European Rubber Journal articles from December 2000

European Rubber Journal archives from December 2000

Closure in UK reveal lack of harmonisation.(Brief Article)(Critical Essay)
December 1, 2000... I live in the UK. I have never lived anywhere else, so although I think of myself as European, I cannot help but be affected by the number of factory closures we have seen here in the UK in the last few months. Over that time, I have found...

Retread regs welcome--but flawed.
December 1, 2000... The new ECE 108/109 regulations have received a mixed welcome, Retreaders want such type approval systems: they provide recognition of retreads as high-quality products tested to European wide standard by independent bodies. But Reg 54...

Imerys is new force in white fillers.
December 1, 2000... French minerals player Imerys has become a global leader in industrial minerals following its 1999 purchase of English China Clays' kaolin and calcium carbonate businesses. French minerals group Imerys SA has become a global force in...

Injection moulders explore co-injection.(Brief Article)
December 1, 2000... Although moulders have been using metal inserts for rubber-to-metal components for many years, the latest trend is for rubber. to plastic bonding, injecting plastic and rubber into the same mould cavity. Co-moulding rubber with plastics is...

Four-in-one press saves time, money.(Brief Article)
December 1, 2000... A small company based in Ohio claims to have a multi-station injection press which can reduce cure time, save space and save large amounts of money. The claims--if true--offer the opportunity to dramatically improve cost-down in the critical...

Systems solutions needed, says BMW expert.(Brief Article)
December 1, 2000... Closer dialogue between BMW and suppliers is needed, says one of the German car maker's elastomer specifiers. Tighter emission regulations, the need for lightweight parts, increasing under-bonnet temperatures, and harsher fuels/oils are typical...

New cold-feed preformer gives accurate blanks.(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
December 1, 2000... Processors can make rubber blanks with volumes of very high precision using a new design of rubber preformer from ZW Hydraulik AG, based in Rumlingen, Switzerland. The high precision is the result of an up-to-date electronic closed-loop control...

Rubber use to reach 19.5 million tonnes in 2004.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
December 1, 2000... World rubber consumption will grow almost three percent a year to reach 19.5 million tonnes by 2004, according to a recent study by The Freedonia Group. Growth will be slower than in the five years to 1999, as motor vehicle production slows,...

Acordis to concentrate on industrial yarns.(Brief Article)
December 1, 2000... Acordis has completed its initial rationalisation plan, and is looking to the industrial yarns sector for long-term growth. The company has sold many of its non-core businesses; closed a number of plants and is in negotiation with Teijin and...

IM business still strong in Americas.(Brief Article)
December 1, 2000... Even though economic reports suggest the US economy might be slowing, European suppliers of injection moulding equipment report no let-up in the strong demand from the country--and the strength of the dollar is only helping the volume of...

SEC to sell new FKM curing agent.(Brief Article)
December 1, 2000... German distributor of speciality elastomer parts SEC has developed new form of diamine curing agent. Speciality compound distributor SEC Gummimischungen GmbH has a "very new" development on offer. This is a hexamethylene diamine carbamate...

Majors advance butadiene JV plans.(Brief Article)
December 1, 2000... Shell, AtoFina and BASF close to finalising plans for an integrated [C.sub.4] complex in Port Arthur, Texas, close to Orange and Beaumont. Three major petrochemicals groups are finalising terms for a new joint venture, called Sabina...

ERJ people.(Brief Article)
December 1, 2000... MacLellan hires two Glasgow, UK--Scottish rubber goods manufacturer MacLellan Rubber Ltd of Glasgow has appointed two new staff. Brian Vince becomes commercial manager for defence and flooring products, and Alan Sturrick becomes rubber...

Nippon Valqua to make seals in China.(Brief Article)
December 1, 2000... Major Japanese seals maker to set up unit in Shanghai. Japan's largest sealing products firm, Nippon Valqua Industries Ltd, is to invest about [yen] 1350 million ($12.7 million) to manufacture and supply industrial seals in the Peoples'...

Phoenix margins under pressure.(Brief Article)
December 1, 2000... Phoenix reports profits down 5 percent on higher sales, despite `robust' performance in automotive activities. Non-auto activities held the group back. For the first three-quarters of 2000, a robust performance by Phoenix AG's automotive...

Rubber news: ERJ briefs.
December 1, 2000... Mapa Spontex buys Soke Paris--Hutchinson, part of TotalFinaElf, has acquired Soke, a Vienna-based supplier of household cleaning products including gloves, sponges, cleaning cloths and scouring pads. The Austrian firm, which has a...

Regent to double glove capacity in Malaysia.(Brief Article)
December 1, 2000... Surgical glove capacity of Regent Medical in South-east Asia to grow substantially, as the group adds Biogel technology in Malaysia. Regent Medical Americas has boosted investment in its Kulim, Malaysia, surgical glove facility to $14...

Rubber news: ERJ newsbriefs.(industry acquisition information)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2000... Caterpillar, ASV form closer links Caterpillar Inc. has paid $9 million to acquire 50 000 shares in ASV Inc., increasing its ownership in ASV to about 15 percent, the companies announced 31 Oct. The firms have also agreed jointly to...

Michelin takes majority holding in Thai venture.(Michelin Siam Group)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
December 1, 2000... Michelin wins control of its tyre-making JV in Thailand following Siam Cement's decision to sell 10 percent of the equity in Michelin Siam Group. Siam Cement Group is to sell 10 percent of its holding in Thai automotive tyre maker,...

Supplier news: ERJ newsbriefs.(brief industry news)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2000... Thomas Swan buys Emerald Chemical Consett, UK--Thomas Swan & Co. has purchased resorcinol and stearic acid maker Emerald Chemical (Manufacturing) Ltd of Burton-on-Trent, UK. Emerald makes the Anchor 1200 series of blends used in compounded...

Freudenberg aims to sell R&D skills to industry.(Freudenberg Forschungsdienst KG )(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
December 1, 2000... German R&D unit of Freudenberg Group aims to realise 15 percent of its turnover from contract research. Companies outside the Freudenberg Group can now use its wide-ranging research and development facilities and expertise. All...

Rhodia resists profits squeeze.(financial information)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
December 1, 2000... French silicones producer suffering effects of rising raw materials prices, with overloaded plants. In Rhodia's silicones business, "the problem is price increases for raw materials, particularly methyl chloride, and the fact that its...

Rubber Network plans to modernise supply chain.(strategy and planning)
December 1, 2000... RubberNetwork.com outlines its plans for a logistics and supply-chain-focussed web presence, which will help reduce cost and improve efficiency in the tyre and rubber industries. RubberNetwork now exists as a legal entity, based in Atlanta,...

Goodyear UK talks on Wolverhampton flounder.(possible layoffs)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2000... There is a growing gulf between unions and management at Goodyear's UK tyre plant in Wolverhampton, where up to 540 jobs may be eliminated, according to a Transport & General union official. Last month Goodyear announced plans to cut the...

McNeil moves production to Romania, cuts Akron.(McNeil & NRM Inc. )
December 1, 2000... French-owned, US-based machinery firm aims to save costs by shifting manufacture of tyre building machines, presses to east Europe. Tyre industry machinery maker McNeil & NRM Inc. has moved most of its machine production to Romania and...

ERJ tyre briefs.(brief industry news)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2000... Continental opens Romanian tyre plant Timisoara, Romania--Continental AG marked the official opening of a new car tyre plant in Romania with a 20 Oct ceremony attended by the country's prime minister, Mugur Isarescu, and Conti chairman...

Race to launch tyre monitors intensifies.(Brief Article)
December 1, 2000... Three firms announce developments in devices to monitor tyre pressure. Runflat tyres such as Goodyear's EMT and Michelin's PAX system need tyre pressure monitoring devices to tell users when deflation has occurred. Three recent...

Supplier news: ERJ briefs.(Brief Article)
December 1, 2000... Krupp to supply Michelin Hamburg, Germany--Krupp Elastomertechnik, a subsidiary of Thyssen KruppAG, has signed a cooperation agreement with Groupe Michelin for the development and supply of modular extrusion lines and downstream equipment...

INRO starts rubber stockpile sale.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
December 1, 2000... Sale of NR stockpile is proceeding, but very slowly, and the selling prices are below the price at which the rubber was bought, creating an overall loss for the defunct organisation. The International Natural Rubber Organization has...

Sumitomo Rubber takes control of Ohtsu Tire.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
December 1, 2000... New shareholder structure formalises the relationship between two Japanese tyre makers. Sumitomo Rubber Industries Ltd is to take a majority shareholding in Ohtsu Tire & Rubber Co. Ltd, Japan's fifth largest tyre manufacturer. SRI is...

Trelleborg buys Laird's automotive activities.(Brief Article)
December 1, 2000... Laird disposes of AVS, hose activities to Trelleborg, following sale of Draftex to GenCorp last month. Trelleborg Group is to pay SKr1500 million ($156.2 million) to acquire Laird plc's automotive component business (LAC), which supplies...

DSM Elastomers lifts European EPDM prices.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
December 1, 2000... Geleen, Netherlands--DSM Elastomers Europe is to increase prices across its entire Keltan EPDM range by 0.20 [European Dollar]/kg ($0.17/kg)--typically around 8 percent--in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, from 1 Jan 2001. DSM's third...

Trelleborg Auto to close Neumunster plant.(Brief Article)
December 1, 2000... Trelleborg AB is to close its automotive components plant in Neumunster, Germany, which employs 190 people, the group said in an 8 Nov interim results statement. The move is part of the integration of Trelleborg Automotive businesses in...