Wheels
Yokohama HPT Ltd, the UK distributor for the Japanese tyre brand, as well as TSW replacement alloy wheels and marque-specific alloy wheels for BMW, Mercedes and Porsche, will exhibit at this week's Autosport International show at the Birmingham NEC. The company says the focal point of its stand will be the race-specification Aerial Atom, designed for the one-make Atom Cup race series and using Yokohama control tyres.
New figures reveal that motorists are paying out over £1 billion on repairs to rectify the damage caused by potholes. A study released by Halfords Autocentres, shows as many as 8 million vehicles a year suffer steering and suspension damage which may be attributed to poorly maintained road surfaces. Research produced by fillthathole.org.uk shows that complaints over potholes have almost doubled from a year ago. Councils were being notified at a rate of 54 a day in December, a 60 per cent increase on the average for the year.
Italian firm Italmatic has been engaged in the manufacture of tyre retreading machinery since 1967. Today, the company operates two factories; its Cassina de’ Pecchi plant, just outside the city of Milan, produces inspection machines, buffers, builders, extruders, buffing blades, wheels, while the Capannori facility near Lucca specalises in autoclaves, presses and moulds. Italmatic says it is the only company capable of supplying machinery for the retreading of any kind of tyre and for any requirement from A to Z, through the supply of complete turnkey plants.
Continental has opened the first fully-automated tyre testing facility in the world at Contidrom, near Hanover. In addition to the ability to perform braking tests without drivers, helping to test consistently for longer hours, Conti has built a 300x30m air conditioned hall to house the Automated Indoor Braking Analyzer (AIBA), reducing the influence of atmospheric conditions on test results. The manufacturer will also be able to control the friction coefficient, as the hall enables the company to switch the 75m surfaces used as a braking area, in addition to using a low temperature hall for testing on ice. The main hall is also fitted with a sprinkler system for wet testing. Conti estimates that the AIBA will perform around 100,000 braking procedures, on passenger car, van, and 4×4 summer and winter tyres, when fully operational.
Continental presented its estimation that the UK car, 4×4 and van tyre market remains worth around 33 million tyres at the launch of its partnership tyre supply deal with Mercedes-Benz World, a performance demonstration facility on the historical site of the Brooklands circuit. This number is similar to 2011, though Conti noted several trends affecting the make-up of this figure in 2012, most notably the growth in part worn tyre sales, estimated to represent just under 10 per cent of the total market. Initial signs of the impact of tyre labelling, introduced as a mandatory measure in November, are minimal, with premium segment sales holding up. Conti calls any current definitive assessment too early to truly assess, however premium tyre sales have held up well. Meanwhile the quality segment has come under pressure from aggressive pricing on either side, with brands in this segment struggling to maintain share, according to Conti.
Toyo Tires has secured its first original equipment deal with Mitsubishi in the United States, and the manufacturer says this initial agreement involves the supply of tyres to the most popular Mitsubishi sold in that particular market. Models of the 2013 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport crossover sold with 18-inch aluminium wheels will be fitted with Toyo’s A24 in size 225/55R18.
Last October, Thule Easy-fit Snow Chains achieved a Guinness World Record as 12 people of different ages mounted Thule Easy-fit on 81 wheels in less than 1 minute. This means that it takes less than 12 seconds to mount a snow chain.
During November and December Michelin Training Instructor Carl Williams visited Tanzania with Transaid to teach much-needed tyre safety skills. In this exclusive diary feature, he shares his experience with Tyres & Accessories.
The motivation behind transport industry charity Transaid’s involvement in African and Tanzania in particular is clear. Road deaths are the third biggest premature killer in sub-Saharan Africa. And this led to Carl Williams’ decision to volunteer within Michelin to visit Tanzania, located on the east coast of the continent, to help improve road safety. As one of the project’s supporters, Michelin agreed to send Williams on two-week secondment during November and December, teaching local driver trainers and road safety enforcers about correct tyre management and how to improve tyre safety in Tanzania’s largest city, Dar es Salaam.
These days, companies that specialise in the sale of new or retreaded truck tyres must always offer their customers a comprehensive product portfolio plus a regrooving service. Through professional regrooving, a tyre’s mileage can be increased by a further 25 per cent, simultaneously reducing the pence per mile cost. Speaking with Tyres & Accessories, Marc Jürgens, product manager Tyre Repair Tools and Chemicals at Rema Tip Top, explained why regrooving is important, how it can help retain customers and what must be taken into consideration in the workshop.
The ‘Grizz’, Titan International chairman and CEO Maurice Taylor, has issued a statement on the tyre maker’s 2013 guidance. In the statement, Taylor writes that “2012 was again record revenue, net income, gross margins, operation margins, just everything. The only negative is we could have done better and I’m the one who didn’t keep a better eye on the changes taking place in Bryan.” This final comment referred to reduced production in the Bryan, Ohio factory due to the plant’s new computer system.
However depressed the market feels to suppliers and despite the legitimate complaints of tough times from the retail sector, the overall UK tyre replacement sales situation in terms of unit sales is actually getting marginally better. According to the latest passenger car tyre sell-out sales data for the first nine months of 2012, compiled by leading international market research firm GfK, things are far from rosy, but there is light at the end of the tunnel.
Wheel distributor Wheelwright spoke positively about the burgeoning market for commercial vehicle alloy wheels at its stand at Brityrex 2012, since it says it opens up a whole new customer segment and the chance for tyre bays and specialists to win new customers. However, the company also raised concerns that many retailers are currently supplying customers with incorrectly-rated packages, suggesting that the current situation could be a time-bomb of potential litigation and disaster. Wheelwright managing director, Kevin Greer suggested to T&A that it is up to dealers to ensure they are not supplying end users with potentially dangerous modifications to their vans, while stressing the opportunity for increased business this market can offer.
During the recent Automechanika show, Bosch’s Automotive Aftermarket division displayed its latest tyre workshop products, including two new balancers, the WBE 4200 and 4400. With these new additions, the Bosch tyre services range has expanded to include equipment for balancing car, motorcycle, and van wheels.
The sixth Reifen China show took place at the Shanghai New International Expo Centre on 14-16 November, with two neighbouring halls housing RubberTech China 2012 simultaneously on an exhibition area of 11,500 square metres in total. Representing an increased number of nations, exhibitor stands included large displays near the entrance for leading Chinese manufacturers such as Double Coin, Shandong Linglong, Techking, Hangzhou Zhongce and Cooper Chengshan, while less familiar and almost brand new names mingled with visiting stands from India (Apollo) and Europe (Deldo, Interstate and Profil) in the rest of the hall. Joint organisers Messe Essen – responsible for Germany's market-leading Reifen show – and the China United Rubber Corporation welcomed visitors on the first day; the latter's general manager Ma Junhua said that Reifen China's "six years of previous success" was "inseparable" from the support of visitors and exhibitors. Overall, 112 exhibitors from 15 nations – newly including Poland and Russia – were present at Reifen China showing tyres, wheels and garage equipment.
Audi centres are offering a range of winter tyre and wheel options, including winter wheel and tyre sets priced from £799 to £3,659 for all current Audi models. Tyre-only sets also available priced from £540 to £1,300 and previous generation models can also benefit from a set of winter tyres from £325.
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