European Rubber Journal articles from July 2005

European Rubber Journal archives from July 2005

Avon acquires US breathing equipment manufacturer; UK firm expands its new protection division with latest buy.(Avon Rubber PLC, International Safety Instruments Inc.)
July 1, 2005... Byline: Liz White Avon Rubber plc has bought breathing equipment maker International Safety Instruments Inc., based in Lawrenceville, Georgia, for up to $22.7 million ([euro]18.7 million). The acquisition of ISI's technology in...

Yokohama to add in Thailand.(Yokohama Rubber Company Ltd.)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... Yokohama Rubber Co. Ltd will add passenger car and light truck tyre capacity in the coming 18 months at a new factory adjacent to its existing truck tyre plant near Bangkok, Thailand. The group is seeking to meet rising global tyre demand. ...

Briefs.(Martien de Louw resigns from Continental AG)(Kumho Tire Company Ltd. expands in China)(Sumitomo Rubber Industries Ltd builds new facilities in Thailand)
July 1, 2005... Sumitomo to build tyre plant in Thailand Bangkok, Thailand - Sumitomo Rubber Industries Ltd is to build a passenger tyre plant in Thailand's Rayong Province that will become the company's largest operation at 7 million units a year. ...

ContiTech adds printing blanket manufacturer.(ContiTech Group AG purchases Phoenix Xtra Print GmbH)
July 1, 2005... Byline: Liz White ContiTech AG has turned its printing blanket business into the third ranked supplier globally through its recent purchase of Phoenix Xtra Print GmbH of Waltershausen, Germany. ContiTech did not reveal any financial...

Icon examines options as Silvertown is integrated; Some Silvertown operations may be sold, Icon says.(Icon Polymer Group)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... Byline: Liz White, ERJ staff Following Icon Polymer Group's 1 Jan takeover of Silvertown Ltd, disposal of some parts of the acquired business is possible, the group has revealed. And some of the antivibration business may continue in...

Peugeot 1007 uses window seals made of styrenic TPE.(thermoplastic elastomer )
July 1, 2005... Byline: Liz White In what is claimed to be a first for a French car maker, a styrenic TPE is being used by PSA Peugeot Citroen for the doors of its Sesame two-door model. The Sesame, or 1007-a replacement for the car maker's small model,...

Conti fights pirates: 'millions each year in damages'.(ContiTech Antriebssysteme GmbH)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... Byline: Liz White ContiTech Antriebssysteme GmbH wants to step up its fight against faked timing belts, more of which flood onto the market each year, the German rubber product maker says. "Sometimes entire containers with up to 40 000...

More stories on the web.(www.europeanrubberjournal.com)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... Don't miss out on the news. We don't have room in the magazine for all the news that goes on the ERJ website, day in, day out. So make sure you get full value out of your subscription. Go to www.europeanrubberjournal.com to see these stories....

ZF Boge Elastmetall sets up Chinese JV in NVH parts; German maker of vibration damping parts expands into China with local partners.(joint venture, noise and vibration and harshness)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... Byline: Liz White ZF Boge Elastmetall, the rubber-metal technology division of ZF Friedrichshafen AG, signed a joint-venture agreement with local partners in Shanghai, China earlier this year. "The new company will develop and produce...

Briefs.(Toyoda Gosei Company Ltd. plans to expand in Japan, Czech Republic)(Flexsys expands crystex insoluble sulphur capacity)(Trelleborg AB appointed Peter Nilsson)
July 1, 2005... Toyoda Gosei expands in Japan, Czech Republic Aichi, Japan-Toyoda Gosei has announced plans to expand sealing systems production in Japan and the Czech Republic. A new plant in Kitakyusyu, Fukuoka Prefecture, is scheduled to commence...

More stories on the web.(prices)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... Don't miss out on the news. Go to www.europeanrubberjournal.com to see these stories. Flexsys increases prices from 1 July * Eliokem raising Wingstay L prices 12 percent * Michelin Americas raising prices of large tyres by 3 to 8 percent *...

Avon to close Proflex hose unit.(Avon Rubber PLC)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... Avon Rubber plc is to close its Proflex hose plant in Calaf, Spain, following a review of the group's European automotive hose making business. This will "bring our capacity more into line with market demand patterns and enable us to focus on...

Freudenberg-NOK expands in China.(Freudenberg und Co.)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... Byline: Liz White Freudenberg Group and NOK Corp. are intensifying their joint activities in China. In April, representatives of both companies officially opened a new factory for seal production in Changchun, following an investment of...

Rhodia signs MoU on silicones with China National Blue Star.(memorandum of understanding)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... Rhodia and China National Blue Star Corp. have signed a memorandum of understanding on a strategic alliance of their silicones activities. Under the alliance, the partners will build a core production unit for intermediates...

CVC to sell Kwik-Fit to PAI for [pounds sterling]800 million; Equity group beats tyre maker in bid to buy fast-fit chain.(Kwik-Fit Group Ltd sold to PAI Partners' Speedy 1 Ltd. which beat Bridgstone Corp. for the deal)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... Byline: Liz White European equity group CVC plans to sell its controlling stake in Kwik-Fit Group Ltd to Speedy 1 Ltd, a company controlled by PAI Partners, for [pounds sterling]800 million ([euro]1204 million), subject to regulatory and...

Briefs.(investments in Asia)
July 1, 2005... Michelin may expand in China: adds Thai shares Shenyang, China-Groupe Michelin has bought nearly 39 acres of land adjacent to its Shenyang tyre plant to allow for future growth. The company, however, denied reports in China that it has...

Teijin to expand Twaron capacity again-to 23 kt.(Teijin Twaron BV)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... Byline: Liz White Teijin Ltd and Teijin Twaron BV are to raise capacity for the high-performance para-aramid fibre Twaron by 20 percent, at plants in Emmen and Delfzijl, the Netherlands. Work on the expansion began in March 2005 and...

Briefs.(Companhia Bahiana de Fibras sold to Haci Omer Sabanci Holding AS and Cordenka GmbH's expansion plans)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... Sabanci buys polyester unit COBAFI from Diolen Arnhem, Netherlands-Acordis' Diolen polyester industrial yarn and tyre cord fabric operations COBAFI (Companhia Bahiana de Fibras) based in Camacari, Brazil have been sold to Haci Omer Sabanci...

Suppliers to car makers: give us more responsibility.(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... Byline: Douglas Bolduc Automotive News Europe Suppliers want car makers to give them more responsibility for developing vehicles. And they're looking for earlier involvement too. "We are the component experts. You are the car experts,"...

Toyota plans another deep cut in purchasing.(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... Byline: James Treece Automotive News Europe Toyota's next round of cost cutting will focus on systems and modules rather than individual components. The Japanese car maker plans to launch a savings programme it calls "Value Innovation"...

Toyota to make Camrys in Russia.(Toyota Motor Corp.)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... Toyota, expecting further strong sales growth in Russia, said it will start building Camrys in a new factory in St Petersburg by December 2007. The Japanese car maker said the new plant will have an initial capacity of 50 000 units a year....

Mercedes plays 'hardball' with suppliers; Mercedes-Benz targets suppliers of poor quality components.(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... Byline: Klaus-Dieter Florecke, Harald Hamprecht AutomobileWoche Mercedes-Benz has increased pressure on its suppliers to produce better components. The move is part of the car maker's push to reverse quality problems that have led to...

Pirelli sells energy and telecom cables operations; Divestment of cables group to equity firm is the final stage in Italian group's strategic refocus.(Pirelli & Company S.p.A.)
July 1, 2005... Byline: Liz White Pirelli & C. SpA has completed its restructuring plan by selling its Energy and Telecom Cables and Systems business to investment group Goldman Sachs Capital Partners, in a transaction valued at [euro]1300 million. The...

VW wants to cooperate with suppliers.(Volkswagen AG)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... Byline: Edmund Chew Automotive News Europe Volkswagen will cut costs by working more closely with its suppliers, pooling material purchases - and buying more from China. Volkswagen brand ceo Wolfgang Bernhard and VW director of supply,...

BMW, Toyota top survey of automotive suppliers.(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... Byline: Jesse Snyder Automotive News Europe European automotive suppliers say they want to do more business with Toyota Motor Corp. and BMW AG - and less with Ford Motor Co., General Motors and Fiat SpA. Another ten brands received...

Profile inspection: two heads are better than one; On-line profile inspection gets smart, saves money; improves quality.(Pixargus GmbH's profile)
July 1, 2005... Byline: David Shaw Two critical aspects of profiles - dimensions and surface quality are coming under closer control, thanks to the development of automated inspection equipment. Now, one of the pioneers of specialised rubber inspection...

Profit comes from innovation say business leaders; Innovation and attention to detail help to keep the customers coming back, but price remains all-important.
July 1, 2005... Byline: David Shaw Keep your technology in-house, or risk being marginalised, warned one of Europe's leading automotive suppliers. But don't ignore the needs of your cutomers, warned another. Both were speaking at the IRC event in...

Car suppliers to take more risks.(automakers are pressurised to cut costs)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... European car makers are forcing suppliers to take on more upfront development costs, putting part makers at greater risk if a new model's sales are slow. That is a key conclusion of a report by German consultant Hans-Andreas Fein and the...

The fourth dimension: rubber suppliers aim to cut risk; Minimising technical risk is the key to overcoming conservatism in materials selection, according to Zeon.(Zeon Europe GmbH)
July 1, 2005... Byline: David Shaw Materials companies trying to woo the automotive industry are adopting two key strategies. First is to have a range of materials available, ideally including materials that offer a unique combination of price and...

Viton finds uses in auto hose.(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... DuPont Performance Elastomers says it is finding new applications for fluoroelastomers in very low permeation sealing of fuel systems. The company says its Viton materials are being specified for components such as fuel sender, fuel pump...

Bosch boss: Stop pointing fingers; Cooperation with suppliers at an early stage helps, but trust is a key factor in successful relationships, says the chairman of Bosch GmbH (pictured).(Franz Fehrenbach, Robert Bosch GmbH)(Panel Discussion)
July 1, 2005... Byline: Bradford Wernle Automotive News The chairman of the world's largest automotive supplier has called for an end to the blame game in manufacturer-supplier relations. Car makers and their suppliers share in the design and...

Pirelli cites runflats as part of 'Technology in revolution'.(Industrie Pirelli S.p.A.)
July 1, 2005... Pirelli SpA has revealed its strategy for delivering safety and security to drivers in the event of damage to a tyre. The company showed a range of technologies that permit drivers to continue in safety after suffering from a damaged tyre. ...

CyberTire, CyberWheel.(Pirelli & Company S.p.A. gives information about tires and wheels)
July 1, 2005... Pirelli's CyberTire is perhaps the most technologically sophisticated of the runflat technologies on show in Marseilles. The company plans to offer three levels of the CyberTire, ranging from simple RFID chips to those which can measure...

Briefs.
July 1, 2005... Matzen & Timm supplies parts for Airbus A380 Hamburg, Germany-Masterflex unit Matzen & Timm GmbH is supplying some vital parts on the new giant European airliner-the Airbus A380-which was rolled out for its first test flight 27 April. ...

Rubber Resources relaunches as raw materials supplier; Vredestein's rubber recycling unit aims to become a full-service recycling business.
July 1, 2005... Byline: David Shaw Following the restructuring of the Vredestein group and the sale of Vredestein Tyres, the Dutch firm's recycling unit, Rubber Resources, has re-launched itself as a full-service, professional recycling organisation....

Luvomaxx launch is first step to new distribution model; Splitting sourcing away from distribution opens the door to a new business model for Lehmann und Voss. Luvomaxx is now the brand name for all products made by LuV and sold into the rubber industry.
July 1, 2005... Byline: David Shaw With the launch of the Luvomaxx brand, Lehmann und Voss has separated its distribution activities from its sourcing and manufacturing activities, according to Karl-Heinz Teschke, director of the Luvomaxx business, based...

Lanxess plan: Return to profit, then look at portfolio; Lanxess aims to develop its portfolio and build value, but only after it has returned to profitability.
July 1, 2005... Byline: David Shaw The first priority for Lanxess' technical rubber goods activities is to stabilise the financial side of the business. After that, the company will aim to develop its portfolio and build value through the brands and...

DuPont Performance Elastomers rises.(Company Profile)
July 1, 2005... Following the break-up of Dupont Dow Elastomers, DuPont Co. of Wilmington, Delaware, has taken over the businesses it contributed to the DDE joint venture. In this the first interview since the de-merger became official, Jack Lewis, ceo, speaks...

Ford Europe wants to use more proven parts in cars; Minimising technical risk is part of Ford's strategy. The company aims to use proven parts wherever possible, says the head of purchasing at Ford Europe.(interview)(Interview)
July 1, 2005... Byline: Olive Keogh Automotive News Europe Reusing proven systems and components is one way Ford Europe aims to meet customer demand for new products without sacrificing quality. Birgit Behrendt, Ford Europe vice president of purchasing,...

ERJ publishes wall-mounted map of Asian tyre plants.(European Rubber Journal)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... European Rubber Journal has completely revised its map of Asian tyre factories, adding over 30 factories in China, and simultaneously updating it with all the factories announced since the 2001 version of the map. The map is designed for...

Oil prices approach $60, while rubber beats 2004 peak.(rubber industry)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... Information We present here a series of charts and tables which are meant to give a snapshot of how the rubber industry is performing. The price of rubber on the Singapore commodity exchange is possibly the most important price in the...

Auto makers squeeze us ever tighter.(column)(Column)
July 1, 2005... Byline: David Shaw One of the main themes at the recent IRC conference was the profitability-or lack of it-of the rubber industry. The message to come out of the session was fairly bleak, but I suspect that many readers of this column will...

Cannon Avent bought by investment group.(Charterhouse Capital Partners)
July 1, 2005... Byline: Liz White Baby product manufacturer Cannon Avent Group has been sold by founder and managing director Edward Atkin to Charterhouse Capital Partners, in a deal worth [pounds sterling]300 million ([euro]451 million). Cannon...

EC warns polybutadiene producers over cartel concerns.(European Commission, Bayer AG and Dow Chemicals Co.)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... Byline: David Shaw The EC has sent a "statement of objections" to some producers of polybutadiene rubber, alleging participation in a price-fixing cartel. EC competition spokesman Jonathan Todd said, "We can confirm that the...

More news on the web.(www.europeanrubberjournal.com)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... ERJ's website contains other stories about price fixing cases in the rubber sector, including the following: * Ex Bayer exec Koch pleads guilty in rubber chemicals price ficing case; * US court throws out rubber chemicals case; *...

Siegling opens Slovakian belt plant, automates Swiss unit; New Slovakian facility (below) puts belt maker in good position in Central Europe.(Siegling America Inc.)
July 1, 2005... Byline: Liz White Belt maker Siegling, part of Swiss-based Forbo Group, has opened a new belt-making unit in Malacky, Slovakia, some 40 km north of the capital Bratislava. Siegling points out that in many applications consistently...

Briefs.(Ferrabyrne Ltd., Tomkins and Eifeler Maschinenebau GmbH)
July 1, 2005... Rubber-metal firm Ferrabyrne in MBO Littlehampton, UK-Engineering firm Ferrabyrne Ltd has been bought out by a new management team for [pounds sterling]3 million ([euro]4.4 million) and plans to expand sales into new geographic markets, the...