Malaysian glove company Hartalega Holdings Bhd has launched what it says is the world’s first non-leaching antimicrobial glove. The nitrile glove maker says it has invested over US$10 million, over a period of six years, to develop its antimicrobial glove,…
Continental bans social media use over data protection fears
Citing data privacy concerns, German technology company Continental has banned its employees from using WhatsApp and Snapchat on company-issued mobile devices over concerns that the apps may leak confidential information to third parties. The company said the apps “have deficiencies…
Swedish project to study production of fuel from waste tyres
The possibility of producing pyrolysis oil from worn out tyres is being investigated in a research project run by the Research Institute of Sweden (RISE), along with Scandinavian tyre recycler Enviro Systems and waste management group Ragn-Sells, with support from…
Michelin completes acquisition of Fenner
French tyre maker Michelin has finalised its acquisition of UK-based conveyor-belt maker Fenner Plc for about US$1.7 billion recently. The deal, announced in March this year, is aimed at expanding the French tyre manufacturer’s mining equipment business and moving into non-rubber materials. The tyre…
Hankook and Arlanxeo in partnership for new SR grades
South Korean tyre maker Hankook Tire has signed a second memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Netherlands-headquartered synthetic rubber producer Arlanxeo to co-develop synthetic rubber technologies for high-performance tyres. Under this agreement, the two companies will jointly study the development of…
Hyundai to set up new plant in the US and update existing one
South Korean automotive maker Hyundai plans to invest US$388 million to build a plant in Alabama, US. The 24,000-sq-m plant will include an engine head manufacturing plant, and it will also utilise this investment to enhance its assembly plant in…
Electric cars on the increase; China takes the largest share of vehicle sales
The number of electric vehicle (EV) and plug-in hybrid cars on the world’s roads exceeded 3 million in 2017, a 54% increase compared with 2016, according to the latest edition of the International Energy Agency’s Global Electric Vehicles Outlook. China…
GM’s self-driving vehicle unit gets a push with investment of US$2 bn
Japan’s SoftBank Group is investing US$2.25 billion into General Motors (GM)’s autonomous-vehicle unit. The world’s biggest technology fund, SoftBank’s US$100 million Vision Fund, will invest in GM’s newly created unit, GM Cruise Holdings, in two phases: with the first phase…
TOCOM slides after early rise amidst trade tension
“Tokyo Rubber futures took a tumble following an upswing in early trade amidst lingering trade tension between China and the US. Tokyo Commodity Exchange (TOCOM) futures, which set the tone for rubber prices in Southeast Asia, followed losses in Shanghai…
Cooper introduces new tyres for SUVs, trucks
Ohio-headquartered tyre maker, Cooper Tire & Rubber Co has unveileda new tyre line: the Discoverer AT3.The all-season all-terrain tyres are specifically designed for sport utility vehicles (SUVs) and light-duty pickups as well as medium-to-heavy duty trucks. The Discoverer AT3 range…






