Truck Tyres
GPX International Tire Corporation has announced that Donna Lynn DiSpirito has joined the company as the new director of quality. As an ASQ certified quality manager, certified six sigma black belt, senior examiner for the MA quality award, and a lead auditor for both ISO 9001 and TS 16949, Ms DiSpirito has extensive experience in integrating quality practices with production demands within a broad range of industries.
With operating costs – particularly fuel prices – constantly rising, operators of vans and light trucks have seen margins sharply diminished. Remaining competitive with no reduction in customer service levels is a constant challenge, whether a small fleet or one or two vehicles, and one in which tyres can play an important part.
(India/Rubber Asia) At long last Dunlop India, a name that is as deeply steeped in history as it is in litigations, is getting the much-awaited kiss of life. After months of apparently tortuous negotiations, the Kolkata-based Pawan Ruia group has finally wrested management control of Dunlop India and also that of Falcon Tyres from the Dubai-based Jumbo Group for 2 billion rupees (about £25 million). The Jumbo group is owned by entrepreneur Manu R Chhabria.
Bridgestone Australia Ltd has unveiled a new Tyre Assembly Machine (TAM) at its Salisbury, Australia facility. According to the company, the new TAM represents a “significant investment” and will be used to manufacture 17 inch tyres, which are currently sourced from outside Australia.
Four Falcon Tyre board members have resigned, only days after the company was bought by the Ruia group. The company informed Bombay Stock Exchange that Vidya Manohar Chhabria, Komal C Wazir, Mohan M Thakur and Deepak Chaudhuri (the former executive director) had all resigned. The resignations took effect on 1 December, it emerged.
(Akron/Tire Review) Continental Tire North America (CTNA) said that its Continental brand medium truck tyres have earned standard equipment fitments on Autocar’s Xpeditor line of trucks. The OE contract includes CTNA’s Continental HSU and HDL steer and drive tyre lines.
(Akron/Tire Review) Groupe Michelin has gone on the attack against alleged counterfeit tyres, calling on the European Union Trade Commission to take action against a flood of counterfeit medium truck tyres, units the manufacturer said could pose highway dangers.
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.
On 12 May this year, an exclusive gala dinner was held at Forbes House in London, commemorating 100 years of Michelin in the UK. Special guest at the event was Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal, patron of the Transaid charity, which aims to promote mobility in Africa and of which Michelin is a founder.
(Akron/Tire Review) Michelin North America (MNA) announced that it is increasing prices on a variety of tyre lines. MNA is raising prices on all of its Michelin, BFGoodrich, Uniroyal and private and associate brand replacement passenger car and light truck tyres by up to 8 per cent. That increase will take effective in the US as of 1 February 2006 and in Canada as of 1 March 2006.
The Tyre Wholesalers Group of the NTDA held its Annual Lunch on Wednesday 23rd November and Chairman Peter Gaster, of Kings Road Tyres, gave brief details of the recent survey carried out by the group – the first for two years. Brief highlights follow.
According to a recent survey sponsored by the Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company, almost two-thirds of drivers in the USA admit to fear of an accident while driving in bad weather conditions.
As a way of communicating the effectiveness of their Assurance and Fortera tyres with TripleTred Technology, consumer marketers at Goodyear were interested in finding out how people approach changing weather conditions, and the driving challenges that arise.
In the survey, more than half (53 per cent) of respondents said inclement weather has negatively affected their overall trip experience.
Degussa AG, Dusseldorf, and Rizhao Lanxing Chemical Industry Co, Ltd (Lanshan-Rizhao, Shandong Province) have agreed to establish a joint venture for the manufacture of sulphur-functional silanes for rubber applications. This agreement represents the successful conclusion of negotiations that followed a memorandum of understanding signed by the two companies in July.
Degussa will own a 50 per cent share in the new joint venture, and Lanxing 40 per cent. An unnamed financial investor will assume the remaining 10 per cent. Degussa is the worldwide leading manufacturer of silanes for rubber applications. Lanxing has operated as a well-established local manufacturer on the Chinese market since 1998. The new joint venture company will begin operating under the name Degussa Lanxing (Rizhao) Chemical Industrial Co, Ltd, following approval by the responsible bodies, and having obtained all licenses from the Chinese authorities. The company is scheduled to produce sulphur-functional silanes in liquid form and as a blend with carbon black.
There has been much talk about the supposed benefits of nitrogen inflation during the course of this year. Some people call it a gimmick, others take the view that the technological benefits are based on science and that the economic benefits are not to be sniffed at. With this in mind Tyres & Accessories addresses the myths surrounding nitrogen inflation.
Nitrogen tyre inflation is more common than you might think. While comprehensive market data is difficult to come by at this relatively early stage in Nitrogen market’s development, the number of systems on the market is definitely in the hundreds. One equipment manufacturer told T&A (rather optimistically) that there are 500 of units currently on the market. If this is correct it is highly unlikely that these units are being used in tyre inflation applications.
The Bridgestone Corporation has announced that it will raise the replacement market prices of tyres, tubes and flaps sold in Japan. The move will take effect from 1 February 2006. Prices for winter tyres will be increased on 1 April 2006. Specific price increases include five per cent for passenger car and light truck tyres, seven per cent for truck and bus tyres, seven per cent for construction vehicle bias tyres, 10 per cent for construction vehicle radial tyres, and five per cent for other kinds of tyres (excluding those for motorcycles) and for tubes and flaps. Bridgestone points out that these figures are the average increases across each of the respective ranges.
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