Yokohama is venturing into new territory with its RS02 radial snow tire, an offering that has been developed to give G2 graders optimal winter performance. Two years in development, the RS02 is designed to provide superior grip on snow and ice as well as durability in extreme conditions.

For civil and utility services, harsh winter conditions can present significant challenges, as Tom Clauer, Yokohama Tire senior manager of commercial and OTR product planning explains, “There are road-service agencies, such as ‘county shops’ and municipalities in the upper states and Canada, that need to maintain and clear non-interstate roads and city streets in winter months.

Continue reading Yokohama’s new winter tire features specially developed compound at Tire Technology International.

Apollo Tyres has announced its entry into the Saudi Arabia market, following a tie-up with Al-Jomaih Tyres Company, the sole distributor for the kingdom. The new arrangement will enable Apollo to focus on the growing truck, bus and passenger car markets.

Tires sold in Saudi Arabia will be specifically designed to meet the demands of the domestic market and covered by a five-year warranty from the date of manufacture. Apollo created a hub for its Africa and Middle East market distribution in 2011.

Shubhro Ghosh, group head of Middle East and Africa, Apollo Tyres, said, “The entry into the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is the culmination of a long-term product planning and development program.

Continue reading Apollo Tyres enters Saudi Arabia tire market at Tire Technology International.

Italian re-treading company TRM has delivered a new OTR tire plant to Kal Tire, a Canadian company specialized in mining tire services and re-treading. Built in the Sonora desert, close to the largest copper mine in Mexico, the new plant is a result of collaboration between Kal Tire’s Mexican field team and TRM’s technical group, and provides all the required functions for the re-treading process in a single location.

A multi-purpose working gate with a flexible tool head is designed to complete all three stages of the buffing and grooving processes, while a fully automated building machine, as well as twin autoclaves and curing processes, means the site can process tires up to 63in.

Continue reading TRM supplies new off-the-road tire plant to Kal Tire at Tire Technology International.

Fowler Welch, a UK-based supply chain logistics provider, has carried out a comprehensive test of Bandvulc and Continental low-rolling-resistance tires.

The collaborative trial, carried out under strict conditions at Millbrook Proving Ground, used two DAF 6×2 tractor units with trailers, with one vehicle acting as a control subject while the other used different combinations of Bandvulc and Continental tires over the five test rounds. During the final round the vehicle tires were deflated by 20% in order to assess the contribution of tire pressure on fuel consumption.

The results showed that the use of low rolling resistance tires – Continental Efficient Pro on the steer axle and Bandvulc BDF5 on the drive axle – provided an increase of 5% in miles per gallon compared to the OEM fitment.

Continue reading Fowler Welch puts Bandvulc and Continental tires to economy test at Tire Technology International.

Sumitomo Rubber Industries has developed a new system of analysis utilizing artificial intelligence which will ultimately enable improved tire performance and slower wear rates.

Tyre Leap AI Analysis was developed by SRI in conjunction with Professor Miki Haseyama at Hokkaido University. It uses real-world data and image processing techniques such as electron microscopy to analyze and compare new and old tires. Gathering this data means precise predictions can be made of how changes in compounds affect tire performance throughout the tire’s life, with the potential benefits of improved wear rates and more consistent performance across the tire’s lifespan.

Continue reading SRI leverages artificial intelligence to improve tire performance at Tire Technology International.

Cooper Tire and Sailun Vietnam are celebrating production of the first tire at ACTR, their joint-venture facility near Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.

Cooper Tire has a 35% share in ACTR, which was built to produce truck and bus radial tires for markets around the world. Following the delivery of the first tire during a ceremony in November, the factory is expected to reach commercial operation levels in the first quarter of 2020 and has the capacity to produce two million tires per year.

Brad Hughes, Cooper president and chief executive officer, said, “Cooperation between Cooper and Sailun has been outstanding, and we thank our partner Sailun for working so closely with us over the past several months to construct this facility.

Continue reading Cooper Tire and Sailun Vietnam produce first tire at joint plant at Tire Technology International.

Uzer Makina has announced a further expansion of its production facility in Kartepe, Turkey.

The mold and press manufacturer separated its curing press and curing mold production facilities in 2018 and doubled its capacity in the process, and the construction process already underway will move pre-production processes to their own facility in early 2020.

The new building will cover an area of 6,500m2 and provide a dedicated location for raw material storage and processing, including construction, welding and heat treatment, with new equipment dedicated to these processes. As well as increasing overall capacity it will grow the proportion of construction done in-house with the aim of improving quality.

Continue reading Mold press production expansion for Uzer Makina at Tire Technology International.

Linglong Tire’s new manufacturing facility, Hubei Linglong Tire Co, has produced its first truck, bus radial tire (TBR). This follows a 16-month construction period to build the tire maker’s fourth domestic production plant.

The new facility will cover an area of 1,000,000m2 and a floor area of 670,000m2 . It will produce a mix of TBR, PCR and OTR tires. Linglong Tire has targeted an output of 12,000,000 PCRs, 2,400,000 million TBRs and 60,000 OTRs per year, with an expected sales reaching RMB 5bn (US$710m). Senior personnel from Jingmen in the Hubei Province of China and Hubei Linglong Tire attended a celebratory ceremony in November.

Continue reading First truck, bus radial tire produced by Hubei Linglong Tire at Tire Technology International.