Wheels
Size does matter. Well that’s what Cobra Technologie & Lifestyle say. And in keeping with this philosophy the company now offers the new Cobra Sahara 10Jx22 light-alloy wheel for premium off-road vehicles such as the BMW X5, the Mercedes M-Class, the Mitsubishi V60, the Porsche Cayenne, the Volvo XC 90 and the VW Touareg.
Penny Hydraulics has appointed Martin Oke as its new Area Sales Manager for the Midlands & North of England. Martin has extensive experience of the commercial vehicle and materials handling sectors and joins the company from secure in-vehicle storage specialist Sortimo. He will deal with customers
across a range of industries including the local authority, brewing and tyre supply sectors.
Tyrexpo Asia 2005 has stepped up a gear following the organisers’ announcement that the show is now officially open for pre-registration on www.eci-international.com.
The exhibition currently has 100 exhibitors from over 45 different countries highlighting the international nature of the show. Exhibitor numbers and square metre take-up have exceeded all other previous Tyrexpo Asia events, the organisers report. Industry sectors represented include: new tyres, wheels, retreads and retreading equipment, fast fit and tyre repair equipment, tyre changers and balancing equipment, buffing and grinding equipment, disposal and recycling equipment and other tyre accessories. Tyrexpo Asia will run from the 13 to 15 September, Hall 2, Singapore Expo Centre.
Toora, the Italian alloy wheel manufacturer, has announced that its new UK distributor is to be Exclusive Tuning & Design. Established in 1993, Toora have modern facilities based in Bergamo, and have a range of popular designs which have sold well throughout the UK.
Exclusive Tuning are based in Exeter and have a management team with decades of experience in the UK’s aftermarket industry. Paul Normington of Exclusive Tuning said: “We are delighted to have been selected by Toora to supply their well designed range of wheels. We will be holding large stock levels to ensure we can cope with the strong demand.”
Performance Alloys.com has introduced three new alloy wheels designs, the SC-18, SC-22 and the SC-33. When asked about the latest alloy wheels and tyres sales manager Garry Higgins said: “We are continually asked by our customers for an ever increasing range of larger and more unique alloy wheels for their cars. Some companies would not look at supplying such high performance vehicles with after market wheels but our company is leading the way in supplying exclusive and custom wheels for the more discerning customer.”
When the new Airbus A380 finally took off yesterday it caused quite stir, with media reports beaming the event all over the world. But what you might not have noticed when the world’s largest passenger aircraft made its maiden voyage yesterday it did so on Michelin tyres. The new aeroplane uses 22 wheels and, of course, all of those will require tyres from either Michelin or alternative tyre supplier, Bridgestone. The wheels and brakes were developed by Honeywell and Dunlop Aerospace in a cooperation that saw Honeywell take the lead.
According to Michelin, each the tyres is designed to operate at a lift-off speed of 378 km/h carrying 33 tonnes. The new tyre’s special lightweight construction reduces the A380’s total weight by 360 kilograms, compared with conventional tyres.
Motor Wheel Service Group launched a full range of forged alloy wheels at the recent Commercial Vehicle/Automotive Trade Show. According to the company, the new forged alloy wheels are exclusive to the MWS Group and will increase the range of wheels already stocked by the company. MWS is remaining tight lipped about which company is responsible and where the new wheels are being produced, but was keen to point out that the MWS forged alloy range will include both polished and machine-finished wheels and will be available through the company’s MWS Wheel Systems (OEM source) and MWS Aftermarket divisions.
This year Trelleborg is 100 years young. The company’s name is fairly well recognised in the UK market but there is still room for improvement. Ask where the company comes from, what it’s up to on the UK market, or how Trelleborg Wheel Systems (TWS) fits into the picture and the response is often vague. However the manufacturer is addressing these brand awareness issues and is beginning to focus more and more on its agricultural division as well as marketing itself as a specialist in agricultural tyres. Tyres & Accessories spoke to Ian Gillespie, managing director of Trelleborg Wheel Systems UK, to discern its UK market approach.
Next month sees the much anticipated return of Brityrex. After an eight year absence the show is returning to Harrogate as Brityrex International and the organisers, ECI International, are determined to deliver exactly what they promised from the beginning – an exhibition dedicated to the tyre and related industries. Tyres & Accessories caught up with event organisers, Paul Farrant and Rowena Suthers, of ECI international, to discuss the up and coming event, in this, the final countdown to the show.
There hasn’t been a UK tyre trade show for years, so why re-launch the show?
“The UK is an important market and it should have its own tyre show,” enthused Rowena Suthers, when asked about the company’s decision to revive the show. Brityrex dates back to 1979 and was seen as the only opportunity for the UK tyre industry to get together and exhibit its wares. Tyre Exhibitions held the last show in 1997, an exhibition that Paul Farrant and Rowena Suthers, now ECI International, were originally involved with. As well as having first hand experience of the show itself, the organisers also bring with them the knowledge gained from running the successful exhibition, Tyrexpo Asia. Together the pair have 38 years of experience in organising exhibitions and as frequent exhibitors themselves they know what exhibitors want as well as what the tyre trade wants.
“UK legislation is changing and shows like Reifen and SEMA can’t satisfy the needs of companies present in the UK market. Brityrex was never intended to be a Reifen or a Sema but it was meant to be as important to the UK market as they are to their respective markets,” explained Rowena. And what about demand for a UK show? “As the second largest market in Europe there is demand there, it’s an important market, it has always had its own event and it deserves to have its own show.”
It would be something of an understatement to say that high raw material costs, the weak dollar and unprecedented competition from the Far East is affecting UK alloy wheel manufacturing. But, in the cases of the selection of companies that Tyres & Accessories spoke to, it is more a question of ingenuity triumphing over adversity. So, in the face of such pressing circumstances, how are UK manufacturers holding firm? Work smarter, not necessarily harder, they say.
Tyre equipment manufacturer, Fasep, has introduced a new automatic tilting balancer. The Videotronic V652 allows wheels to be mounted horizontally to aid centring. It also has a pneumatic tilt system with electronic control, full automatic wheel data input and a laser system for application of adhesive weights. A 15 inch LCD monitor has also been included in the design, to ease operation of the machine.
Automotive supplier Montupet S.A. (France) felt a recession of around three to four per cent in sales in 2004, or 423 million euros. However the company’s annual general meeting has reported a net profit of 17.72 million euros, but more importantly reduced its debts to 22 million euros. Investments including that into Renault engines, a Canadian plant for Chrysler/USA and the modernisation of a Belfast aluminum cast wheels factory, were valued at 26 million.
(Akron/Tire Review) Initial analysis of NHTSA’s final regulations mandating tyre pressure monitoring systems (TPMS) on all new passenger vehicles shows the new regulations are badly flawed, raising questions about how well they will protect drivers.
And they illustrate clearly just how much sway the car manufacturer lobby has with the safety agency, and how little consideration the logical and correct argument raised by the tyre industry and the automotive aftermarket really received.
SmarTire’s active tyre monitoring system is now available on a luxury line of motorhomes
Smartire has announced that Western Recreational Vehicles Inc. is offering SmarTire’s active TPMS as optional equipment on their prestigious Alpine Coach Limited Series line of recreational vehicles. With over 34 years of recreational vehicle manufacturing experience, Western RV is one of the top producers in the US of diesel powered Class “A” motorhomes.
Hofmann Megaplan has introduced the new ‘Airgo-Lift’ a wheel lifter for assisting tyre technicians with heavy wheel assemblies.
Operated by air the machine fits under the shaft of a balancer and can raise wheels up to 70kg in weight. It can also move the wheel horizontally over the shaft to allow easy location of studs when flange plate mounting.
If you would like the latest news from the Chinese tyre industry in Chinese, visit our partner site TyrepressChina.com. Or click below to continue on Tyrepress.
