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.
On August 25 2011 the third rubber so-called “welding” finishing and drying line was officially put into operation at OAO Nizhnekamskneftekhim’s butyl rubber plant. The hairman of the board of directors of OAO Nizhnekamskneftekhim, general director of PSC TAIF A. Shigabutdinov, general director of OAO Nizhnekamskneftekhim V. Busygin and members of the company's board of directors attended the official ceremony.
Following two harsh UK winters, Cooper Tire & Rubber Company is predicting a further move towards cold weather tyres this year, and a continued increase in the related sales of tyres designed to perform at optimum level at temperatures of less than 7 degrees Celsius. Cooper reports that it is working closely with tyre dealers to be ready for the surge in demand and will extend production of certain tyre lines to help meet these needs.
The scramble to purchase a controlling stake in Indonesia’s second largest tyre manufacturer Multistrada Arah Sarana PT continues, as Reuters reports that the company’s shareholders have rejected a bid from Hankook for a controlling stake. Yokohama and private equity investment firm TPG Capital are reported to be the other bidders, though a Hankook spokesperson told Reuters that “none of the bids satisfied” Multistrada’s shareholders.
Pirelli has good reason to anticipate this weekend’s Italian Grand Prix at Monza more than other events in the calendar; located in parkland just half an hour from the Italian firm’s headquarters to the north of Milan, the track – one of Formula One’s fastest with an average speed in the region of 250kmh – has been integral to the brand’s motorsport history. Pirelli will bring its P Zero White (medium) and P Zero Yellow (soft) tyres to Monza, which the supplier anticipates will provide plenty of scope for the teams to use different tyre strategies.
After an eight-year long mutually beneficial relationship Maxxis International UK Ltd has decided to part company with its long-term distribution partner Grouptyre. The news came in the form of an announcement that the two companies have ended their exclusivity agreement, which implies that the firm will continue supplying Maxxis tyres for the time being. However, Tyres & Accessories understands that there is more to the story than that.
China’s production of treated distillate aromatic extract (TDAE) – so-called ‘clean oil’, is “unlikely to grow significantly” according to a report published in online chemical industry journal icis.com. The reason? The “poor demand for the product” which itself is probably due to the fact that it costs 30 per cent more than the regular aromatics-based rubber oil.
Assistant to director at Bridgestone’s Motorsport Tyre Development Division, Hirohide Hamashima, has commented that the poor performance of the supplier’s harder rear option on the relayed, slippery Indianapolis track in practice was a reasonable trade-off for the durability it would give riders during the race. However, he also said that the company would analyse tyre performance carefully and reassess for next year’s tyre selection at the venue.
State-owned China National Chemical Corp (ChemChina) said in its first Sustanability Report that scientific development will be the main focus of its next five-year plan (2012-2017). During 2006-2011, ChemChina put more than 12 billion yuan ($1900 million) into technology research, an annual increase of 14.5 percent. The company owns seven subsidiaries, including Aeolus Tyres, Guilin Rubber, Yiyang Rubber and the Xinghuo Organic Silicon Co, that are national technology centres.
Avon Tyres has announced that it will support the Castle Combe race event held on September 3 to honour the Wiltshire track’s 60th anniversary. Avon’s global motorcycle sales manager Graham Matcham said, “We have a very close working relationship with Castle Combe and with both companies being so near it is understandable that we have used our ‘local’ circuit almost constantly over the last 60 years to help develop our world-beating tyres. We are delighted to be taking part in this exciting event and are looking forward to showing Castle Combe’s visitors our 100th anniversary display.”
Transport hire specialist William Gilder has signed up Michelin to supply its X-Terminal T tyres for the firm’s fleet of terminal tractors; a move it says will reduce operating costs and increase uptime. The dedicated industrial tyre designed for shunting applications will be fitted to the Cheltenham-based company’s vehicles following a trial of Michelin’s tyre begun in August 2010. William Gilder runs a 76-strong transport and machinery hire fleet including the 51 Terberg and MOL tugs on which the X-Terminal will be fitted. The 20-year-old firm also runs its own waste management fleet, which moved to a 100 per cent Michelin policy last year.
The price of steel price has dropped US$120-130/tone in Europe (North European HRC) since March and now sites around $730-770/ton level (515 – 540 euros/ton), according too financial analysts. Writing in an investor’s note dated 30 August, Deutsche Bank explained its view of that the market has stabilised in the medium term market: “We expect current prices to remain more or less stable in the second half of 11 and for full year 2012.”
A US federal judge has sentenced two former Wyko engineers to four years probation and 150 hours of community service after they were convicted of stealing trade secrets from Goodyear Tire and Rubber Co. in a corporate espionage case that first surfaced in 2009.
Euro Car Parts has put together a range of products to enable independent garages to service tyre pressure monitoring systems. Euro Car Parts’ director of communications, Donna West, explains: “TPMS is going to be massive. The technology features on many models already on our roads but, thanks to European Regulation 6612209, it will be mandatory on all new models from 1 November 2011 and on all new cars from 2014.
Financial analysts have raised their estimates for Yokohama Rubber after reviewing their raw material assumptions. Their rationale is that, “while not as smoothly as peers, Yokohama Rubber is passing costs on to customers, and despite uncertainties (downturn in US/Europe), we expect it to report 30 per cent growth in adjusted full year…earnings on lower raw material prices and full-year contributions from price hikes.”
In September, Michelin will launch a tyre it says delivers unrivalled tyre life. Naturally, this is a bold statement to make about any tyre and the manufacturer therefore supports this claim with results of independent tests conducted in the United States. Testing of Michelin’s new product, the Commander II, was carried out using a Harley-Davidson Electra Glide Classic and Michelin reports an impressive outcome: The rear tyre proved itself capable of covering distances of up to 25,000 miles or 40,000 kilometres; this is, Michelin comments, almost double the distance the Commander II’s direct competitors can cover. The front tyre displayed an even greater longevity.
If you would like the latest news from the Chinese tyre industry in Chinese, visit our partner site TyrepressChina.com. Or click below to continue on Tyrepress.
