Wheels
As summer gives way to colder and wetter weather, a number of companies are offering advice about driving in worsening conditions. Two press releases received in the same week are typical; one was from Cooper Tire & Rubber Europe, warning of the increased danger of skidding and another was from ATS Euromaster, offering a free 10 point winter safety check to motorists.
Alcoa Wheel Products is a finalist in the 2007 Automotive News PACE Award competition. The 13th annual PACE (Premier Automotive Suppliers’ Contribution to Excellence) Award is presented by Microsoft, SAP, Transportation Research Center Inc. (TRC Inc.) and Automotive News.
The new MAK Vertigo has been designed in order to satisfy style requests coming from the youth market, where young end-users aim to personalise their cars with a wheel that provides a fashionable and attractive powerful image. It has five slender spokes that make up a totally unique shape that has a strong visual impact on the end-user when he looks at the side of a car.
Tribatyre is a Dutch-based organisation specialising in the import and export and wholesaling of tyres and wheels for the agricultural, industrial, forestry and other “slow traffic” markets worldwide. The combination of a large stock, 10000 m² warehousing and an efficient organisation enables delivery within Benelux and most of Germany within 24 hours. Delivery time elsewhere in Europe is usually within 48 hours.
Alcoa Wheel Products has a policy of contributing to the communities in which it operates and a good example is the company’s support of Action Cancer, Northern Ireland’s leading cancer charity, with the donation of a set of Alcoa Dura-Bright wheels. The charity recently made a substantial investment in a new high tech “state of the art” purpose built vehicle called Big Bus. This mobile unit was constructed by Browns Coach Works in Northern Ireland and is pulled by a new Volvo FH 400, the first Euro 5 in Europe. This unit was supported by Volvo GB and supplied by Volvo’s Northern Ireland dealer Dennison Commercials. Alcoa’s donation of Dura-Bright wheels will help keep the Big Bus looking good and easy to clean.
Yokohama HPT has added three new ranges of alloy wheels to its product portfolio, with each range specific to a vehicle marque. The wheel ranges are from US companies Bayern, Mandrus and Victor Equipment and the marques are BMW, Mercedes and Porsche, respectively.
ATS Euromaster has ordered 100 more Penny Hydraulics Single Wheel Lifts to promote safe and efficient tyre handling on its fleet of commercial dual purpose and truck service vehicles. According to Penny Hydraulics, the Single Wheel Lift has become the preferred choice by ATS Euromaster because it allows all sorts of tyres and wheels to be lifted on and off service vans without the need for manual handling which helps reduce the risk of personal injury to service technicians and enables the company to comply with health and safety regulations.
Alcoa Wheel Products has announced that it will install a new Dura-Bright line at its manufacturing facility in Székesfehérvár, Hungary. The new line will be the third such facility and will provide a significant addition in wheel capacity. Both passenger car and commercial vehicle wheels will be processed through this new line in Hungary. The new facility will begin producing Dura-Bright XBR wheels in 2008.
Marangoni are pitching their Mythos UHP tyres directly into the hot performance market with a unique media project partnered by top tuning magazine Redline. Progetto Marangoni is the name of the project for a radical, no-holds barred makeover of a Toyota Yaris, shod with Marangoni rubber. The Yaris will sport a mid-engined 300bhp Toyota MR2 Turbo – and that’s just the start.
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Kirkby Tyres has been involved in the wholesaling and export of truck tyres for close on half a century, and has built a reputation for the quality of goods supplied, dependable delivery and economic pricing. Kirkby has also become known as a reliable supplier of hard to get items, such as compactor tyres, mining tyres and military tyres. More recently, however, the company has made a name as a major supplier of popular sizes and types to the OE and replacement markets, holding massive stocks of major brands and imported makes, mainly from China.
The fact that Singaporean wholesaler, Stamford Tyres, operates both a service centre chain (“Mega Mart“) as well as a tyre retail chain (“Tyre Mart“) in South East Asia and China shows that the people’s republic is more than just a production base for company. Instead the Chinese market is increasingly become a focus for Stamford’s retail operations.
A North American search is on for unsung heroes of the highway – truck drivers who keep the nation’s economy moving and who come to the rescue of fellow motorists. Nominations for Goodyear’s 24th annual North America Highway Hero programme will be accepted up till 30 November 2006.
Whether it’s the wrong kind of leaves on the line, frozen pipes or frosted locks, traditionally the British have never prepared well for winter…and it shows. As the sage advice goes, there’s no such thing as bad weather, just the wrong clothing. And whilst no sane person would brave the winter months in their summer shoes, we somehow expect our cars to.
Toyo representatives point to Scandinavian’s example of preparedness. With many countries enforcing fitment of winter tyres in appropriate months, the Scandinavian accident figures, or rather lack of them, speak for themselves. We’ve all seen cars beached by the roadside or sliding helplessly along a poorly cleared road – often with inevitable and expensive results.
With unit sales of 7.06 million expected for 2006, a domestic replacement market share of 26 per cent and thriving export sales, no wonder Lassa producer Brisa is expanding its manufacturing and warehousing headquarters. As Brisa (Bridgestone Sabanci Tyre Manufacturing and Trading Inc) continues the $176 million production expansion programme it started at its Izmit plant in Turkey in 2004, Tyres & Accessories went to see how the plans are developing and visit some of the company’s retail outlets in Istanbul.
PCL’s digital inflation kits have increased production by up to 15 per cent on Wheel Solutions’ assembly line. Safe and fast inflation is vital to Wheel Solution’s reputation as a leading importer and supplier of wheels and tyres for the turf, agricultural, trailer, caravan, mobile home, materials handling, plant and construction industries throughout the UK and Europe.
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