A customer survey conducted by US mail order tyre and wheel retailer Tire Rack has placed Goodyear tyres top in two categories. The Aquatred 3 came first in the all-season category and the Regatta was top of the standard touring section. Goodyear said the results were slightly surprising, as the company does not supply Tire Rack directly with tyres.
Ford has announced that tyre pressure sensors, which alert the driver when a tyre loses pressure, will be fitted as standard on its 2002 Explorer SUV and on other models from 2005. The company says that fitting the sensors is merely one element of a series of improvements and safety features on the vehicle.
The Tanzanian Government has restricted the import of tyres in a protectionist measure. A spokesman said that businessmen have been taking advantage of consumer ignorance by importing “cheap, sub-standard products” and also used tyres, which is illegal. This has threatened the country’s only domestic tyre factory, General Tyre (EA), which has been unable to sell all of its annual production of around 330,000 tyres.
Three of the four Dunlop plants in Germany – Hanau, Wittlich and Riesa, have been certified to the internationally recognised OHSAS 18001 standard in the fields of work safety and health protection. This expands on the plants’ existing health and safety management systems.
The credit rating agency Standard & Poors has given Michelin a long term corporate credit rating of BBB+ with stable outlook and a short-term rating of A-2. This rating compares favourably with that of other actors in the tyre business and of industries close to this sector of activity.
The advertising campaign for Pirelli “TM600” standard series tyres, launched in July 2000, has been rewarded by the French “Grand Prix de la Publicité de la Presse Agricole”, for the mechanization sector. The prize is given every year by a jury of experts to the advertising campaign that makes use of the press media in the most creative and effective way. Developed with the international ageny Ogilvy & Mather of Milan, the campaign has been translated into seven languages.
Goodyear has disputed data cited at the congressional hearing into the Ford/Firestone dispute. The company claims to have submitted its own safety data and is questioning the committee’s interpretation of the data they have already received. According to Goodyear the Ford data of damage claims of five parts per million is based on a Ford standard and that a damage claim does not reflect a defect. Goodyear added that “the use of relevant data and comparisons by the committee will remedy any consumer confusion of fears”.
The Automotive Industry Action Group – Radio Frequency Identification – Tire and Wheel Work Group, has developed a two stage standard for labelling of OE tyres, allowing tracking from cradle to grave. The first stage is a simple label and RFID tag. The second stage will be the approval of an RFID read write chip inserted in the tyre at the point of manufacture. The AIAG will be carrying out evaluation and testing of suitable systems later in the year. (For further information on smart tyre technology see the July 2001 issue of TYRES & ACCESSORIES.
ArvinMeritor has announced that the Meritor Tire Inflation System (MTIS) has been selected by Great Dane Trailers as standard equipment on the company’s Classic Refrigerated Van Lines. Great Dane is one of the world’s largest manufacturers of refrigerated trailers.
Investigations at Bridgestone/Firestone plants in the US have revealed no major production process problems, according to Yochiro Kaizaki, company president. He also admitted that there may not have been up to standard and that, “the probability of low safety tyres may be higher”. Speaking of the alleged tyre related accidents, Mr. Kaizaki added that, “even with experts involved, it is hard to determine whether it is design, production, driving or car related. If we are asked if the tyres are defective, we can say that legally there are no defects”. In spite of this statement there are signs that Bridgestone/Firestone are preparing to make out of court settlements with alleged victims.
Three Goodyear plants have become the first sites in the world to be certified under the new global ISO Technical Specification 16949. The plants are Fulda (Germany), Amiens (France) and the Luxembourg Technical Centre. TS 16949 is expected to be recognised as a standard by all car manufacturers worldwide.
As a matter of practice, US unions choose one tyre maker as the basis for labour negotiations, targeting standard contracts for the coming year to apply to the other tyre companies also. This year they have decided to negotiate with Bridgestone/Firestone.
Tom Kristensen, in a BMW-engined Williams FW21B, tested the latest version of Michelin F1 tyres in Miramas. The Dane was very impressed with the standard of the Michelin program and the technical progress the engineers achieved between the two 4-day sessions.
Goodyear’s retread plant in North Bay (Ontario, Canada) is believed to be North America’s first Off-The-Road (OTR) tyre retreading facility to become ISO 9002 registered. The North Bay facility is Canada’s largest OTR retread operation.
Hayes Lemmerz and The Epilogics Group have announced that Epilogics has granted Hayes Lemmerz worldwide exclusive rights to the Kuhl Wheel technology. The Kuhl Wheel design integrates the hub and spokes into a one-piece stamping. Using standard steel rims, these wheels weigh significantly less than conventional steel wheels and allow greater flexibility in wheel trim design.
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