European Rubber Journal articles from November 2004

European Rubber Journal archives from November 2004

ERJ newsbriefs.(Briefs)
November 1, 2004... Bridgestone opens in China * Shanghai, China-Bridgestone Corp. held the official opening ceremony for its third Chinese tyre plant on 24 Sept. The plant, located in Wuxi, Jiangsu Province, about 120 km west of Shanghai, makes radial tyres...

Cooper-Standard to be bought by equity groups; The world's eighth largest rubber processor separates from parent tyre company.(News)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... Byline: Liz White Cooper Tire & Rubber Co. has signed an agreement to sell its automotive business, Cooper-Standard Automotive, to an entity formed by The Cypress Group and Goldman Sachs Capital Partners, for about $1165 million in cash....

USWA aims to block sale.(News)(United Steelworkers of America)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... The United Steelworkers of America has sued to delay or block the sale of Cooper Tire & Rubber Co.'s Cooper-Standard Automotive division, saying labour contracts at four plants preclude a sale until new owners reach agreement with the union....

Trelleborg buys pipe seals maker; Norwegian acquisition adds business worth [euro]1.1 million a year.(News)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... Byline: Liz White Trelleborg Group is to expand its aftermarket sales for pipe seals in the Nordic region via its latest acquisition-Norwegian company Batek. Trelleborg's Building Systems unit has signed an agreement to acquire the...

Safer bridges in earthquake-prone zones.(Trelleborg IESA)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... New bridge expansion joints from Trelleborg IESA of Izarra in Spain can cope with such large horizontal movements-up to 1.2 m ([+ or -]600 cm)-that they are suitable for use in areas of seismic activity. The new 75-m high and over 1-km long...

Conti puts Russian tyre plant project on hold ... Moscow' limits on industrial enterprises in residential areas prompts Conti to halt plans there.(Continental AG)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... Byline: David Shaw Continental AG has put its joint venture with Moscow Tire on hold for the forseeable future. The project has been subject to a series of delays and problems since it was announced in September 2002. The latest...

... but starts building new tyre plant in Brazil; German tyre maker focuses on production in low-cost regions.(News)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... Byline: Liz White While problems with the city authorities have caused a hiatus in Continental AG's plans to make tyres in Russia, its other projects are going ahead. The group recently laid the cornerstone for a tyre plant in Camacari in...

ERJ newsbriefs.(European Rubber Journal)(Precision Polymer Engineering seals get Food & Drug Administration approval)
November 1, 2004... PPE achieves 3A food approval * Blackburn, UK-Elastomer seals used for equipment in the dairy and food production sectors must meet the 3-A Sanitary Standards used worldwide, where third-party certification by a Conformance Evaluator is...

Elastomers unit to go in Atofina reshuffle; Rubber units remain with French firm, while TPEs business will be part of new, soon-to-be-independent-unit.(thermoplastic elastomers)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... Byline: Patrick Raleigh Oil and petrochemicals group Total has reorganised its former Atofina chemicals branch into a new Total Chemicals Division. The division consists of three business units; Total Petrochemicals and Specialties-which...

ERJ newsbriefs.(European Rubber Journal)(Rubatex International LLC)(Trelleborg Forsheda Building Systems AB)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... Forsheda unit boosts mixing * Nottingham, UK-Trelleborg Forsheda Building Systems AB has bought new equipment from Chronos Richardson Batching Systems Group, as the Swedish group expands its compound-production and pipe-seals facility in...

Tenneco Automotive to make parts in Europe; US automotive rubber part maker starts making Clevite-brand products in Spain.(Tenneco Automotive Inc.)
November 1, 2004... Byline: Liz White Tenneco Automotive has launched its elastomer business in Europe, investing $4 million ([euro]3.2 million) to set up a rubber-part production at a Tenneco suspension facility in Ermua, Spain, said Lois Boyd, Tenneco's...

Silicone bonding aids instrument safety.(News)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... Silicone grips bonded directly over the handles of surgical and dental instruments improve safety, design and function, according to Minnesota Rubber. The firm has a proprietary silicone bonding process which it claims creates a hermetic seal...

Kumho patenting tyre use of nano-material.(News)
November 1, 2004... Byline: Liz White Researchers at the Kumho European Technical Centre in Birmingham, UK, are upbeat about a new nano-material they have assessed in tyre tread compounds. Kumho's work indicates that the material, POSS-polyhedral...

What is POSS - how does it work?(News)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... According to supplier Hybrid Plastics, POSS technology has "two unique features: one is that the chemical composition is a hybrid, intermediate (RSiO1.5) between that of inorganic silica (SiO2) and organic silicone (R2SiO). The other is...

Hankook evaluating tyre plant in eastern Europe; Korean tyre maker may build plant in east Europe to supply its largest market.(News)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... Byline: Bruce Davis ERJ Akron Bureau Hankook Tire Co. Ltd is considering building a tyre plant in eastern Europe to serve its growing customer base in Europe. South-Korea-based Hankook has looked at sites in Poland, Slovakia, and...

Nokian Tyres selling bicycle tyres business; New company set up to take over [euro]5-million turnover operation in Lieksa.(News)(Suomen Rengastehdas Oy)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... Byline: Liz White Nokian Tyres is to sell its bicycle tyres business to a new company Suomen Rengastehdas Oy, who will continue to run and develop the [euro]5-million turnover business in its current location in Lieksa, Finland. The...

Nokian to expand logistics in home town.(News)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... Nokian Tyres plc is to spend [euro]17 million on doubling the size of its logistics centre in Nokia, Finland, where its headquarters and main manufacturing operation are sited. "Efficient operations and strong logistic management during...

ERJ newsbriefs.
November 1, 2004... Michelin looking at E Europe * Paris-Groupe Michelin has acquired an option on real estate adjacent to its Stomil-Olsztyn SA tyre plant in Olsztyn, Poland, fueling speculation that the tyre maker is planning to add capacity to the factory...

Pendle Polymer buys Xelflex assets; UK precision moulder gains 50 percent more turnover in acquisition.(News)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... Byline: Liz White Rubber part maker Pendle Polymer Engineering Ltd has boosted its turnover by about 50 percent through the acquisition of the injection and compression moulding business of Xelflex Precision Moulders from Phoenix Medical...

Michelin unveils airless tyre concepts.(Briefs)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... Groupe Michelin introduced two extended-mobility tyre innovations at the Paris Motor Show: a non-pneumatic, retreadable composite concept tyre and a tyre/wheel hybrid dubbed "Tweel." The Michelin Airless is a radial torus structure made of...

Domestic tyre makers power growth in India; India's tyre industry, dominated by domestic manufacturers, has "immense" growth prospects, says local specialist.(News)
November 1, 2004... Byline: Bruce Meyer ERJ Akron Bureau While India projects strong growth for its tyre and rubber products industry, the country still differs from the rest of the world in many ways. For example, India's tyre business is not dominated...

Bayer to plead guilty in NBR price-fixing case; Rubber producer gets $4.7 million fine-its third large penalty for price-fixing this year.(News)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... Bayer AG is to plead guilty and pay a $4.7 million ([euro]4.6 million) fine for conspiring to fix the prices of nitrile rubber in 2002. According to the one-count felony charge filed in US District Court in San Francisco, Bayer conspired...

Pirelli patents self-inflating motorcycle tyre; System can cope with gradual air loss as well as punctures, claims Italian tyre maker.(News)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... Motorcycle tyre specialist Pirelli & C SpA has developed and patented a new safety wheel system for motorcycles which automatically re-inflates the tyres when they suffer a puncture or other loss of pressure. Developed together with...

Amtel shares sold.(Briefs)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... Amtel has sold ten percent of its shares to more than 20 institutional investors in Europe, Russia and the US, in a private sale managed and underwritten by Troika Dialog. A total of 450 000 shares in the Russian tyre maker were sold, in a...

Pirelli and Conti in Romanian tyre cord JV; Italian tyre maker will own 80 percent of new 30-kt steel tyre cord operation in Slatina.(News)(Pirelli Pneumatici SpA, Continental AG)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... Byline: Liz White Pirelli Pneumatici SpA and Continental AG announced 1 Oct that they are setting up a joint venture for steel cord production in Romania. Majority owner of the new operation, called Cord Romania Srl, will be Pirelli...

ERJ newsbriefs.(Briefs)
November 1, 2004... Bridgestone to add cord plant in China * Tokyo-Bridgestone Corp. will invest $94.3 million over 12 months to build a plant in Shenyang, China, for making steel tyre cord to support its growing tyre production capacity there. ...

Fenner Dunlop plans include Ontario factory; Fenner Dunlop boosts production as belt orders rise in US and China.(News)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... Byline: Mike McNulty ERJ Akron Bureau A decision to defer a consolidation plan is paying off for Fenner Dunlop Conveyor Belting Americas. The company was ready to idle production at its Bracebridge, Ontario, factory by January 2004,...

Wellington sees good margins, high orders; Strong oil-sector sales are the basis for good performance by specialist seal maker.(News)(Wellington Holdings PLC)
November 1, 2004... Byline: Liz White A strong global presence in the energy sector-in components for oil wells, the gas industry and longwall coal mining-helped polymer seals maker Wellington Holdings plc to a good performance in the first half of the year,...

ERJ newsbriefs.(American Seal Inc.,)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... SSL medical division gone * London-SSL International plc has sold its Silipos business, in the final phase of the UK group's disposal of its medical division. The group is to sell the elastomer gel-making unit for $15.5 million ([euro]12.6...

Natural rubber demand to grow at steady rate; Rapid growth in NR use in China, but expert predicts steady business through to 2011.(News)
November 1, 2004... Byline: Brad Dawson ERJ Akron Bureau Demand for natural rubber, which has increased steadily over the past 10 years, is expected to grow at a similar rate in the next decade. While uniform growth and a balance between supply and demand...

ERJ newsbriefs.(Briefs)
November 1, 2004... Ex-Crompton execs to plead guilty in price-fixing probe * San Francisco, California-Former Crompton Corp. executives Joseph Eisenberg and James Conway have agreed to plead guilty to participating in an international conspiracy to fix prices...

Notch sees steady growth for rubber chems; China dominates business, but low prices undermine value of the country's rubber chemicals business.(News)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... Byline: Patrick Raleigh US consultancy Notch Consulting Group estimates that global rubber chemicals demand will grow 3.8 percent a year to reach 980 kilotonnes in 2010, up from 754 kilotonnes in 2003. In value terms, the market is set...

ContiTech gains rail order.(Briefs)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... As part of a scheme for French rail company SNCF to extend its successful high-speed TGV intercity trains to the French provinces, ContiTech Railway Engineering (CRE) has gained a major order with train maker Bombardier Transportation. SNCF...

Latex suppliers raising prices in Europe; Soaring styrene SR prices put pressure on latex manufacturers.(News)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... Byline: Patrick Raleigh Two of Europe's leading latex products suppliers have increased prices in response to sustained high prices for their monomer feedstocks, particularly styrene. PolymerLatex GmbH is to increase prices across its...

ERJ newsbriefs.(Briefs)
November 1, 2004... BASF, Shell review options for Basell * Ludwigshafen, Germany/London-BASF AG and Shell are reviewing strategic options for Basell, their global 50:50 polyolefins joint venture. Basell claims to be the world's largest producer of...

Twin Dump Extruder for better mixing; A twin dump extruder mounted beneath the main mixing chamber, combined with variable gap rotors, can deliver better consistency in the mixing room, according to a paper presented at the Economic Mixing seminar, organised by the DIK in Hanover.(News)
November 1, 2004... Byline: Luigi Pomini, Consultant Historically, the final mix for tyre industry compounds has been carried out on mixing lines based around internal mixers using tangential rotors, followed by an open mill station or a battery of open...

Rubber mixing research results to be revealed.(News)(The event is to take place in Paderborn, Germany on 25 and 26 Jan, 2005, and is being organised by the University of Paderborn)
November 1, 2004... A conference next January is to give full details of three major EC-funded projects into rubber mixing. The event is to take place in Paderborn, Germany on 25 and 26 Jan, 2005, and is being organised by the University of Paderborn. A...

SATPRO partners.(News)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... The SATPRO project was co-ordinated by the Institute of Plastics Engineering (KTP) of the University of Paderborn, Germany. Project partners included ThyssenKrupp Elastomertechnik GmbH, Germany, Vredestein Banden B.V., Netherlands, Trelleborg...

ROTOR partners.(News)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... Partners in the ROTOR project are the Manufacture Francaise des Pneumatiques Michelin (F), SNECMA Propulsion Solide (F), ThyssenKrupp Elastomertechnik GmbH (D), Polyflow SA (B) and Optigrade Scandinavia (SE). Scientific support wa s provided by...

EPDM gets tight as raw materials, demand start to bite: Part 1 of 2; The ethylene elastomers market is changing fast. A lot of the market for co-polymer EPR in TPO modification has evaporated with the introduction of new thermoplastic elastomers.(News)
November 1, 2004... Byline: David Shaw The ethylene elastomers market is changing fast. A lot of the market for co-polymer EPR in TPO modification has evaporated with the introduction of new thermoplastic elastomers. Meanwhile, DSM is reducing capacity for...

AES or Santoprene?(News)(Advanced Elastomer Systems L.P.)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... Since ExxonMobil acquired the remaining shares in Advanced Elastomer Systems, it has quietly been avoiding the name 'AES', in favour of the 'Santoprene' name. In Europe, the company previously known as Advanced Elastomer Systems is now...

Vigar expands compounding activity.(News)(Viersen site, now operating as Vigar Deutschland GmbH)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... Vigar expands compounding activity The Vigar Group of companies has expanded its European compound activities following the acquisition of the GDX mixing facility at Viersen, near Dusseldorf Germany in 2003. The Viersen site is now...

Robert Eller to study TPEs.(News)(Robert Eller Associates, Thermoplastic Elastomers)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... Robert Eller Associates has begun its second study into the markets,economics, technology and intermaterials competition of speciality thermoplastic elastomers. The company has recently published a prospectus for the study, covering the...

Kumho aims to be No 1 in China's tyre market... Korean tyre maker to invest $185 million to raise capacity in China to 18 million tyres a year by 2007.(News)(Company Profile)
November 1, 2004... Byline: Liz White Kumho Tire wants to be the biggest car tyre maker in China, and aims to boost its capacity there to 18 million tyres by 2007. To achieve this, it will invest a total of $185 million (W150 million) in a new tyre...

S-TPVs, nano-fillers boost TPEs; Super-TPVs are the latest phenomenon in thermoplastic elastomers. Conventional TPVs, however, are still around and continue to be one of the mainstays of the TPE sector.(News)(Thermoplastic Vulcanizate )
November 1, 2004... Byline: David Shaw Super-TPVs were one of the hot topics at Rapra Technology's 7th annual meeting on thermoplastic elastomers in Brussels on 15 16 September. Nano-reinforcement was the other. Presentation after presentation referred to...

Introduction to TPE technology.(News)(thermoplastic elastomers)
November 1, 2004... Barry Statham said TPEs cover typically the range of hardness from very soft up to about 75 Shore D, but generally do not have the same elasticity and compression set as thermoset rubber materials. He added that the raw material price is...

ERJ people.(appointments)
November 1, 2004... Cabot adds Blevi to board * Dirk Blevi has been made a director of Cabot Corp. and promoted to the position of executive vice president and general manager, Europe. Blevi was previously vice president and general manager, Europe. Blevi...

Diary.(Calendar)
November 1, 2004... Readers are strongly advised to confirm details with organisers before making any travel arrangements. An updated list of industry events is available on the ERJ website at http://www.crain.co.uk/ November * RubberChem. 9-10 November,...

Looking ahead - December issue; Hose & Belting / Global Tyre Report.(News)
November 1, 2004... * Hose & Belting / Global Tyre Report Hose and belt are two of the primary markets for rubber. The combination of flexibility, wear-resistance and long lifetime make rubber the ideal choice for many hoses and belts. In this section we will...

Brent crude rises above $50 / barrel, hits shares.(News)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... 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...

Opportunities for growth come from technology.(Column)
November 1, 2004... I spoke to two different suppliers of similar products earlier this month. Although they work in the same business, each had a very different tale to tell. One company works with relatively old technology, but has built a new plant capable...

... and Cooper Tire also wants to be top in China; US tyre maker wants more than 15 percent of China's tyre market and will be looking to buy into the sector.(News)
November 1, 2004... Byline: Bruce Davis ERJ Akron Bureau Cooper Tire & Rubber Co.'s top executive sees his company Cooper becoming the largest tyre maker in China in five years, with sales of more than $1000 million ([euro]808 million). Speaking at a...

China's domestic tyre makers need better technology.(Briefs)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... A study of domestic tyre producers in China indicates that these tyre makers are lagging behind foreign tyre firms who have set up production operations there. In its introduction to the report, Research and Markets, an Irish market...

Conti enters Chinese tyre JV with Qingdao; Signing in China is first stage of tyre manufacturing project for Continental.(News)
November 1, 2004... Byline: Liz White After several months of negotiation, Continental AG has finally settled on a partner for tyre production in China and is moving ahead with plans to make tyres in the region. Under the terms of an agreement signed in...

Nokian to start contract manufacturing in China; Giti Tire (China) to make Nokian brand tyres for North American market.(News)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... Byline: Liz White Nokian Tyres plc has found a Chinese partner to make its Nokian-brand passenger car tyres under contract, starting in October 2004. Nokian has signed Giti Tire (China)-also known as Grandtour Tire-to...

EPDM gets tight as raw materials, demand start to bite: Part 2 of 2; The ethylene elastomers market is changing fast.(News)(Ethylene-Propylene-Diene-Monomer)
November 1, 2004... Byline: David Shaw The ethylene elastomers market is changing fast. A lot of the market for co-polymer EPR in TPO modification has evaporated with the introduction of new thermoplastic elastomers. Meanwhile, DSM is reducing capacity for...