Netherlands-based leading tyre manufacturing machinery maker VMI reports that it has won its first patent invalidation case against Chinese firm Safe-Run. As part of ongoing legal action commenced by VMI against Safe-Run, VMI filed for invalidation of a number of Safe-Run patents. Recently, the Chinese Patent Review Board has ruled in this case and invalidated the first Safe-Run patent in its entirety as the patent “was based on prior art”.
Dutch machinery manufacturer VMI has initiated legal action against Jiangsu province, China-based company Safe-Run. VMI reports that the Chinese machinery manufacturer has infringed several of its patents, and the legal action follows repeated warnings that it should cease doing so.
Organic turnover earned through manufacturing systems produced by the TKH Group’s Industrial Solutions business area, which includes equipment made by VMI Holland BV, contracted 16.2 per cent in the first half of 2016. This decline was due in part to a reduced order intake in 2015 for a range of manufacturing systems equipment, including machinery for the production of car and truck tyres as well as machine operating systems, can washers, test equipment and product handling systems for the medical industry.
The Chinese Intellectual Property Court has upheld VMI’s claims against Shuangjun Plastic and Rubber Machinery Ltd. and awarded the full compensation requested by VMI to be paid by Shuangjun. The Chinese Patent Management Bureau ruled that Shuangjun was guilty of patent infringement against VMI’s patent for its tyre building drum back in 2015.
Retreading is a concept that not only deserves to succeed, but should also be praised for reducing raw material consumption without compromising on the end product’s performance. Yet European retreaders can vouch that nobody is pinning medals to their chests; their ‘reward’ for giving valuable truck tyre casings a second or third life has instead been declining sales at the hands of low-cost and possibly subsidised imported new tyres, products that more often than not are used until the original tread is worn and then simply discarded. But has Europe’s retreading sector arrived at a place where it is ready to stage a fightback? Machinery manufacturer VMI believes it has.
In April 2015, machinery manufacturer VMI shared that the State Intellectual Property Office (SIPO) of China had upheld a patent infringement claim it lodged against Shuangjun Plastic and Rubber Machinery Ltd; the Chinese firm had infringed a key patent related to VMI’s tyre building drum and was passing off this copied product as its own property. VMI has now issued another statement in which it emphasises that it “continues to enforce against IP infringement.” While no specific new cases are named in this latest statement, it may well be that VMI is warning companies not to even think about infringing the intellectual property contained within its new and soon to be released MILEXX truck tyre building machine.
The machine VMI calls a “new dawn for truck tyre building” will be launched next month. The VMI MILEXX, which draws upon the technological principles applied in the VMI MAXX car tyre builder, will be unveiled at Tire Technology Expo 2016.
Growing global demand for Landsail car, high performance and van tyres has prompted Sentury to open a new factory in Thailand and the first Landsail tyres rolled off the production line earlier this week. The new plant will mean a significant increase in the capacity and output of Landsail tyres. A completely automated production line has been introduced, with Sentury investing in the VMI Exxium building machines, which are capable of producing a tyre every 38 seconds.
Retreaders in the developed European and North American markets often perform a balancing act – production levels must be high enough to ensure acceptable profits, but at the same time logistics need to remain manageable. The greater the distance between a retreader and its customer base, the more demanding and expensive the delivery of casings and finished tyres becomes. And while retreaders in non-mature markets face other issues, these must also be kept in check in order for retreading to be worthwhile. VMI, a market leader in the development, manufacture and supply of production machinery for the tyre and retreading industries, wants to tip the balance in favour of retreaders both here and around the world. This summer it is introducing a new product programme that may just do that.
VMI Holland BV has once again been named best performing subsidiary by parent company TKH Group NV. For the third time in five years, the developer and manufacturer of machinery for the tyre, rubber, canning and care industries has received the ‘Best Performing Company in TKH Group’ award. VMI reports that it won the award for 2014 due to its financial results and for its performance in three other key areas – innovativeness, entrepreneurship and excellence in production improvements.
Arend Buter has taken on the role of chief financial officer at the VMI Group. The Dutch production machinery manufacturer reports that Buter commenced as CFO on 1 May; in this position he is part of the Group’s Global Executive Board (statutory director) and is responsible for global finance, HRM and ICT.
The State Intellectual Property Office (SIPO) of China has upheld a patent infringement claim lodged by leading tyre machinery manufacturer VMI. Based on what VMI describes as “clear evidence of infringement” of a VMI tyre building drum patent by Shuangjun Plastic and Rubber Machinery Ltd., SIPO has ordered the company to stop manufacturing the product, offering it for sale and making false claims about its provenance.
Riaan Diener has been appointed the VMI Group’s vice-president of global services, effective 1 April 2015. In this position, Diener is part of the company’s Global Management Team and responsible for worldwide customer service activities. VMI says the appointment can be seen as implementation of its strategy to further strengthen customer support.
How does a tyre manufacturer grow from nothing to having large-scale international sales and a few percentage points of market share in a country like the UK in just five years? The answer is by starting with a blank piece of paper and by virtue of some strategic acquisitions.
Netherlands-based machinery manufacturer VMI Group says a ruling is expected soon in the case of a Chinese company caught making illegal replicas of VMI tyre building drums. Commenting on the incident, company president and CEO Harm Voortman said vigorously protecting intellectual property is “an essential part” of VMI’s strategy.
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