Industry Opinion

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US changes Patent and Trademark procedure

The United States Patent and Trademark Office recently changed from ‘first-to-invent’ to ‘first-to-file’, which now harmonizes its patent procedures with the rest of the world

 

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by Joe Walter

Exciting times in the tire industry

Last year the global tire industry recovered from the previous year’s downturn and returned to the predicted growth pattern based on the global demand for road vehicles

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by Roger Williams

Electric vehicle battle moves beyond cars

For the future of automotive technology perhaps we should look to the skies, or even below the sea

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Dr Peter Harrop, chairman, IDTechEx

Positive signals for the Italian plastics and rubber machinery industry

According to Assocomaplast (the Italian trade association, a Confindustria member, of 160 manufacturers of plastics and rubber machinery, equipment and molds), ISTAT data related to the January-April 2010 period confirm the recovery of the sector, including import-export results, after the serious crisis that hit the industry throughout 2009 and well beyond.

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Stefania Arioli, Assocomaplast

Costly misconception

Over the past 13 years I have written many articles on the subject of balancing tires and complete wheel assemblies. What is also important to talk about now, is shock absorbers.

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Roger Le Blanc, Counteract Balancing Beads Inc

Economic recovery? Only if WE collaborate

So, with the hard fought UK election battle in the not too distant past, what exactly did we learn from the creation of the coalition government? What message did this give to business leaders of today or tomorrow? Was it that you can only win if you can beat the opposition into submission through a war of words and half-baked truths? Businesses don’t succeed like that. We have to know our strengths and how to use them to compliment those of our clients and our suppliers.

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Martin Wing, Kepner-Tregoe

Defending TPMS

A number of car companies in the UK have voiced criticism of the European Union’s decision to make TPMS fully mandated by 2014. The criticism has focussed on a suggestion that they are an unnecessary piece of technology and one for which some motorists have suggested that they would rather not pay. The rationale advanced from some quarters is that a driver should take responsibility and check tire pressures on a weekly basis; clearly this does not happen.

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Alfonso Di Pasquale, Schrader Electronics

Racing tips from a tire engineer

Official FIA World Touring Car Championship (WTCC) tire supplier Yokohama offers a behind-the-scenes look on what tire advice its experts give to the star drivers and their teams.

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Susumu Watanabe, technical department manager, Yokohama

Tire 'squaring' dangers for motorcyclists

Motorcycle riders are being warned of the dangers that continuous upright riding on fast straight routes can do to their bikes' tires.

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Gary Hartshorne, motorcycle tire technical specialist for TyreSafe

New tires still let down motorists

Road users' lives are at risk because a quarter of new tires legally sold in the UK do not meet the most stringent safety tests.

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David Smith, managing director, Continental Tyres UK