land Cruiser KXR, shod with Cooper’s rugged Discoverer STT rubber.
Tire Technology Expo is set to celebrate its tenth anniversary this February, and the show’s organiser is confident the more than 130 exhibitors in attendance will deliver an outstanding tyre manufacturing and technology exhibition alongside what it says is “undoubtedly the best conference” in the event’s decade-long history. The conference will be opened by Franco Annunziato, vice-president of Bridgestone Europe, and speakers include Bridgestone’s Rudi Hein plus many other high-level experts from the major tyre manufacturers and suppliers. The Cologne, Germany show will also feature the established Tire Technology International Awards for Innovation and Excellence, which will be announced at the event’s Gala Dinner on February 10, 2010.
Thousands of motorists have already discovered the hard way that cold weather is not always their car battery’s best friend. This is because, Protyre explains, cold weather slows down the chemical reaction that generates the current in the battery, meaning batteries run down quickly and fail to supply the power required. To prevent more drivers finding themselves going nowhere fast, Protyre is offering free battery checks as its outlets nationwide. The independent tyre and fast-fit retailer encourages motorists to pay it a visit and check the condition of their battery to avoid the risk of their car not starting.
Mercedes-Benz is endorsing the benefits of cold weather tyres in the UK through a programme to promote the product through its retailers and official workshops. As Mike Belk, managing director for customer service at Mercedes-Benz UK explains, “Mercedes-Benz is committed to safety, and the safety benefits of using the correct tyre in adverse conditions are obvious, with years of evidence available in mainland Europe.” Retailers and workshops are stocking winter tyres for all models in the current Mercedes-Benz and smart range as well as older models.
Online grocer Ocado has decided to fit its entire 600 plus fleet of delivery vans with cold weather tyres. The company, launched in partnership with Waitrose in 2002 and delivering to an area covering more than 13.5 million households across the South Coast, South East, Midlands and North West, will now be equipped to handle its growing deliveries even when the mercury plunges. The cost of equipping the fleet with winter rubber is approximately £300,000.
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