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.
Peter Tan, managing director of Goodyear’s global natural rubber development and sourcing centre, Goodyear Orient Company (Private) Limited (GOCPL), has announced his intention to retire at the end of this year after 39 years with the company. Franco Fan, currently manager, Asia Raw Materials at Goodyear’s Asia Pacific regional headquarters in Shanghai, has been named Tan’s successor. Fan will relocate to Singapore July 1 and work with Tan until his retirement.
Within the United Kingdom the off-road tyre market is dominated by the mining sector and it is no secret that Bridgestone has safely the largest presence here. When Tyres & Accessories spoke with Bridgestone UK’s OTR sector product manager Barry Coleman recently, he confirmed that current industry data places Bridgestone as clear UK market leader in the OTR/EM tyre segment and added that the company’s particular strength within the segment is in the rigid dump truck business. Bridgestone’s tyre portfolio for these 100 tonne plus vehicles includes sizes up to 3700R51 in the UK.
Various Balkan region news sources have reported Cooper Tire & Rubber’s intention to invest in Serbia’s Trayal. The US firm’s plans apparently involve investing 50 million euros in Trayal over the next two years and increasing production from one million to 3.4 million tyres during that time and then boosting it to seven million over the subsequent two years.
Japan’s Asahi Kasei Chemicals has held a groundbreaking ceremony for its new synthetic rubber plant on Singapore’s Jurong Island. The June 22 event marks the start of work on a facility expected to produce 50,000 tons of solution-polymerised styrene-butadiene rubber (S-SBR) a year when the first stage work is complete in May 2013. Second stage work at the site, scheduled for completion in early 2015, should double annual output.
For a second year in a row Team Yokohama has set a record at the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb. The Yokohama Rubber racing team’s electric vehicle set a time of 12:20.084 at this year’s event, which took place on June 26; Team Yokohama shaved 57 seconds off its record 2010 performance.
As of June 24, 2011, the Association of Natural Rubber Producing Countries has clarified that it expects a 4.9 per cent rise in the total supply of natural rubber for 2011. The Association estimated that 9.936 million tonnes will be produced this year. It issued a statement to rebuff reports that the ANRPC has quoted different figures.
The Indian Oil Corporation has entered a joint-venture agreement with Taiwan’s TSRC Corporation and Japan’s Corporation to set up a synthetic rubber factory in India. According to Taiwan’s Central News Agency, the three companies will hold respective 50, 30 and 20 per cent stakes in a joint-venture factory that is planned to produce 200,000 tonnes of synthetic rubber a year for the tyre industry.
The ‘Green Wave’ tree planting campaign surged around the world on May 22, and Yokohama Rubber reports that staff at 23 of its Japanese and international locations took part in events planned for the day. The company planted trees at seven domestic locations plus at facilities in the US, Vietnam, planting a total of 13,008 trees. Watering and care activities were performed at a further 14 sites where trees have already been planted.
Didier Miraton, at 53 years of age nearing the pinnacle of his strength and ability, is leaving the Michelin Group after 29 years. Miraton is taking his golden handshake and leaving quietly. The Michelin Group is also doing what it does so well in cases like this: Keeping quiet. Yet it is becoming increasingly clear that the departure of top-notch manager Miraton – who hoped to step into the leading position within the company following the retirement of Michel Rollier – is linked to a change in direction at Michelin. Managing general partner Rollier, a man known for his financial expertise, shared his power with both managing partners, Jean-Dominique Senard and Didier Marathon; it has been decided that when Rollier leaves Senard alone will take on leadership of the eleven-member Executive Board. It is likely that Miraton considered this measure an affront.
Formula One tyre supplier Pirelli is looking forward to a high-paced European Grand Prix at Valencia on its debuting PZero White medium compound tyre, but the forces acting on the tyre in the circuit’s corners and four near-300km/h straights can be some of the hardest on the tyres in the F1 calendar. A potential tyre problem at Valencia is so-called “blistering” – sections of tyre compound separating from the tread caused by overheating. While PZero tyres undergo a chemical treatment to minimise the risk of this happening, the manufacturer says that teams must concentrate on minimising sliding with tidy driving and enough downforce in order to cut the chances of tyre blisters forming.
South Lanarkshire’s Whitelaws Coaches has reported that a set of Michelin XDN 2 Grip drive axle tyres have reached their 300,000th kilometre and fifth anniversary. The XDN 2 Grip tyres were fitted as original equipment to a 49-seat Sunsundegui Sideral in 2006 and are still going strong today, with 10mm of tread remaining. Michelin says the set will cover a further 100,000km before needing to be regrooved. Whitelaws director George Whitelaw has now fitted the drive axle tyre across his 42-strong fleet in place of the former Michelin XDA 4 fitment, saying: “We are amazed by the performance of the XDN2 Grip tyres. This set could well be seven years old before they need replacing. When a vehicle is doing long-distance, trans-European journeys, it’s quite remarkable for a tyre to last this long before even needing to be regrooved.”
Under the leadership of Mian Iftikhar Ahmed, the dedicated team Mian Tyre & Rubber Company Limited (MTRCL), which sells the Panther brand of tyres, has won the Pakistan export trophy for the last eight consecutive years. Now, the flagship business of Iftikhar Group of Companies, a leading tyre and tube manufacturing group in Pakistan is aiming to increase exports still further. According to the company, the Panther trade name has developed a reputation of “excellence in domestic and export marketplace.” The firm supplies tyres and tubes for tractors, threshers, fork lifts, jeeps, motorcycles, scooters, rickshaws, cycles and trolleys.
Industry analysts have suggested that Chinese OEM Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation (SAIC) is in pole position to purchase GM’s Opel European operations. If the speculation that a large Chinese OEM is in position to purchase such a large European firm turns out to be correct, it also raises questions about what such a trend might mean for the tyre industry.
Bridgestone Australia has announced a price rise of all its products in the country by an average of five per cent from 1 August. Explaining the price hike, group chairman and managing director Nobuyuki Mieno said: “The current costs of raw materials such as natural rubber, oil derived materials and others are maintaining their recent historic high levels.”
The organiser of next March’s INAPA 2012 automotive parts and equipment show in Indonesia reports that a dedicated tyre industry exhibition, Tyre & Rubber Indonesia”, will be held alongside the annual event. In announcing this addition to INAPA and its associated sub-events, organiser PT. Global Expo Management says that a visitor survey of the 37,100 trade attendees at this year’s exhibition revealed a high level of interest in tyre products. Around 300 exhibitors are expected at this year’s Tyre & Rubber Indonesia, which will be hosted in its own 6,000 square metre hall within the INAPA show.
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.
