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Bridgestone to Build New Japanese Facility

Bridgestone Corporation has announced its intention to construct a facility in Japan for producing large and ultralarge radial tyres for fitting to mining and construction vehicles. This decision comes in response to increasing worldwide demand for such tyres, fuelled by escalating global mineral resource production.
The new facility will be built in the southern city of Kitakyushu, on a 20 hectare site within the Hibikinada Industrial Area. Requests for building permits have already been made, and following negotiations with city officials Bridgestone hopes to conclude an agreement during the first half of 2007.

21st December 2006/by Tyrepress Editors

Increased Turnover and Profits For Pirelli Tire as Parent Makes Loss

Pirelli & C. SpA’s Pirelli Tire division achieved sales growth exceeding 10 per cent in the first nine months of 2006 and increased results from operations compared to the previous year. This performance was obtained despite the significant rise in raw material costs, which penalised the entire sector. Revenues were 2,990.6 million euros, up by 10.5 per cent compared to 2,706.9 million in the same period of 2005 (+7.3 per cent net of exchange rates).

15th November 2006/by Tyrepress Editors

Usha Martin, Gustav Wolf to Make Tyre Bead

Usha Martin India and Gustav Wolf of Germany, who have jointly set up a 2,400 tonnes per annum (tpa) capacity steel cord manufacturing facility at Ranchi, India have decided to diversify into the manufacture of tyre bead wire. A 30,000 tpa capacity tyre bead manufacturing facility will be set up at Ranchi in two phases at an estimated investment of 400 million rupees (£4.667 million). The proposed 30,000 tpa tyre bead manufacturing facility will be set up with Gustav Wolf’s product know-how and process technology, according to Dr P. Bhattacharya, joint managing director of Usha Martin Ltd.

14th November 2006/by Tyrepress Editors

Michelin Marks 35 Years In Nova Scotia

Michelin North America (Canada) Inc. has reached a significant milestone in Nova Scotia with the celebration of 35 years of manufacturing. It was back in 1971 when the Pictou County facility produced its first tyre and the Bridgewater plant its first steel cord product. Two years later, Bridgewater produced its first passenger tyre. Then, in 1982 Michelin Waterville began producing tyres for the heavy-weight market.

24th October 2006/by Tyrepress Editors

Expansion for Michelin Nova Scotia Plant

A Canadian union leader has said that expansion plans for a Michelin plant on Canada’s east coast expose “the company’s long-term strategy to rid itself of unionised plants.” Michelin is to expand its non-unionised factory in Bridgewater, Nova Scotia, with a provincial contribution of between $3 million and $8 million, a government source told the Canadian press. Dozens of jobs will be created according to reports.

29th August 2006/by Tyrepress Editors

Bekaert Acquires Delta Wire

Bekaert has acquired Delta Wire Corporation for an enterprise value of US$10 million. With almost 100 employees, Delta Wire Corporation, located in Clarksdale (Mississippi), is a major supplier of bead wire for tyre reinforcement, as well as of a wide range of specialized wire products for the North American market.

6th February 2006/by Tyrepress Editors

Reinventing the Truck Tyre

French manufacturer Michelin claims to have reinvented the truck tyre. And following development after development over the years, this is no mean feat. According to the manufacturer, Michelin’s new Durable Technologies will offer improved mileage, payload and load capacity including gains of up to 50 per cent compared to “more traditional solutions.”

This enormous improvement is said to be down to two technological families – redesigned tread patterns including patented new siping techniques and improved tyre architecture design using Infinicoil technologt.
Michelin has labelled the tread side of its development “Tread Regeneration Experience” or “TRE-X.” This is based on two patented developments in siping technology. “Raindrop” sipes, are intended to produce a self-regenerating tread design and therefore long lasting grip throughout the whole life of the tyre, while “Double Wave” sipes, offer a three-dimensional interlocking design, making tread blocks more rigid. Michelin claims this second type of siping optimises mileage whilst retaining excellent grip.

The next development is said to be an innovation in tyre construction. Michelin have called this Infinicoil technology so apart from using a single wound piece of tyre cord, therefore avoided overlaps, this means the company is able to develop new tyre dimensions.

The Michelin XDN 2 GRIP, the presented at the new technology’s launch, is the first tyre to use “Michelin Durable Technologies” regenerating tread design. According to the manufacturer, these innovations will offer major benefits for the road transport industry, whilst considerably reducing the environmental impact of tyres by lengthening tyre life.

Michelin is not only integrating these innovations into the design of its truck tyres, but is take significant steps to introduce the new products to the trucking industry. The Michelin Group says it is going to invest 400 million euros over five years in order to do this.

Longer ‘TRE-X’

Michelin’s “Raindrop” sipes are so-called because raindrop shaped cylindrical channels are drilled through the centre of each tread block. When the tread is two-thirds worn, the channels gradually open to create new sipes, which are said to deliver excellent grip in challenging weather conditions right until the tyre is retreaded. In order to ensure continued long tread life, Michelin Remix will also incorporate the new tread technologies.

In comparison to its predecessor, the XDN GRIP, Michelin says the new XDN 2 GRIP equipped with Raindrop sipes offers 25 per cent more mileage. But there are also advantages for grip. When the tread is two-thirds worn, it Michelin engineers claim the tyre still offers 15 per cent more grip on snow and ice. According to the company, the effect is even more pronounced in the wet when the emergence of the Raindrop sipes means that the tyre could deliver 30 per cent more grip.

Michelin’s patented new double wave sipes utilise a three-dimensional interlocking desing. By working both horizontally and vertically, the manufacturer claims double locking sipes offer more grip and longer life than traditional tread patterns.

On entering the contact patch, the double wave sipes reportedly maintain their “clawing” effect at the edge of the contact patch thanks to the presence of many ridges. Inside the contact patch the three-dimensional structure limits tread block movement, maintaining optimal rigidity to reduce wear and increase mileage.

30th November 2005/by Tyrepress Editors

Reinventing the Truck Tyre

French manufacturer Michelin claims to have reinvented the truck tyre. And following development after development over the years, this is no mean feat. According to the manufacturer, Michelin’s new Durable Technologies will offer improved mileage, payload and load capacity including gains of up to 50 per cent compared to “more traditional solutions.”

28th October 2005/by Tyrepress Editors

Bridgestone Expands Steel Cord Facility

Bridgestone is to extend its steel cord Metalpha plant in Clarksville, America. The tyre manufacturer is investing $45 million in the expansion according to company spokesman Dan McDonough.

Around 127, 365 square foot will be added to the site, along with $31 million of new equipment. The fast-track project is scheduled to be completed in November.

Bridgestone Americas Holding has 38 facilities in North and South America. The company was formed in 1990 when Bridgestone U.S.A. merged with Firestone.

2nd September 2005/by Tyrepress Editors

Bridgestone to Increase Production Capacity in Thailand

Bridgestone Corporation will expand production capacity for truck and bus radial tyres at its Chonburi plant in Thailand. This move is in response to growing global demand for those tyres. At the same time, Bridgestone will increase production capacity at its Rayong plant in Thailand which manufactures and supplies steel cord for radial tyres. The aim of this is to secure stable supply of raw materials. Bridgestone reports that it has earmarked approximately 126 million euros for investment in the expansion work of these two plants.

10th August 2005/by Tyrepress Editors

Bridgestone to Build $100 Million Chinese Steel Cord Plant

Bridgestone Corp is to build a new $100 million steel-cord plant in southern China to feed its growing production base there, the manufacturer has reported. The plant, in Huizhou in the southern province of Guangdong, will produce steel cord for truck and bus radial tyres starting in January 2007, Bridgestone said.

2nd August 2005/by Tyrepress Editors

Cord Romania Open for Business

Pirelli and Continental opened their 80:20 joint venture Slatina steel cord production plant, Cord Romania on Friday.

The factory is located on a 100,000 square metre area will have an annual output of 30,000 tons of steel cord and employs 350 people. The steel cord is destined for tyre production in East European markets.

The new facility will require an investment of 40 million euros over several years to meet growing demand which is already almost two times supply says Continental.

This investment is the first ever made by Pirelli Tyres in the Balkan region and is part of the company’s expansion strategy in Romania. The manufacturer also plans to open a new high performance car tyre plant in Slatina in 2006.

25th July 2005/by Tyrepress Editors

21 Per Cent Sales Growth at Bekaert

Last year Bekaert achieved a 21 per cent consolidated sales growth. The total now stands at 2.2 billion euros of which 1.5 billion euros were generated in the “Advanced Wire Products“ business segment. Above average growth mainly took place in developing markets such as Latin America and Asia where the Belgian steel cord supplier managed to achieve a turnover of plus 32 and plus 49 per cent, respectively. Bekaert explains that these positive developments were the result of “organic growth” in 2004, but also acquisitions like the one in Slovakia. The company’s 2004 results will be published in March.

22nd February 2005/by Tyrepress Editors

Bekaert Expects Double Digit Growth for 2004

Bekaert sustained its sales growth across all business segments in the third quarter. However, after making further efforts to manage unpredictable raw material markets, sales prices inevitably grew.

In the first nine months of 2004, Bekaert achieved an increase in consolidated and combined sales of 19 per cent and 17 per cent respectively (1)(2). The consolidated sales’ increase was 20 per cent from organic growth and three per cent from the net movement in acquisitions and divestments, while adverse currency movements amounted to four per cent.

9th November 2004/by Tyrepress Editors

Conti Gets Phoenix Go-Ahead

The EU Commission has given Continental the okay for its proposed takeover of Phoenix. “Therefore, there is nothing in the way of a merger of these two historic German companies anymore and we will find ourselves well positioned to deal with the worldwide competition,“ said Continental executive board chairman, Manfred Wennemer.

27th October 2004/by Tyrepress Editors