Wheels
On April 1, new regulations covering the use of winter tyres will take effect in New Zealand. The new requirements included in the Land Transport: Tyres and Wheels Amendment Rule prohibit the mixing of winter tyres with other types of tyres on the same vehicle. This ban applies to passenger cars, 4x4s, vans, small buses and light commercial vehicles.
Titan Wheel Corporation, a subsidiary of Titan International, has been named as a top-performing supplier by Spartan Motors Chassis. Titan Wheel produces off-highway wheels and rims for Spartan Motors, who supplies defence contractor BAE Systems with Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) tactical vehicles. Spartan awarded the top-performing designation to the uppermost four per cent of its more than 300 suppliers. The Spartan award, comments Titan, commends exceptional performance criteria related to quality, delivery, customer support and competitiveness.
Rimcity Wheels, purportedly the only authorised UK dealers for Giovanna wheels – as showcased on world famous tuning programme “pimp my ride,” is offering the new 2010 range of wheels from Giovanna, Gianelle and GFG. In addition, sales of what company reports was its biggest selling wheel of 2009 (the Giovanna Dalar) are said to be “still going strong.”
Some of Rimcity’s latest sales include custom painted Lamborgini Orange Range Rover Sport fitted with chrome 24-inch Giovanna Dalars (January 2010); a white Bentley GTC fitted with matte black Giovanna Dalar wheels (February 2010); and a Matte black Porsche Cayenne Turbo S fitted with Matte Black Gianelle Santorini with a polished lip in 24-inch (February 2010).
When it comes to alloy wheels, there is no doubt that forged products are top of the tree in terms of strength, technological benefits but also price. However, while they will never be the cheapest products on offer, there are signs that their fitment is becoming increasingly prevalent in the marketplace, with some of the best known volume models now sporting forged aluminium wheels as an option. Tyres & Accessories interviewed David Yates, marketing manager for Alcoa Forged Specialty Wheels, Europe to find out more.
You might think that the recession would have put the kibosh on sales of what is to all extents and purposes the premium of wheel upgrade options. However, while the environment has been tough for everyone, things have not been as bad as could have been expected for Alcoa forged wheel. In fact, according to David Yates, when you consider the US-based company’s relatively short history of selling forged wheels in the European market, there is a lot to be pleased about: “The credit crunch has had an affect on us. Car wheel volumes have been reduced significantly overall, however these are growing “rapidly” in Europe. Although we [Alcoa] invented forged wheels 60 years ago, we have only been pushing passenger car forged wheels in Europe for less than 3.5 years, following the US model [of introduction].”
3.2 x 10-4 mbar x 1/s – get it? For those of use without an engineering degree – this is the value, which a VDH leak detection machine for aluminium wheels understands. Generally speaking: When exceeding this limit value of a leak rate, the wheel is considered leaky and is not allowed to be mounted on a car. 3.2 x 10-4 mbar x 1/s is the equivalent to an air loss of 0.2 bar within 6 months at a tyre pressure of 2 bar. This leak rate is the tolerance threshold, which is measured with a helium leak detection method. This is the latest technology.
The roots of W. von der Heyde GmbH (Stade) run about 130 years deep. When the company receives a smaller order from the Elbe-Weser triangle region of Germany, employees are reminded that the company founded its reputation as a machinery manufacturer as a forge. In the meantime, “VDH” is primarily equipped for high tech solutions in the specialty machinery industry. Without the traditional craftsman-like background repair jobs of rather simple, but often times very old mechanical devices for which drawings and spare parts no longer exist, as well as very complex machines with highly automated processes, would not be conceivable.
YHI International produces some of the best known wheel brands (such as OZ, Enkei, Advanti, Breyton and Konig) in the business. However up till now, with the exception of some high profile motorsport supply deals such as with Formula One, virtually all of these have been destined for the European and global replacement markets. When Tyres & Accessories interviewed YHI Manufacturing (Singapore) PTE Ltd CEO, Thomas Lee at the company’s Shanghai wheel production at the end of 2009, the executive suggested that both original equipment supply and further motorsport activities could be in the offing for the manufacturer.
In the first half of 2009, the effects of the global recession meant YHI International Ltd experienced a continuation of the “slow” period that was evident during the fourth quarter of 2008. By the third quarter of the year sales were comparable with the same period in 2008. The further quarter of 2009 brought with it tentative signs of recovery, with company representatives telling T&A that early “signals of economic recovery appeared to be true.”
Wheel manufacturer and importer Performance Wheels Ltd. has released its 2010 ‘Mini Catalogue’. The A5 sized brochure showcases the company’s latest wheel ranges as well as the popular Cobra suspension range, covering an extensive range of fitments.
While everyone has been focusing on the US-initiated anti-dumping tariffs against Chinese-made passenger car tyres, another anti-dumping investigation has escaped widespread coverage. On 13 August 2009 the European commission began an investigation into dumping allegations made against Chinese wheelmakers who allegedly sold products into the European markets beneath cost price. At the time 60 Chinese wheelmakers received notification of the impending investigation and most reportedly began cooperating straight away. Nevertheless, according to China’s Ministry of Commerce, the investigation is likely to cost Chinese wheel exporters an estimated US$390 million. There is still a chance that no tariffs will be implemented, but if they are they will apply across both the OE and replacement sectors and are predicted to be lie somewhere around the 30 per cent mark.
The European Commission’s investigation, which began just a day after the Chinese companies involved were informed of the allegations, followed a complaint made by the Association of European Wheel Manufacturers’ (EUWA) in June 2009. At the time the journal of the executive arm of the 27-nation European Union said the investigation was initiated “having determined that there is sufficient evidence to justify the…proceeding.” However, China's Ministry of Commerce denied the charges saying: “It raises the cost of repairs for customers, affects the recovery of the European auto sector from the global financial crisis, and hurts the interests of both China and Europe.” Either way, with Chinese produced wheels representing a significant proportion of replacement market products on offer, any kind of trade barriers that are implemented are likely to have a similarly significant effect on the shape of the market.
Suitability for high load applications is a favoured quality for industrial tyres, and Continental Industrial Tyres is now in a strong position to brag about the load capability of its IC 40 Extra Deep pneumatic crossply range. The Conti tyre plus corresponding Continental-supplied wheel units were called into service to aid Kamag and Scheuerle Self-Propelled Modular Transporters (SPMTs) move a load weighing more than 15,000 tonnes. This impressive piece of haulage work took place at Norway’s largest shipyard, Aker Stord, and involved the transportation of an oil separation plant. The plant was built in three sections, the middle of these sections alone weighing 12,750 tonnes, and its movement from the production site to a pontoon required an accuracy level of just two millimetres.
Alcoa Auto Wheels has announced that the company is supplying forged aluminium wheel for the V12 Vantage – billed by Aston Martin as its most exhilarating sports car. "The forging technology behind these wheels enables significant weight savings directly benefiting handling performance, ride quality, acceleration and braking,” explained David Yates, marketing manager for Alcoa Europe, adding: “Our forging process results in a superior metal structure that also improves strength and durability, allowing finer wheel detailing and lighter weight.”
Bridgestone Americas has reportedly filed trademark infringement suit against Commerce Max Inc., a Texas company selling “Amberstone” brand medium truck and OTR tyres, reports Tire Review. Based in Pflugerville, Texas, Commerce Max, according to its website, sells a wide range of tyre brands, including Michelin, Bridgestone, Goodyear, Yokohama, General and Firestone. The Amberstone brand tyres it offers are produced in China by an unnamed manufacturer.
Following yesterday’s announcement that the company is opening a Russian and CIS market office, CGS Tyres has stated its aim of becoming “In the long term we are aiming to become the leading importer to the Russian market and the Commonwealth of Independent States in the agricultural and industrial tyre segments,” Jozef Rúček, who will manage the new Moscow office, commented. General manager and chairman of the board of CGS Tyres, Jaroslav Čechura, explained the company’s strategy: “Recent developments at manufacturers of agricultural machinery and equipment in Russia – such as Claas, John Deere and the Same Deutz-Fahr Group – have brought increased interest in our products in the region. The Russian market is huge, and we view it as a great opportunity for further expansion.”
Snap-on Equipment reports that its first UK customer for the Hofmann Quadriga 1000 automatic tyre changer has taken delivery of the machine. Wrexham-based Minera Tyres & Exhaust has been supplied with the new, state-of-the-art machine, which enables tyres to be automatically demounted and mounted from wheel rims with a diameter of up to 30”. The Quadriga 1000 was supplied by Unipart Garage Equipment Services.
Eurotire, Inc., a US based OTR tyre specialist with manufacturing facilities in Romania and the Ukraine, has unveiled its new EuroTrack tyre management system. Eurotire selected Australian software developer Vehicle Management Corporation (VMC) and its enTIRE Tire and Rim Management Software (a Windows based computer programme that will track the performance and stock levels of a fleet of tyres and wheels) to create the EuroTrak customised tyre data collection system. Tyre and wheel performance data will be collected from around the world using EuroTrak, analysed at Eurotire’s offices, and fed back to Eurotire’s manufacturing plants to provide continuous product improvement feedback.
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