European Rubber Journal articles from March 2008

European Rubber Journal archives from March 2008

Bridgestone to withdraw from marine hose business - finds cases of other bribes; * No more marine hose. * Similar findings in rubber dam, marine fender units.(News)
March 1, 2008... Byline: David Shaw Bridgestone Corp has said it will no longer take new orders in the marine hose business segment. The decision, announced by Bridgestone president, Shoshi Arakawa, follows investigations into allegations of bribery and...

briefs.
March 1, 2008... French company organises 2-day event on technical rubber Argenteuil, France - French silicone rubber processor, company Chevalier-Cleret Coutchouc is organising a two-day event where rubber experts can discuss some technical issues of...

Michelin posts strong results - even stronger cash-flow; * Growth limited by tyre factory capacity * R&D budget falls.(News)
March 1, 2008... Byline: David Shaw Michelin has posted strong results for the 12 months ended 31 Dec., 2007. Volumes were up by 3.2 percent, sales were up by 3.0 percent, and 6.5 percent on a like-for-like basis. Operating income rose 22.9 percent, while...

Goodyear's 2007 sales approach $20 billion record, despite lower volumes.(News)
March 1, 2008... Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company has reported record sales for the three months and the twelve months ended 31 Dec., 2007. The company said sales outside the US had reached an all-time high. Lower volumes in all Goodyear's key sales sectors were...

Nokian Tyres' sales up by 22 percent in 2007.(News)(Financial report)
March 1, 2008... Nokian Tyres net sales increased by 22.6 percent in the 12 months to December 2007. The company reported sales of [euro]1025.0 million, up from [euro]836 million a year earlier. Operating profits also rose, to [euro]234 million compared with...

Sumitomo's sales up but income down in 2007.(News)(Financial report)
March 1, 2008... Sumitomo Rubber Industries reported higher sales, but reduced profits for the 12 months ended 31 Dec. 2007. The company said sales increased by six percent, to [yen]567306 million ([euro]3583 million) while net profit fell by 30 percent, to...

Bridgestone's sales rise 13 percent in fiscal 2007, * Strong growth in mining tyres, UHP car tyres * Truck and bus sales fall.(News)(Financial report)
March 1, 2008... Byline: David Shaw Bridgestone Corp. has reported consolidated sales of [yen]339 0200 million ([euro]21 433 million) from [yen]299 1200 million for the 12 months ending 31 Dec 2007, an increase of 13 percent over the previous year. ...

Titan posts net loss despite better sales in 2007.(News)(Financial report)
March 1, 2008... Titan International Inc. posted record sales for the fourth quarter and the year after expanding its farm and earthmover tyre offerings in 2007, but it reported a net loss for both periods partially because of off-the-road tyre production...

Crunch time for Goodyear-Dunlop's factories in Amiens; * Minority shareholders call for more investment * Aiming for 5000 u/day.(News)
March 1, 2008... Byline: David Shaw Arthur de Bok, head of Goodyear's European operations has said the company wants to invest up to $70 million in its Amiens plant to merge the two factories on the site and to improve flexibility and upgrade the equipment...

Goodyear wants to triple truck tyre output at Debica.(News)
March 1, 2008... Goodyear has announced investment plans for its majority-owned tyre factory in Debica, Poland. First, the company said it wants to, "support and cooperate with TC Debica to nearly triple its daily commercial truck tyre production - to up to...

briefs.
March 1, 2008... Pirelli to put MIRS, CyberTire into Turin plant Turin, Italy - Pirelli has announced a [euro]140 million project with the City of Turin, Turin Polytechnic University to develop new technologies destined to be installed in Pirelli's Settimo...

briefs.
March 1, 2008... CO.ME.T and Mesgo to operate as one Bergamo, Italy - Italian natural and synthetic rubber compounds producer CO.ME.T. Srl and Mesgo SpA, a producer of compounds based on silicone, fluorocarbon and synthetic and natural rubber, have signed a...

EC fines Bayer, Zeon [euro]34 million for NBR cartel; * EU busts another cartel * See also story on p39.(Suppliers)(European Union. European Commission)(Bayer AG and Zeon Chemicals Europe Ltd.)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... Byline: David Shaw The European Commission has imposed fines totalling [euro]34.23 million on the Bayer and Zeon groups for fixing prices for Nitrile Butadiene Rubber (NBR) in violation of EC rules on cartels and restrictive business...

Tosoh will pay EU fines, but says, "We're not guilty".(Suppliers)
March 1, 2008... A spokesman for Tosoh Corp has confirmed that the company will pay the [euro]4.8 million fine imposed upon it by the EU for allegedly participating in a polychloroprene price-fixing cartel. Tosoh had earlier said it would fight the fine,...

briefs.(Naamloze Vennootschap Bekaert S.A. plans to acquire Beksa Celik Kord Sanayi ve Ticaret AS)(Naamloze Vennootschap Bekaert S.A. plans to open factory in Russia)(company sales of Naamloze Vennootschap Bekaert S.A.)(Financial report)
March 1, 2008... Bekaert to acquire full ownership of Turkish JV Kortrijk, Belgium - NV Bekaert SA has signed a letter of intent to acquire full ownership of Beksa Celik Kord Sanayi ve Ticaret AS (Turkey), the joint venture company that it set up with Haci...

French researchers develop 'self-healing' rubber material; * Rubber will heal itself, even after a few days * Material is easy to make.(Suppliers)
March 1, 2008... Byline: David Shaw A group of French researchers has published a paper on self healing rubber in the prestigious science journal, Nature (Vol 451, 21 Feb 2008). The paper is titled, Self-healing and thermo-reversible rubber from...

Dow assigns elastomer unit to strategic evaluation business; * Elastomer unit to be sold? * Dow 'actively' seeking new solutions.(Suppliers)
March 1, 2008... Byline: David Shaw Dow Chemical has formed a new unit specifically for its businesses which are under strategic review. It has placed its synthetic rubber, and speciality copolymers activities within the unit. The new business unit is...

Lanxess to slash 270 jobs, cease NBR production at Sarnia.(Suppliers)
March 1, 2008... Lanxess AG has said it will cease production of nitrile rubber (NBR) and streamline its butyl rubber operations at its plant in Sarnia, Ontario. The moves will result in 270 job losses. Lanxess expects savings of around [euro]5 million each...

Lanxess confirms Singapore as site for huge halobutyl plant.(Suppliers)
March 1, 2008... Lanxess AG has confirmed that the chemical park on Jurong Island will be the site of a [euro]400 million butyl and halobutyl rubber factory. From 2011, the site in Singapore will produce up to 100 000 tons of butyl rubber annually, making the...

briefs.
March 1, 2008... Lanxess confirms butyl plant capacities Singapore - Lanxess' butyl rubber business has confirmed the annual capacities of the company's existing factories. Dr. Ron Commander, head of Lanxess' butyl rubber business said the Sarnia,...

ECHA publishes REACH guidance for users; * Publication to help downstream users.(Suppliers)(European Chemicals Agency )(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) has published its guidance for downstream users on how to prepare for the implemention of REACH- the new European Union regulation on Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals. ...

briefs.
March 1, 2008... Kraton raises prices in Europe, Americas Houston, Texas - Kraton Polymers is implementing a general price increase of [euro]150/ton on SBS based polymers and compounds in the European paving and roofing market. Simultaneously, the...

Avon fails to sell mixing plant - unit to close with 60 job losses; * Mixing to unit in Westbury to close * Compounding operations to end.(News)(Avon Rubber PLC)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... Byline: David Shaw Avon Rubber has failed to sell its mixing operation in Westbury. The company is now expecting to close the unit and sell off the assets. Avon Rubber's Chairman, the Rt. Hon. Sir Richard Needham, reminded shareholders...

briefs.(US companies unaware about Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals legislation)(increase in price of butadiene rubber )(Lanxess AG launches Lanxess Central Eastern Europe sro, a distribution company based in Bratislava)
March 1, 2008... US companies ignorant of EU REACH New York - A US-based consultancy claims that US business leaders appear lax about taking steps to comply with the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals legislation, or...

Rhodia's new Zeosil improves tyres; * Latest generation aims to help tyre makers * Two-year R&D program.(Suppliers)
March 1, 2008... Byline: David Shaw Rhodia has introduced a new range of high-surface area silica materials that it claims can improve rolling resistance by 10 percent with no loss in wet grip or wear rate. The new range was developed two years ago, in...

'RunOnFlats as good as standard' - Goodyear; * Drivers can't tell the difference * Now on Mercedes.(News)
March 1, 2008... Byline: David Shaw Goodyear claims it has overcome almost all the technical problems associated with runflat tyres. Joe Zekowski, head of Goodyear's technical centre in Luxembourg said, "we can deliver [RunOnFlat] tyres that are same...

People News.(People)
March 1, 2008... Goodyear names corporate controller and CIO Akron, Ohio - The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. has appointed Richard Noechel as vice president and corporate controller, replacing Thomas Connell, who in turn was named vice president and chief...

Rubber machinery boom continues into 2008; The machinery boom is continuing. Last year saw further growth in the sector, helped by the weakness of the dollar. The tyre sector remains strong, but the non-tyre sector is recovering. Regionally, North America, West Europe and Japan all saw strong growth over the last year.(News)
March 1, 2008... Byline: David Shaw A year ago, rubber machinery makers were expecting a slowdown in 2007. They did not get it. Instead, orders have been flooding in, for both tyre machinery and non-tyre equipment. Business is so good that machinery...

Business is good as Conti integrates Matador; The integration of Continental's machinery business with the Matador Machinery unit is progressing well, with Conti gaining from Matador's technology and customer base.(News)(Matador a.s. and Conti Machinery)
March 1, 2008... Byline: David Shaw Following the acquisition of Matador, Conti Machinery now has the opportunity to sell two different types of tyre-making know-how to customers. In the past, said Jurgen Dieterich, head of C-M, the company sold Conti...

L&T introduces mixer range.(News)
March 1, 2008... Larsen & Toubro's rubber machinery business is growing fast. Indian tyre companies are expanding rapidly to meet both domestic demand and export potential. L&T's head of international marketing and design, Arul, said the company gets around...

Avon Rubber sells aerosol gasket unit to ... Avon Group.(News)
March 1, 2008... Avon Rubber plc has sold its Aerosol Gasket business to Crosslinks Ltd, based in South Wales and Corsham, Wiltshire, for [pounds sterling]1.75 million ([euro]2.4 million) in cash, used to reduce borrowings. Crosslinks is a subsidiary of...

Rubber machinery companies: Part 1 of 2.(News)
March 1, 2008... Airtec Controls 07 www.airtec.de Private Germany Rubber Products: Ot: steam valves and controls People: 10 / 10 (group) Arburg GmbH + Co KG 08 www.arburg.com Private Germany Rubber plus Products: Mh, Imould,...

Desma system adjusts rubber temperature during injection; Klockner Desma has developed an ingenious system which allows production managers to adjust the temperature of the compound as it is injected into the mould cavity, ensuring fast, even curing throughout a thick rubber article.(News)
March 1, 2008... Byline: David Shaw Desma has developed a system which allows moulding companies to adjust the temperature of the compound as it enters the mould cavity. The system is fast enough to warm the material that ends up in the centre of the...

H-F consolidates position at top of machinery rankings; Harburg-Freudenberger is the largest rubber machinery maker in the world by far. The company has enough critical mass and management resources to establish service centres around the world: something small companies struggle with.(News)
March 1, 2008... Byline: David Shaw Business at Harburg Freudenberger is booming. Guenter Simon, member of the board of management, said, "we are absolutely overloaded with requests. The market is very active, with new tyre factories built up nearly...

Pomini to remain independent.(News)
March 1, 2008... Pomini will continue for the forseeable future as an independent company within the Possehl group, according to Riccardo Curti, ceo of Pomini. Possehl also owns the largest rubber machinery company in the world, Harburg-Freudenberger. In...

Berstorff aims to win large contract business under K-M.(News)(KraussMaffei Berstorff)
March 1, 2008... Byline: David Shaw KraussMaffei Berstorff, is, in common with other machinery suppliers, enjoying a boom in sales at present. However, the company has been through a major change in the last year, with the Berstorff operations being merged...

Zeppelin aims to capitalise on Chronos acquisition; Bulk materials handling company Zeppelin bought Chronos Richardson's mixing and weighing unit last year, after many years of discussions. The company is expanding, and has moved into new premises, but will continue to serve the rubber industry.(News)
March 1, 2008... Byline: David Shaw The acquisition of Chronos Richardson by German company, Zeppelin, has led to a massive improvement in morale at the British company. David Scott, the new managing director at the UK unit based in Nottingham said, "we...

Intralox systems help save money; improve quality through design.(News)
March 1, 2008... Although not in the traditional machinery sector, Intralox is the world leader in transport and conveying systems. The company has developed a specialised tyre team to meet the needs of the tyre industry globally. Jeroen Neuhof is in charge of...

Herbert boosts engineering function to support tyre firms; Herbert is making its presses bigger and better. Bigger because of demand for large sizes and better in terms of flexibility. The company is also boosting its engineering function in response to demands from tyre makers.(News)
March 1, 2008... Byline: David Shaw Herbert Maschinenbau is best known for its curing presses, but also makes moulds, chambers and other equipment related to the tyre curing function. The company's latest development is a two-chamber curing press in...

A quick guide to suing for damages from rubber cartels; The EU has imposed large fines on cartel members in the nitrile and chloroprene rubber, EPDM and other materials. However, the money paid in fines does not go to the victims of cartels. Those who suffer loss may sue for damages. This article looks at the practical issues arising from such a right, how to go about it and what it costs.(News)(European Union)
March 1, 2008... Byline: Susan Singleton, LLB, Solicitor Singletons Law The right to sue suppliers found guilty of antitrust activities is based in national law. EC Commissioner Neelie Kroes, who has been responsible for bringing many of the anti-trust...

Enasave 97 tyre eliminates nearly all synthetic materials; A standard car tyre is made up of 56 percent by weight of material from non-renewable sources. Sumitomo's Enasave 97 uses just 3 percent - the rubber chemicals. All synthetic fibres, elastomers and fillers have been eliminated and the performance is comparable with a modern European OE standard tyre.(News)
March 1, 2008... Byline: David Shaw Sumitomo's Enasave 97 tyre was introduced at the Tokyo Motor Show earlier this year, but the presentation at Tire Technology was the first in front of industry experts. Sumitomo employee, T Wada told delegates that...

briefs.
March 1, 2008... Yokohama unit gets ISO 14001 certificate Tokyo - SAS Rubber Co., the US subsidiary of Yokohama Rubber Co. Ltd., secured ISO 14001 certification in December. Bank to replace Trelleborg as part of index Zurich, Switzerland - Stoxx...

Oil prices hit record highs; rubber near all-time peak; stocks falling.(News)
March 1, 2008... 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...

Machinery boom continues, but when will it end?(Column)
March 1, 2008... Byline: David Shaw Each year ERJ looks at the machinery business. I do a number of things: I send out questionnaires for people to fill in and I try to do research throughout the year, but the most important aspect of the research is...

Trelleborg records steady growth for 12 month period; * Sales growth in all areas * Marine hose managers plead guilty.(News)
March 1, 2008... Byline: David Shaw Trelleborg AB has recorded steady growth in the last 12 months. Sales and operating profits both grew by around 10 percent in the period The company said it recorded operating profits of SEK 1707 million ([euro]183...

Cooper Standard buys control of MAPS Indian unit.(News)
March 1, 2008... Cooper-Standard Automotive Inc. has bought control of Metzeler Automotive Profiles India Private Limited (MAP India). Cooper described the company as, "the leading manufacturer of automotive sealing products in New Delhi, India." Financial...

briefs.
March 1, 2008... IRC set for Nurnberg 29 June - 2 July 2009 Frankfurt, Germany - The DKG has announced the dates of the DKT / IKT show in Nuremburg for next year, 2009. The show coincides with the IRC and begins on 29 June, closing on 2 July. ...

Vibracoustic, Freudenberg supply Tata's Nano; * All rubber components sourced from India * AVS components specially designed.(News)
March 1, 2008... Byline: David Shaw From autumn 2008 the Tata Nano will come into the Indian market. This low priced "people's car" for less than [euro]1700, was recently unveiled by the Tata Group in New Delhi, and subsequently shown at the Geneva Auto...

Rubber overshoes as fashion item.(Suppliers)
March 1, 2008... Norwegian designer, Johan R, has come up with a new range of rubber over-shoes, designed to protect shoes from rain-soaked city streets. "SWIMS developed a unique rubber compound that ensures great elasticity and tear resistance," he said....

Rhodia's Chinese subsidiary.(Suppliers)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... Rhodia has formed a new company - RSQC (Rhodia Silica Qingdao Chengyang - to manage the construction and subsequent operation of its planned silica facility in China. The world-scale plant in China, will be built using a modular design to...

Rubber machinery companies: Part 2 of 2.(News)
March 1, 2008... Marangoni Meccanica S.p.A. 08 www.marangoni.com Private Italy Rubber Products: Tb, Tc People: 76 / 76 (group) Sales: [euro]14m / [euro]14m Plants: 1 Rovereto, Italy Focusing on flexible tyre and building systems...