Category: Technology

Auto-inflating tyres made possible

OFF-road vehicles have had tyre auto-inflation systems for years now, because a soft tyre can provide a better grip on a rocky surface. The same functionality can also benefit mountain bikes too, which led to the development of the Adaptrac…

Lanxess to use Evocatal Biotechnology

LANXESS announced that it will cooperate with biotechnology expert Evocatal in the development of biotechnological methods for the synthesis of precursors for the rubber production. The project will utilise local renewable materials in the manufacture of rubber upstream products. Until…

Hankook provides OE fitment for BMW 3 series

HANKOOK Tire announced that they are now original equipment supplier for the new BMW 3-Series. The best-selling model by the Munich-based premium car manufacturer will be factory equipped amongst others with Hankook’s high-performance Ventus S1 evo² tyres. Initially, the tyre…

Scientists unveil intelligent tyre for all weather

CHANGE your summer tyres for winter tyres and vice-versa may soon be a thing of the past, according to a group of researchers at Leipzig University, who are developing the world’s first-ever intelligent tyre which automatically adapts itself to the…

Xiameter speeds up productivity

DOW Corning has released Xiameter RBL-9200 liquid silicone rubber (LSR), a series of low viscosity products that can flow at lower pressures into intricate tool cavities. According to the company, the LSR can help rubber product fabricators shorten overall processing…

Cooper-Standard invests in key technologies

COOPER Standard Automotive has acquired the patents and intellectual property rights and assets of EDC Automotive relating to thermal management technologies, product development and testing capabilities. According to the company, this investment on thermal management area will help it strengthen…

Maplan continues strategic growth plan

CAPITALISING on its plastics manufacturing expertise, Austrian machinery firm Maplan will develop more vertical machines for a wide range of needs, with injection from top to bottom especially for applications that require a lower working height. For automated production applications,…

JSR claims SSBR has better properties

IN light of the growing demand for solution styrene-butadiene rubber (SSBR), Japanese firm JSR increased the capacity of its Yokkaichi plant from 25,000 to 60,000 tonnes/year last year. It also has a 30,000-tonne/year SSBR facility with Styron in Europe and…

Biodegradable shoe takes cue from Amazon

IN the Amazon, slipping on shoes is as simple as painting a thin layer of latex on an individual’s feet. Based on this concept, Spanish firm One Moment has developed a 2 mm thick biodegradable shoe made by injecting natural…