With the approaching fifth anniversary of the merger of quality assurance system supplier BST and eltromat, Germany-based BST eltromat International is set to expand its facilities. The company has acquired a 22,000 sq m plot of land in Bielefeld-Altenhagen, Germany,…
Category: Industry News
GRI breaks ground on new Sri Lankan mixing facility
Specialty tyre manufacturer GRI is to open a new mixing plant in the Mirigama Export Processing Zone (MEPZ), Sri Lanka, to support its future expansion and simultaneously enhance the nation’s exports. GRI’s Managing Director, Prabhash Subasinghe, said that the new…
Celebrating 75 years: IRSG builds up Asia’s rubber market competitiveness
Rubber’s diverse application, ranging from automotive parts and tyres to rubber gloves and chewing gum makes it an indispensable material in modern society. Demand for the two main rubber types, latex -derived natural rubber and chemicals-synthesised synthetic rubber are driving…
Michelin’s margins drop despite price hikes/cost-cutting efforts
French tyre-maker Michelin’s profitability suffered in early 2019 despite its first-half revenue and operating earnings – net income fell 8% to US$940 million; operating margin fell to 12.2% from 12.5%; and sales of the car/light-truck tyres fell by 7.9%, further…
Continental’s Portugal plant produces 15 millionth tyre
Tyre manufacturer Continental has reached its 15 millionth ContiSeal passenger tyre production in Lousado, Portugal – specifically a 255/45-R19 ContiSportContact-5 SUV tyre designed for a Volkswagen. The milestone comes after the corporation’s investment efforts in June 2019. ContiSeal tyres have…
PCBL India unveils new R&D centre in Gujarat
India’s largest manufacturer and exporter of carbon black (CB), Phillips Carbon Black (PCBL), has launched their new Sushila Goenka Research and Development Centre in Palej, Gujarat, to facilitate the development of new products required by the tyre and other industries…
Trelleborg to cut 700 jobs by 2020
Poor demand is expected to push Sweden’s Trelleborg Group to terminate up to 700 permanent/temporary contracts, mainly concerning employees at Trelleborg Wheel Systems (TWS) and Trelleborg Industrial Solutions. A majority of their workforce is to leave by 2020, after a…
Top Glove to open first Vietnam factory next year
Malaysia’s Top Glove will open its first Vietnamese factory in 2020 in response to surging demand for hygienic gloves in the country. The glove giant is expected to invest some US$24.5 million into building the new factory on a large…
ANRPC to discuss sustainability at annual meeting
The auto-tyre manufacturing industry is apparently “limiting” smallholder-dominated natural rubber (NR) sustainability norms, according to the Association of Natural Rubber Producing Countries (ANRPC). Some 90% of the global supply of NR comes from the smallholdings production sector, but the resource-poor…
ITRC expects low NR production after disease outbreak
The International Tripartite Rubber Council (ITRC) has reviewed the efforts of its Member Countries in late June 2019, to ensure a robust natural rubber (NR) supply. Unfortunately, NR production is expected to drop this year following an outbreak of Pestalotiopsis…