PT Gajah Tunggal IRC Manufacturing Indonesia recently held a groundbreaking event for the construction of its plant. The joint venture company between PT Gajah Tunggal and Inoue Rubber Company Ltd (IRC) of Japan, known as IGM, will manufacture motorcycle tyres…
Category: Industry News
Haydale expands elastomer capability
UK-based materials company Haydale says that it has completed the installation and commissioning of a two-roll lab mill at its site in Loughborough. This new investment will allow Haydale to compound nanomaterials into a range of elastomers that will support…
Glut in global rubber affects Ivory Coast
Rubber trees take six to seven years to mature before they can be tapped, a process which involves making incisions in the tree’s bark to allow its milky sap to collect in a cup attached to the trunk “We’re not…
FinTyre gets green light from EC to purchase Reifen
Italy-based European FinTyre Distribution Limited (EfTD), one of the largest Pan European tyre distributors, has been given the green light by the European Commission (EC) to acquire privately held Reifen Krieg Group, a leading full-range tyre wholesaler in Germany, a deal…
Sumitomo starts up South African plant for truck/bus tyres
Sumitomo Rubber Industries (SRI) says that the group’s South African factory in Ladysmith has started producing tyres for trucks and buses, with an aimed capacity by 2020 of 750 tyres/day. With the aim of ensuring a stable supply of truck…
KCC considering purchase of Momentive
A consortium led by South Korean construction materials maker KCC Corporation is looking at acquiring Momentive Performance Materials, a US-based silicone manufacturer, in a deal that could be valued at US$1.8 billion, according to a report in a local South…
Continental buys Australian tyre service firm
Germany’s Continental is to purchase Australia’s Kmart Tyre and Auto Service (KTAS) from its current owner, Wesfarmers Limited, for A$350 million. KTAS has around 258 outlets employing more than 1,200 staff in the country. The core business of KTAS comprises…
Yokohama terminates technology tie-up with Kumho Tires
Japan’s Yokohama Rubber says that it has terminated its four-year old technology tie-up with Kumho Tire Co., effective July, after China’s Qingdao Doublestar bought a 45% stake in Kumho this year, becoming its largest shareholder. Yokohama Rubber and Kumho Tire…
Lanxess to sell remaining 50% stake in Arlanxeo jv to Saudi Aramco
Specialty chemicals group Lanxess plans to sell its remaining 50% stake in Arlanxeo to its joint venture partner Saudi Aramco. The two companies, that founded Arlanxeo in 2016 as a 50:50 joint venture for synthetic rubber, have signed a respective…
Continental partners with AI research to speed up neural networks in cars
German technology company Continental says that it is expanding its international network for artificial intelligence (AI) in US’s Silicon Valley. “We are joining forces with the world’s leading AI researchers,” said Demetrio Aiello, Head of Continental’s Corporate Artificial Intelligence and…