Wheels
Alcoa is increasing its investment in a partnership it operates with Saudi Arabian mining company Ma’aden. The cooperation is focussed on the development of “the largest, most efficient vertically integrated aluminium complex in the world,” according to the two companies.
Buying tyres was originally an exclusively face-to-face experience. But it didn’t take long for the role of the telephone to become an integral part of consumer tyre buying research. The latest technological step forward saw the Internet become a sales channel in and of itself, not to mention a vital tool for wholesalers with the right business-to-business e-commerce systems. Now with some sources putting online tyre market share just shy of double figures, could the fast-growing mobile Internet market driven by the latest generations such as the Apple iPhone represent another new sales and marketing territory for tyre companies?
With mobile phone technology accelerating at a rate of knots, and following the recent high profile launch of Apple’s iPhone 4, Tyres & Accessories took the opportunity to survey the two leading online application markets for a glimpse into the future of online tyre selling. Apple’s App Store and its only real competitor, Google’s Android Marketplace boasts tens of thousands a quarter of a million applications between them. These small pieces of software offer users handy utilities, games and – crucially for this market – shortcuts to news, information and shopping services. Well-known online auction site, a system that has been used to market significant numbers of tyres and wheels for years now, has been offering both iPhone and Android versions of shopping platform for sometime now, allowing uses to bid on the move, however so far there have not been too many moves in this market from tyre companies. That said, some of the biggest players in the tyre industry have got in on the act with their own mobile phone applications and here is a brief look at some of the best available today.
Giti Tire USA certainly made a lasting impression with its very first product demonstration event in North America – blistering track speeds on a blistering hot day in Arizona, reports Tire Review. The company unveiled its new Champiro HPY ultra-high performance line at Firebird International Raceway, where air temperatures hovered around 106˚F and track asphalt temps were measured at 160˚F-plus. And based on the response of dealers and media attending the event and putting the new radial through its paces, the Champiro HPY lived up to its billing. Even after three lengthy road course driving sessions, the HPYs on a collection of BMW and Mercedes models showed no ill effects and none of edge feathering one would expect under such extreme conditions.
Industrial finishing equipment manufacturer Guyson International has launched a new Wheelmaster product for use in applications such as smart repairs. “This is the ideal machine either as a brand new installation into ‘smart’ repair centres or auto body shops looking to offer a value added customer service by bringing the process back in house from subcontractors or indeed as a replacement for old, poorly performing blast units,” company representatives explained in a launch statement.
Aluminium wheel specialist Alcoa has announces that following new lightweight wheels with unified rim flange design will be available from September/October. The unified rim flange enables both adhesive and clip-on balancing weights. The latest details follow the news that Alcoa and SAF-Holland have developed flangeless trailer wheel.
BMW has launched a specialist winter tyre swap programme designed to mirror the winter tyre hotels mostly found in continental Europe. The idea is that buying the package gets you two sets of tyres and alloys – one for summer and one for winter use – and the dealership stores the set you not using until the next changeover. By officially promoting winter tyres in this way, BMW UK becomes the first carmaker to offer an official service in this way. It is also the first time BMW have offered an official branded winter wheel and tyre package. The news follows renewed winter tyre activity in the UK that has seen ATS Euromaster order £3 million of the seasonal products and Yokohama launch a winter range here in recent months.
E-Commerce tyre seller etyres has released a YouTube instructional video for changing wheels on passenger cars with a difference: it is presented by a 10-year old. William Stepney shows viewers, in the words of etyres, that "you don’t need to be a qualified mechanic or have Vin Diesel’s biceps to fit the spare tyre."
Solomon Alsberg has launched a new range of “Eco Super Light” forged alloy wheels in the UK and says it is looking for distribution partners in the UK and other European countries. According to the company, which makes its wheels from forged blanks supplied by Alcoa, the wheels are designed to improve handling, acceleration times and emissions.
The launch follows a three-year period of testing and development that saw the premium wheel specialist optimise its design and manufacturing techniques to produce a strong, stylish and highly durable wheel that weighs up to 35 per cent less than its cast counterparts. The result is a considerable reduction in the vehicle’s unsprung weight, which is said to improve steering feel, add faster acceleration and reduce fuel consumption and CO2 emissions by over 10 per cent in stop-go driving conditions.
Stamford Tyres is a business of two major halves. Firstly it runs a distribution business in nine countries including its home nation of Singapore; secondly it is the manufacturer of its SSW brand of wheels and the owner of its outsourced manufactured Sumo Firenza proprietary brand tyres, which it displayed in Europe recently at Essen 2010. “We help the plants with technical assistance, with our own designs for products, and we own our own tooling,” explained the company’s CEO and president, Wee Kok Wah when Tyres & Accessories interviewed him on his recent visit to London following Reifen 2010. “That way we can gear our capacity quite quickly and easily. We have a large team of engineers in China to deliver product quality assurance. The product meets the highest standard that you want.”
This category reminds us that it is not all about round, black, rubbery objects; tyre shops need the consumables, tools and machinery to demount, repair, balance and align wheels and tyres. Three of last year's nominees have made it again – Apaseal, Auto4 and Rema Tip Top – and are joined by Harvie Tyres and Pro-Align, who won last year's Innovation Award.
The chairman and CEO of Titan International has described the second quarter as a “good quarter for a number of reasons. Maurice M. Taylor Jr, a man also known as “The Grizz” – a nickname presumably earned due to his business style rather than a fondness for bears – said “the numbers speak for themselves. If you look at the cash flow you will see that there is about an extra $1 million each quarter in depreciation and amortisation related to the new off-the-road equipment when compared to the same quarters in 2009.”
Alcoa and SAF-Holland have announced that they are working together to develop a new trailer wheel which can be mounted without a separate hub flange. The lightweight forged wheel weighs in at just 28.5 kilos and its size is 22.5 x 11.75. Maximum load per wheel comes in at 4500 kilos. The offset is 60 mm and the disc thickness is 35 mm.
TGL S.P. Industries Ltd. (TGL), a subsidiary of equipment firm Pelmar Group, has announced the start of product at its new custom compounding plant in Yokneam, Israel. The official opening ceremony has been schedule to be held on site, on 27 July in the presence of Israel’s Minister of Industry & Commerce, Israel’s former Defence Minister and General (Res) in the Israel Defense Forces. The new plant was built at a cost of around $4 million and is designed to allow TGL to be “completely independent to supply rubber compounds for its own production lines and also to distribute the extra capacity to rubber manufacturers in Israel and abroad.”
According to the company, the compounding line features a high capacity Farrel 200 litre mixer and automatic discharging, cooling and stacking line. This combined with fully automatic weighing and charging systems for carbon black, silica, oil and small chemical ingredients is designed to enable TGL to meet the continuing and “extremely high technological requirements” of its customers.
Singapore-based Stamford Tyres has confirmed the firm will makes first appearance at Brityrex for five years, with the company’s new Sumo Firenza STO5A making its UK debut. Located at stand 10, Stamford representatives report they will be presenting “an extensive collection of tyres and wheels plus many members of the Sumo Firenza European Sales team will be on hand.”
The all-new Sumo Firenza STO5A ultra high performance tyre, which was only launched at Reifen Essen in June, will take centre stage. Officials say it offers “an impressive asymmetric pattern, with significant benefits in low noise, rolling resistance plus high grip levels in wet road conditions.” Furthermore the tyre complies with all the latest European standards, has been specifically designed for the UK and European tyre markets and will be available in 34 sizes including 19 and 20 inch diameters.
Powered access rental company AFI-Uplift has chosen ATS Euromaster to supply and service the tyres across its fleet of nearly 4,400 assets. The estimated worth of the deal is in excess of £120,000 a year. AFI has 18 depots throughout the UK, a 90-strong commercial vehicle fleet and 4,300 access machines. The rental firm says its decision to sign with ATS Euromaster largely because the company has health and safety values and standards matching its own.
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