Tyres & Accessories September 2009

T H E W A Y A H E A D

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Tyres & A

ccessories September 2009

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September 2009 The magazine for the tyre and wheel industries

OFC:Layout 1 09/09/2009 13:41 Page 1

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Tyres & Accessories 9/2009 3

EDITORIAL

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As soon as Tyres & Accessories’ tyrepress.com website reported that ATS Euromaster isembarking on a consultation exercise, the story went to the top of our newly updatedwebsite’s most popular list. The news is that the Michelin-owned tyre retail equity, Britain’ssecond largest fast fit chain is “reviewing” as many as 80 of its UK centres. According to acompany spokesperson, ATS Euromaster currently runs 456 centres, but is looking into theviability of continuing to run some in their present format. Therefore mergers, redundanciesand some degree of reorganisation are all being discussed.

However, as much as company representatives deny that they are looking to sellbranches and downplay the estimations of the number of sites they will occupy when thisis all over, it is difficult to see how the chain won’t end up making the gap between itselfand number one-placed Kwik-Fit larger. In crude branch count, dots-on-maps terms at least,this latest development is just the latest in a series of massive changes in the tyre retail busi-ness. While their retail centres continue under three different brand names, it was less thana year ago that Stapleton’s bought Central Tyre’s retail network doubling its retail presenceovernight. And it wasn’t so long before that that news reports caused rumours of aNational Tyres & Autocare sale.

As for ATS Euromaster, in the future the chain is expected to place a greater emphasison its mobile operations and intends to operate with fewer (but larger) service centres thatwill offer enhanced facilities to customers. The changes will include a move away from thecurrent regional organization to one in which there are three key divisions Retail (purelycustomer facing), Comprehensive (a continuance of the multi-faceted operations alreadyavailable at some ATS Euromaster outlets) and Truck (focusing on commercial vehicle tyresales). This move will be supported by a £1 million investment programme, which will takeplace over the next four months to upgrade some centres and enhance the company’s1100 strong car and truck mobile van fleet.

At the time the news was announced, Chris Hufflett, group operations director at ATSEuromaster, said: “This is being driven by a change in the way we provide service to ourcustomers. Motorists and fleet managers are having to tighten their belts and become moreefficient, and the service we offer needs to reflect that.”

But what exactly does this mean? Branch closures? A different business model,perhaps? Either way in the short-term the news gives the other large retail networks a PRleg-up – the smaller networks will look proportionally bigger and Kwik-Fit, currently thelargest UK tyre retailer with 662 centres, will only extend its lead to way ahead of its nearestrival.

In the meantime (and in much more general terms), there are questions to be askedabout the extent to which Fast-Fit market share could be being won by Autocentres. TakeNationwide Autocentres (220 garages) for example, the chain is reportedly aiming to growby around 25 sites a year to a minimum network size of 400 centres. Then there are theonline tyre businesses (see October’s magazine for more on this subject) which number lite-rally thousands of branches in their networks. The question is: what’s next?

Tyres & Accessories 9/20094

Contents

Features

• EditorialThe Changing Face Of UK Retail 3

• News in Brief 6

• NTDA News 12

• UK Tyre MarketAugust Sales Help Korean Tyremakers 14WRAP Launches Quality Protocol 15Infinity & Bond Push Forward 16

• Company NewsLiberating Retreads from Stigma 28

Tyres Don't Last Forever 30Natural Rubber Prices Up 25% 32July Sell-in Market Stabilising 34

• International Tyre MarketTitan Addresses Giant Tyre Concerns 48A Leading Tyre Racking Maker 52Phase 2 of Yokohamas ‘4ever Forest’ 54Reifen China 2009 Preview 56

• Product InformationTire Monitor Gains OTR Interest 65Bosch Launches Alignment Range 64Wolfrace Launches New Wheels 68

14 58

September 2009

News

40

72 Web Directory – 75 Classifieds – 78 Advertisers’ Index – 106 Preview – 106 Impressum

• Truck TyresGreen Shoots? 40Maxxis Recruits CV Distributors 42Double Coin adds 12 Sizes 46

• BatteriesJohnson Controls Answers Confusion 58Battery Market Brands Growing 59Conti Lithium-ion Development 60

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NEWS IN BRIEF

Toyo Sponsors GoodwoodRevival 2009

This year Toyo Tires are the officialgroup sponsor at the GoodwoodRevival for the first time. Sarah Clavey,senior marketing executive at ToyoTires commented: “Toyo Tyres haveachieved great success within a relati-vely short period in the Trackday andmotorsport arena. Our range ofmotorsport tyres, led by the ProxesR888 are fast becoming the tyre ofchoice by many competitors and inmany championships. As the Good-wood Revival celebrates all aspects ofmotorsports, from past to present, weare very excited to be associated withsuch a prestigious event which bringstogether all of our motorsport values.”

Toyo Tires are proud to be suppor-ting this nostalgic, which the companysays “takes a historic look back at motorracing, however also successfullyincorporates the modern-day side ofmotor racing through the sponsorsand exhibitors attending the event…”Toyo Tires are well known for theirpresence as such high profiled showsand exhibitions. For example, thecompany exhibited at both the Good-wood Festival of Speed and also Auto-sport International earlier this year.

The Goodwood Revival will beheld over three days at the famousGoodwood Motor Circuit inChichester, West Sussex, which duringits active time through the 1940’s tothe 1960’s hosted many major spor-ting events. It is also one of the fewevents where you are encouraged todress in the appropriate periodclothing from the 1940’s and 1950’s! cja

Goodwood is one of the few eventswhere you are encouraged to dress in 40’sand 50’s clothing!

Merityre Uses Uniflate Nitrogen System to Stay Ahead After five years of partnership, Nitrogen inflation specialists atTyre Bay Direct are reporting that using their Uniflate system hashelped Merityre Specialists Ltd, the largest independent tyrespecialist in the Home Counties, stay ahead of the game. Estab-lished in 1963, Merityre now has nineteen service centres acrossthe region. Staying ahead of the market is clearly a big conside-ration for the company, with their stated aim to exceed customerexpectations and the presence of a well-established customercare programme to back this up.

Merityre was one of the first retail chains in the UK to useTyre Bay’s Uniflate nitrogen inflation system. Having seen thesystem prove popular in Europe, Merityre was reporteredly eagerto offer the benefits to customers in this country.

General manager Dene Arnold explains further: “We startedwith the Uniflate system at one of our sites around five yearsago as we felt it was a great product to offer UK motorists. Wewere so impressed that we had them installed at all of our loca-tions.”

Tyre Bay Direct has been providing nitrogen inflationsystems for 17 years, for both the high performance demandsof Formula 1 and the consumer motoring market. This means they are ideally positionedto offer experienced and skilled advice to their customers.

Dene Arnold continued: “Alongside the product itself, the great level of service providedby Tyre Bay is crucial to us. We know that if there is a problem then technical support is juston the other end of the phone, and we can have an engineer with us in no time if weneed further help.” cja

Merityre was one of the firstretail chains in the UK to useTyre Bay’s Uniflate nitrogeninflation system

German Scrappage Scheme EndsMarket analysts are predicting that the German market scrappage scheme is likely to havecome to end today as demand for cars purchased under the scheme now exceeds supply.According to a Deutsche bank report published today the scheme has been responsible for9000 unit sales a day since its introduction and – as of today – only 5000 applications remain.

German government investment in the project is estimated to amount to 5 billion euros,with this investment believed to have supported 2 million new/nearly new vehicle sales. InGermany’s case this kind of market support has driven sales near an all-time high while the

economy recorded “the worstGDP decline since the end ofthe Second World War.”according to Deutsche Bank.

However, movingforward, domestic demand isexpected to “collapse” in themonths to come with analystspredicting the German carmarket will decline to 2.7million units (-25 per cent) in2010, potentially the worstlevel since reunification. cja

German governmentinvestment in the projectis estimated to amount to5 billion euros

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Bank of England Boss VisitsCooper Tire

Mervyn King enquires about the state ofUK tyre industry

The Governor of the Bank of England,Mervyn King, recently visited CooperTire’s European headquarters inMelksham, Wiltshire, as part of a tourof businesses in the West Country.According to company representa-tives, King met with Cooper Tire &Rubber Company Europe managingdirector, Julian Baldwin on Tuesday 28July. They are said to have discussedcurrent economic and business condi-tions to help the Bank of England withits policy-setting process.

“Mr King and I discussed businessin general,” Baldwin said, adding: “Hewas interested in the current state ofthe UK tyre industry, how it was fairingin the recession and what impact therecent banking problems and shor-tage of finance were having on thetrade. I hope the information we atCooper Tire were able to give is useful– it’s not every day the Bank of Englandcomes asking for our opinion on howwe see the economy over next fewmonths.” cja

Fire at Murfitts Industries

Tyre recovery and recycling specialistsMurfitts industries has suffered a fire atits Littleport, Cambridgeshire site.Managing director Barry Stock toldTyres & Accessories/tyrepress.com thatit is too early to say how much damagehas been done, but he did confirmthat there is both structural and stockloss. Nevertheless, the company iscontinuing to take in tyres at othersites. According to local firefighers, adiesel fuel tank and gas cylindersexploded during the fire and 50 fire-fighters tackled flames from 200tonnes of tyre shred on fire at the site.Local news reports suggest two buil-dings next to the tyre factory havebeen destroyed by the fire. cja

8

NEWS IN BRIEF

Pan Autos of First Stop Golf Day Raises1,900 for JumbulancePan Autos, part of the First Stopnetwork of tyre dealerships,has raised over £1,900 for alocal charity at its annual charitygolf day. The money raised bythe event – the company’s 14th– will go to Jumbulance, acharity that provides a speci-ally-equipped giant ambulancewhich is used by the charity totake sick and disabled peopleon accompanied holidaysaround Britain and Europe. Thecharity hopes to purchase asecond vehicle in the nearfuture and Pan Autos’ donation will go towards this goal.

Over 30 clients and friends of the business took part in the tournament at AldwickburyPark Golf Club. The event saw teams and individuals playing the 18-hole course in order tobe crowned top male, female or team on the day. The tournament was followed by a specialgala-dinner with a prize giving ceremony and an auction. As part of the First Stop network,which is supported by Bridgestone, Pan Autos successfully auctioned for £260 a pair oftickets for an exclusive tour of the Red Bull F1 factory.

John Tarbox, Managing Director at Pan Autos, who played a round on the daycomments, “It is great that 14 years on the event is still so successful. This is the second yearwe have raised money for Jumbulance as it is such a worthwhile cause. We have close linksto the charity and its treasurer, Ron Salvesen, is a close friend of the business so we knowall the money was greatly received. The golf day is also a great way to relax with our valuedclients and thank them for their continued support – we look forward to seeing everyoneagain next year!”

Chris Hawkins, business development manager for First Stop added, “We are alwayspleased to be able to support dealers in the First Stop network with events such as this. Itwas great to see the factory tour tickets go down so well and we are sure the lucky winnerwill have a fantastic time behind-the-scenes at Red Bull as they ride high in the F1 cham-pionship.” akb

(l-r) Chris Hawkins of First Stop, John Tarbox, MD at Pan Autos,with Mike Turnham, director, and Ronald Salvesen, secretary, forJumbulance

Former communities secretary, Hazel Blears is in themarket for two new tyres following an attack on herCitroën Xsara Picasso made while the minister wascanvassing in her Salford constituency with herhusband and two minders. While Blears dismissedthe idea that the attack, which also left the car’swindscreen smashed, was related to her part in theexpenses scandal earlier in the year, eye-witnessesclaimed that the vandals targeted her car for preci-sely that reason. No comment was made as to whowould be footing the bill for the replacement rubber

akb

Blears’ Tyres Slashed in Possible Expenses Outburst

TYRES page 09.qxp:Layout 1 07/07/2009 10:45 Page 1


NEWS IN BRIEF

Snap-on Gains WDK Training Accreditation

Company offers ‘full line of machines’

Snap-on Equipment equipment recentlybecame the first garage equipmentmanufacturer to gain independent,third-party authorisation to provide trai-ning courses for mounting anddemounting run-flat and UHP tyres at itsEuropean Competence Centre in Pfung-stadt, Germany. WDK, the Associationof the German Rubber Industry,provided the authorisation, whichincluded certification of turntable androller-type tyre changers.

Snap-on Equipment, Europe'sleading manufacturer of garage equip-ment, offers a comprehensive rangeincluding tyre changers and wheelbalancers. Products under theHofmann and John bean brandsinclude entry-level machines that areideal for low-volume workshops,through to top-of-the-range equipmentfor high-volume fast fit operations.

All machines benefit from innovative,patented technology, such as doubleacting bead breaker cylinders on tyrechangers and Virtual Plane Measure-ment for highly accurate results on allwheel balancers, regardless ofambient conditions. Providing custo-mers with the right equipment tohandle the latest developments in tyretechnology is a key driver behindSnap-on Equipment's focus on inno-vation, as exemplified by the rede-signed Hofmann monty 3300 racingtyre changer to handle run-flat andultra high profile (UHP) tyres.Chris Behan, General Manager, Snap-on Equipment commented: "Custo-mers need to have confidence in theirequipment supplier at any time andeven more so in the current economicdownturn. We offer a full range ofgarage equipment through ourHofmann and John Bean brands,along with the full product lifecyclesupport you would expect from amember of the global Snap-on family."

cja

BKT-Equipped Tractor Wins World Ploughing Crown

A BKT-equipped tractor and plough has won first prize in the 2009 World Ploughing Contest(WPC) reversible category. The 56th WPC, held in Moravske Toplice, Slovenia between 4 -5 September saw Belgian Roel Cuyvers crowned as champion in the reversible category,driving a Massey Ferguson tractor fitted with BKT-Agrimax Tractor Radials. Third prize winners- Liam O’Driscoll from Ireland in the reversible and Hardy Andersen from Denmark in Convent-ional category, also ploughed on BKT Agrimax tyres tractors (fitted to Lamborghini & MasseyFerguson tractors respectively).

Company representatives point out that 16 out of total 59 competitors (representing amajority of more than 27 per cent), selected BKT Agrimax tyres as their preferred choice forthe same. The Indian-based tyre manufacturer reports that it, as this year’s Bronze sponsor,is “proud to be associated with the event and expresses it’s gratitude towards all the compet-itors that chose BKT tyres on their tractors, trusting the excellent performance of BKT productsfor this tough and competitive event.”

The first World Ploughing Contest dates back to 1953; and the competition is an import-ant event in the worldwide agriculture and rural development calendar. cja

TRA Adds Three New MembersThe Tyre Recovery Association (TRA)has welcomed three new collector members. Accordingto the TRA, “The new companies will significantly broaden the association’s service to itscustomers.” The new companies are: PB Tyres of Milton Keynes, Statham Tyre & Co (UK)Limited of Cheshire and TRS Tyres of Morecombe. Each of these companies has met theAssociation’s membership criteria and all three expressed the wish to be audited and accre-dited to the Tyre Industry’s Responsible Recycler Scheme (RRS). cja

Belgian Roel Cuyvers was crowned as champion in the reversible category, driving a Massey Fergusontractor fitted with BKT-Agrimaz Tractor Radials

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NTDA NEWS NTDA NEWS

Dinner finishing touches

The finishing touches are being made to the NTDA’s 80th Annual Dinner which is being staged in Manchester later this month. Nearly four hundred members and guests will be attending this key networking event for the UK Tyre Industry which will also be the stage to announce the winners of the 2009 TAFF (Tyre and Fast Fit) Awards. The voting for the Awards closed at the end of August and the thousands of votes are now being counted to provide us with the names of the winners of the five Awards which are decided by public voting.

The adjudicating panel for the Innovation Awards has met and, after giving careful consideration to all the attributes of the seven nominees in this category have agreed unanimously on a winner which will also be announced on the night.

The Awards will be hosted by Mark Harrison of ECI International, one of the key sponsors of the evening and organisers of next year’s Brityrex 2010 which is being staged in Manchester in October. Two other key sponsors will be supporting the event and they are DHL and Tyre Industry Publications, publishers of the trade’s leading journal Tyres and Accessories.

NTDA is fully supporting TyreSafe’s October Tyre Safety which is focusing on

tread depth, with the theme of a “life saver in your pocket.” The campaign suggests that motorists can check the safety and legality of their tyres using the edge of a 20 pence coin.

Members will be sent personalized material featuring the 20p theme and actively encouraged to support this exciting initiative.

Commented NTDA Director Richard Edy, “The 20p campaign is a unique approach and as the edge is 3mm deep the campaign complements the NTDA campaign material which encourages motorists

NTDA Support for 20p Campaignto change their tyres at 3mm. All members will be receiving the specially printed material in good time to actively participate in the campaign which looks set to raise awareness.”

Last year’s tyre safety month received fantastic levels of support from NTDA members and the Association hopes members will get even more involved this year.

As well as using TyreSafe’s campaign material members are being encouraged to offer free tyre safety checks and further support the event by organising a tyre safety event in a busy supermarket or car park, or even run a competition or giveaway with their local newspaper or radio station.

New members phone line Members are reminded that a direct line has been installed at the NTDA’s Aylesbury headquarters to provide the trade with easier, cheaper instant access to head office staff.Our new members direct line is 01296 482128 and will avoid our 0870 9000 600 number which is receiving increased traffic from motorists being referred to us by Trading Standards and local authorities looking for tyre advice.The 0870 number will continue as usual but members and the trade should reconfigure their stored number for the NTDA with the 01296 number.

Website - www.ntda.co.uk Headlines for August 2009:One In Five Tyre Businesses Making a Loss Look After Your Tyres And Save Money...20% Rise In Mobile Tyre Business...Motor Codes needs to ‘raise profile’ - SURVEY Worlds Leading Logistics Company Sponsors NTDA/TAFF Dinner “You Tube” Advice to Motorists to Avoid Cowboy Garages Fast Fit Accepted as ‘Key Component’ of UK Motor Industry New Tyre Chipper for the South West New Flagship Sponsors for TAFF Awards Tyre Knowledge Low Amongst Women Retailers Urged to be Vigilant Over Tyre Collectors Government urged to extend scrappage R2RC Welcomes EU’s Focus on Aftermarket

www.ntda.co.uk NTDA NEWS NTDA NEWS

TIGS Golf Day

Next month’s Tyre Industry Golf Day, which is again being staged at the classic parkland course of Mere Golf and Country Club near Knutsford, is already attracting wide support from throughout the tyre industry’s golfing aficionados.The Golf Day is accepted as the key golfing event in the tyre industry calendar and normally attracts over sixty golfers and guests who compete for the four major cups on offer. The four attractive silver trophies have been fiercely fought over for the past thirty years.The competition is traditionally open to everyone in the tyre industry and if you are interested in attending please contact Lynne Smith in Aylesbury (01296 482128).

TIF “Question Time” panel announced

A panel from all sections of the UK Tyre industry has been assembled to answer questions from the floor at TIF’s first Seminar which is being staged in the afternoon immediately prior to the NTDA/TAFF Awards Dinner in Manchester later this month.

The panel which will be chaired by TIF Chairman Peter Gaster consists of:Patrick O’Connell Bandvulc GroupMark Brickhill Goodyear/DunlopPeter Gaster Kings Road TyresDerek McMartin MaxxisAlan Baldwin Micheldever Tyre Services LtdNoel Pope Merityre Specialists LtdTim Stott Sapphire Energy Recovery Ltd

Organised along the lines of the BBC “Question Time” format the event has already attracted delegates representing all sections of the industry.If you would like to attend this event, which is being sponsored by the Tyre Industry Federation, please contact the NTDA who will be handling all the administration for the event on 01296 482128. If you can’t attend please feel free to pose a question and we will report back to you on the response if your question is one of those chosen.

Mark Brickhill

NTDA

Following a review of the call handling facilities for the NTDA Truck Tyre Breakdown service, TyreLink, it has been decided to move the call handling facility to a call centre in North London which has a close working relationship with the Road Haulage Association.Commented NTDA Director Richard Edy “We are constantly reviewing the Association’s service suppliers and after careful consideration we decided it was time for a change.“Our new facilities will open up a significant opportunity to increase the number of breakdowns being channeled through TyreLink members.”The Association is widening the scope of the scheme by approaching members who service areas where existing member cover is light on the ground.“These changes will provide both an increase in throughput of work and also allow us to develop the scheme further in the interests of our members” concluded the Director.NTDA’s TyreLink Breakdown scheme has been in existence for nearly two decades and is the country’s largest group of commercial tyre breakdown specialists offering unrivalled coverage throughout the UK and Ireland.If you would like further information on how to join TyreLink please contact our TyreLink manager Alison Fitzgerald in Aylesbury.

Thousands sign ‘Rightto Repair’ petition

A petition to attract support for the Right to Repair campaign has already attracted over thirty thousand signatures from both garage and fast fit principals and also motorists concerned that their choice of garage will be limited if legislation currently being considered by the European Commission is put in place.The Right to Repair Campaign, which is supported financially by the NTDA, is actively campaigning to defend the right of the independent aftermarket to access technical information which some car manufacturers are attempting to provide exclusively to their franchise dealer networks.If you wish to add your name to support this important initiative here is the website: www.r2rc.eu/petition

New TyreLink call handling partnership

14

UK TYRE MARKET


The latest SMMT figures reveal there was 6 per cent risein new car registrations in August 2009, with the monthlytotal growing to 67,006 units. The second successivemonth of growth in new car registrations is widely attri-buted to the success of the government’s scrappage initi-ative, with August’s figures building on on a 2.4 per centgain in July. As you might expect in light of the scrappagescheme, private purchases of small cars grew particularlystrongly with this type of sale accounting for 35,694 (53.3per cent) of August’s sales, compared to 23,717 (37.5 percent). However, the recent growth disguises the fact thatsales are still 15 per cent off the 78,800 total monthlymarket average between 1999 and 2008.

Ford and Vauxhall continued to dominate sales in August,however it is the surprise success of the Korean car manufac-

turers that has the potential to re-shape the UK car parc. And asthese car manufacturers are almost exclusively supplied by Koreantyre makers, there is also likely to be a positive effect on Korean tyresales in the UK.

In August Hyundai’s i10 was the surprise number three inoverall registrations with 2431 new sales recorded, after the firstplaced Ford Focus (4336 registrations) and Ford Fiesta (2968 regis-trations). However, when you exclude business and fleetpurchases, retail sales figures show Hyundai’s market share grewa whopping 323 per cent, meaning the i10 overtook the VauxhallCorsa to become the third best seller in UK, by this measurement.

The figures, which would have seemed inconceivable a fewmonths ago, show that Hyundai’s overall sales for the month rose323 per cent compared to August last year to 3,737. It givesHyundai a record overall market share of 5.6 per cent. The i10 wasthe company’s biggest seller by far with 2,431 finding homes inAugust. According to Hyundai, this outsold the second placed carby more than two to one.

With all of the i10’s OE tyres divided between leading Koreanmanufacturers Hankook and Kumho (the very manufacturers thatappear to be benefitting from the so-called de-segmentationphenomenon). For more info, search ‘Kumho breaks the MillionTyre Mark’ at tyrepress.com.

With the new ‘59’ registration numbers available from thebeginning of September, and around 17 per cent of annual regis-

trations made at this time because of the new numberplate release, the next round of figures are expectedto show similarly strong figures for the Korean carmakers. This means that Hyundai’s sales figures thismonth are set to be even more impressive.

“We are well on the way to making September thebest ever month for sales in the company’s history” saidTony Whitehorn Hyundai UK's managing director. “Ourdealers have taken on an average of 20 per cent morestaff to cope with demand.”

“The scrappage incentive scheme is having a posi-tive impact but with consumer and business confi-dence still fragile, there remain significant risks ahead.It is essential that these early signs of recovery aresustained into 2010,” said Paul Everitt, SMMT chiefexecutive.

However, Hyundai’s strong i10 sales are not alone.Tyres & Accessories/tyrepress.com has it on good

authority that 75 per cent of OE on the popular Kia Rio is suppliedby Nexen. As a result the third largest Korean tyre maker – Kia’ssuccess continues – could face a disproportionately large uplift inUK sales in the years to come.

However from the tyre market’s point of view, the boom informerly lesser sold car marques could already mean significantchanges in the tyre market. Sources told T&A/tyrepress.com thatthe Korean manufacturers are already shoring up stocks at maindealers in advance of future servicing requirements.

[email protected]

6% Rise in August Registrations Could Help Korean Tyre Manufacturers

Korean bloc may already hold 15% UK tyrereplacement market share

With Kumho and Hankook supplying 100 per cent of the Hyundai i10’s OE, and Nexen selling OEtyres to Kia, how will tyre replacement sales look when these new models come to change their first set of tyres?

15

UK TYRE MARKET


According to Waste & Resources Action Programme (WRAP),the publication of a new Quality Protocol (QP) and certifi-cation scheme will help to drive the market for rubber crumband shred derived from used tyres. Mervyn Jones, jointproject executive and head of manufacturing at WRAP toldTyres & Accessories the Quality Protocol will assure materialquality and encourage sector growth. However, the prac-tical basis for this expansion is not clear and there are ques-tion marks over how much this will cost businesses and ulti-mately end users. Transport Research Laboratory willoperate the tyres QP certification process.

Mervyn Jones believes this growth will be driven by the intro-duction of a new voluntary QP and certification scheme

planned for November 2009, by the Waste Protocols project – a jointWRAP and Environment Agency initiative. The QP follows on from apublicly available specification document (PAS 107) published in2007. Developed by WRAP and the British Standards Institute (BSI),PAS 107 helps manufacturers of tyre-derived rubber crumb and shredto ensure their products adhere to specified quality standards.

Peter Taylor, Tyre Recovery Association secretary general,explained: “Anything that adds clarity to the market and gives productstatus to what would otherwise remain classed as waste is to bewelcomed. I hope it will be deliverable with a modest cost both interms of finances and manpower.”

It is estimated that nearly 500,000tonnes of post consumer tyres enter theUK waste stream each year, accordingto the Department for Business, Inno-vation and Skills (formerly the Depart-ment of Trade and Industry). Since thedisposal of tyres to landfill was bannedby the EU directive in 2006, the demandhas increased for reprocessing thesetyres for a variety of applications such aslandfill engineering and sports surfaces.However, there is still scope for furthermarket growth.

As far as WRAP is concerned, forused tyre reprocessors, the businessbenefits of complying with the newvoluntary QP and receiving certificationare “considerable” and are linked largelyto client demands. With the QP in place,purchasers of tyre derived rubber crumband shred – from industries as diverse ascivil engineering to sports and leisuresurface manufacturing – will no longerbe required to apply for waste permitsand exemptions. This reduces both theircosts and administrative burden, twoareas believed to be barriers to increased

use. Removing these barriers will help to encourage growth acrossthe sector – it has been estimated that an increase in sales of just 3per cent could increase market value by more than £23 million overthe next 10 years – and increase demand for tyre-derived rubbercrumb and shred from post-consumer tyre reprocessors. However,with all these player already well regulated and most buyers alreadyknowing the quality of their suppliers’ products well, some questionwhether these figures can materialise in practical terms.

Feedback from the industry has been positive with tyre recyclersrecognising that the introduction of the QP will also raise awarenessof how secondary materials can be used as like-for-like, fit-for-purposereplacements for natural or primary alternatives. For example, BarryStocker, commercial manager at Murfitts Industries and president ofthe Tyre Recovery Association, commented: “This Quality Protocol andthe certification scheme will cut a lot of unnecessary red tape for tyre-derived rubber purchasers, a move that can only be good forsuppliers.”

“With synthetic rubber alternatives being significantly more expen-sive than the tyre-derived rubber products, the business case becomesstill stronger and compliant producers have a powerful set of marke-ting messages at their disposal. Complying with PAS 107 means we’vebeen able to assure businesses purchasing our rubber crumb andshred that it is of consistent quality, and this new development willgive even greater confidence in the standard of materials fromcompliant recyclers.” [email protected]

WRAP are promoting the new quality protocol, however, this standard looks set to be set to be superseded by the intro-duction of European CEN (Centre European Normalisation) rules

WRAP to Launch Tyre Crumb Quality Protocol


UK TYRE MARKET

Infinity, a brand belonging to the Al Dobowi Group, is conti-nuing to carve out a growing spot within the UK passengercar tyre market. Its relationship with Bond International, withwhom Al Dobowi has developed a significant relationship inthe four years since it was appointed the exclusive UK distri-butor four years ago, was the focus of an event hosted bykey members of the Infinity Europe and Al Dobowi compa-nies in the plush surroundings of York Racecourse earlier inthe year. The event was designed both as a celebration anda chance for 30 of Bond’s noticeably youthful and enthusi-astic staff to meet Surender and Harjeev Kandhari of the AlDobowi Group, who delivered an informative presentationabout the Infinity brand, for which they hold exclusive world-wide distribution rights.

During the course of the evening, Harjeev Kandhari presented “TheInfinity Story” and also outlined some of the future goals and objec-

tives for the development of the Infinity brand in the UK. Reg Bond,owner and managing director of Bond International, also outlined thepotential for Infinity tyres across theUK and emphasised some of thelogistical features of Bond. Bondhas four warehouses across the UKand guarantees a 24 hour deliveryservice to all of its dealers.

Bond was keen to impress upon his staff the growth experiencedby the company in the sale of the Infinity brand, and the ways in whichthe companies are increasing their business through increased commu-nication and relationship-building. He said that in the first half of 2009,Bond International’s business increased by between 15 and 17.5 percent, a feat that he attributed in large part to the salespeople – all ofwhom participate in the policy of picking up the phone within onesecond – “to sell the tyres [in the quantity they have] is a great, greatachievement… without good salespeople, we’ve got no company andyou people here tonight are the good salespeople,” he said. “We’reknocking on the door of being a £90 million company, and we haven’tfinished yet. This is only just the start.”

Other factors in the rise of Infinity sales at Bond Internationalincluded the quality of the relationship between the companies – espe-cially the ability to give feedback about the products – and the abilityto control the quality of the products made in China. Bond said thathe had met with Infinity representatives in every month of 2009, inclu-ding a session earlier in the day: “we’ve had a good two and a halfhour meeting today, at which I didn’t stop talking, which is a goodthing. The future between Surender, his son and Bond is going to bevery big. We will be the world number one for Infinity – if we aren’talready, we’re not far away from that now… I’ve bought ten contai-ners of truck tyres today, so there will be a new truck tyre coming along.”

Bond International has a quality controller in China, where Infinity-brand tyres are manufactured, ensuring standards remain high: “At leastfive companies in the UK are selling tyres that we’ve said no to. Otherpeople pick them up, but we are always looking for quality in what we

sell.” While Infinity was the major focus, Bond also mentioned that the company would look to sell tyres out of other territories, such asIndonesia.

Many of Bond’s thoughts were also expressed by both Surenderand Harjeev Kandhari, who focused on their pride in the quality of Infi-nity’s products, the company’s ambitions and the provision of more thanjust the products. Presenting Infinity’s history, Harjeev mentioned thatit was apparent early on that the brand should aim to pursue the serviceaspect of the industry: “The idea is to provide services and solutions –we realised about 20 years ago that you need to provide services andsolutions to your clients; you need to work with them, because anybodycould just sell a product. This is why we’ve gone into other areas, suchas retreading services et cetera… we’ve also looked at other ranges,apart from tyres; while tyres are our primary business.”

Both of the Kandharis also mentioned the analogy of family andbuilding a brand: “building a brand is about building a family and wewant to make sure everyone realises that,” continued Harjeev. “I flewfor one day to the South of France to meet our French distributor tosay thank-you. It’s very, very important to us that you understand that

this is a family-based brand andthat we will continue to do all thethings you get from other peopleand more. Welcome to the Infi-nity family.”

Surender outlined his confidence in therelationship between Infinity and Bond by complementing Reg Bondhimself: “The whole tyre worldknows Mr Bond as a solid,family person. I am very proudto be sitting with Reg, becausehe has given Infinity the oppor-tunity to sell in the UK market.”

Summing up the family-feelto the evening was the enter-tainment: a cabaret show bytwo of Bond’s grandchildren.Bond was also delighted toannounce an addition to hisstable of horses. Infinity Bond (arecent winner at Musselburgh)will be joined by Infinity World,an unraced attractive dark bayfilly by Lucky Story.

[email protected]

Infinity Brand Pushing Forwards with Bond International

Surender and Harjeev Kandhari posewith Reg Bond at the celebratoryevening at York Racecourse

“We’re knocking on the door of being a

£90 million company”: Reg Bond on Bond International

logistical help

*Compared to its principal European competitors. Based on fuel consumption and longevity tests carried out in 2009 by DEKRA and wet braking tests carried out in 2009 by TÜV SÜD Automotive.

Tyre size 195/65 R 15H.

www.michelin.co.uk

MICHELIN Energy SaverThe best all round performer* in tests of:

Fuel saving Longevity Wet braking

Enegysaver test award 297x210:Layout 1 12/08/2009 12:00 Page 1


UK TYRE MARKET

Avon Tyres’ ultra-high performance tyre,the ZZR, is to be paired with the

Caterham Superlight range. The brands’ 18-year association has resulted in the creationof a bespoke version of Avon’s road-legal ZZRtyre, designed for optimal dry weather grip.Avon says that the range is popular amongtrack day attendees seeking a tyre offeringpredictable and progressive handling.

This is not the first time Avon andCaterham have combined; the muchheralded Avon CR500 was developed speci-fically for the predecessor of the present-daySuperlight R500, and is standard fitmentacross the current Superlight range.

James Weekley, Avon Tyres’ operationsand UK sales manager commented, “The

challenge was to take our most extreme tyreand tune it to compliment the specificcharacteristics that are inherent to SuperlightSevens. A two-tonne Nissan GTR is an alto-gether different prospect to a half-tonneCaterham. Using all the data and expertisewe’ve collected over the years, we’vetweaked the ZZR with a lighter overallconstruction, using less stiff sidewalls,reduced reinforcement and a softercompound of rubber, making it ideally suitedto the new application.”

Available as an option on the CaterhamSuperlight range, the road-legal ZZR offerstrack enthusiasts enhanced performance inthe dry over the standard fitment AvonCR500. akb

Federal and Grouptyre LaunchRed Letter Day Promotion

Grouptyre has teamed up with Federal – the value brand for whichthe independent wholesaler has exclusive distribution rights in the

UK – to launch a national promotion, which promises a Red Letter Dayfor six lucky retailers. The promotion is named thus because the prizeson offer are Red Letter Day experience packages: from scuba divingwith sharks, powerboating, carriage driving,Medieval jousting and white water rafting for thoselooking for an adrenalin rush to less energetic pursuitssuch as spa days, theatre trips, wine and whiskytasting master classes and luxury weekend breaks.

The promotion runs in two distinct stages – from1 September to 31 October and from 1 Novemberto 31 December – and the winners will be chosenat random from all the entries received. EveryFederal tyre participating retailers purchase fromtheir local Grouptyre supplier will improve theirchances of winning a Red Letter Day experience.The first prize is valued at £500 and there are tworunner-up prizes worth £250 in each of the promotion periods. Fulldetails on the huge choice of Red Letter Day experiences are availableat www.redletterdays.co.uk. To participate in this Grouptyre/Federalpromotion all tyre retailers have to do is sign up online at www.group-tyre.co.uk/federal by completing the registration form and answeringone straightforward multiple choice question.

“We’re taking a more proactive approach to meeting the needs ofindependent tyre retailers by giving them the chance to participate innational incentives and special promotions. Recent initiatives have beenextremely well received so we are keen to continue building and deve-loping relationships with this new promotion, our first in conjunctionwith Federal,” says Grouptyre sales director Paul Hollows.

Federal range

Federal states that co-operation with major tyre companies has enabledit to develop the technical capabilities required to produce the qualitycompounds and tread patterns increasingly demanded by driverstoday, allowing it to increase its visibility in the UK market.

The current Federal range extends from high performance tyres –including the Super Steel series of all-season tyres and the street legal595 Competition Series, developed specifically for street, circuit, drag

and drift competitions – to light truck, 4x4 and SUV tyres.The manufacturer has evolved

its Formoza FD1, to create theFD2. This features Federal’s new“Disorder Pitch Evolution Theory”technology, which reduces noiselevels to a minimum while maintai-ning performance and handlingcapabilities. The new XtramileXR01aims to maximise tread lifethrough its compound mix anddeliver improved fuel economy,precise and consistent handling athigh speed and excellent wet grip.

In van tyres, the manufacturer offers the Eco-van tyre, which it sayshas been engineered to withstand a higher loading capacity and meetthe needs of everyday commercial use, and the 791 Plus, which is desi-gned to deliver a car-like smooth, quiet ride and provide outstandinghandling and braking in wet and dry conditions.

Improved handling capabilities at high speed, water dispersal andall-terrain control are hallmarks of the Couragia Adventure series, whichsits alongside the MR273 – a steel belted radial for mini-trucks. The Hima-laya range – recently featured in Tyres & Accesssories August WinterTyres section – uses a winter tread compound for increased tractionwhen braking on snow and ice. akb

Avon’s ZZR Tyre Paired with Caterham Cars’ Superlight

Avon’s road-legal ZZR tyre is aimed at track day enthusiasts


UK TYRE MARKET

Dunlop Pioneers BTCC RFID FirstAll tyres on HiQ MSA British Touring Car Championship(BTCC) cars are now automatically scanned as the cars driveinto the pit lane, in what tyremaker Dunlop says is a worldfirst. This technology ensures that each car is using thecorrect and allocated tyres at all times.

The scanning is achieved by a miniature Radio Frequency Identi-fication (RFID) tag embedded inside every tyre allocated to every

car. The tag - just one centimetre in length - enables officials fromcomputer systems firm Datalinx, which has been central to the deve-lopment of the technology, to track every tyre from production andallocation to each team right back to their return to Dunlop for recy-cling.

Tony Duffy, Operations Manager for Dunlop Motorsport Europe,said: "This has been quite an undertaking - other tyre manufacturershave not yet reached this level - and the BTCC's technical know-howhas been of huge benefit in enabling us to perfect the new system.

"One of our biggest hurdles has been ensuring the RFID tagsremain stable in the tyre and fine-tuning the frequencies so that notyre is 'missed' when cars return from the track - even when theyslow for the pit lane speed limit, the tyres are still revolving at a consid-erable rate. We are now at a stage where no tyre is missed and wecan provide the BTCC with a 100 per accurate log of each tyre's acti-vity."

BTCC Series Director Alan Gow added: "Dunlop and Datalinxhave achieved a great breakthrough for motor sport globally andI'm very proud that the BTCC has helped pioneer another world-first- one which, undoubtedly, other championships will eventuallyfollow. In just three seasons we have gone from laboriously (manu-ally) recording every serial number of every tyre used in every prac-tice session and race - and then having to stop each car and visuallycheck them - to having a fully computerised, automated and fool-proof system."

It is now expected the RFID tag system will be incorporated intoother high profile race series in which Dunlop supplies tyres. Nodetails have yet been given about which series these are and whenRFID tags will be introduced into them. cja

Yokohama UK DistributorReports WTCC “Great Success”

July's UK round of the FIA World Touring Car Championship atBrands Hatch was dubbed “a resounding success” by the UK distri-

butor of Yokohama tyres, whose flagship ADVAN range is used ascontrol tyre for the series. Yokohama HPT hosted dealers and clientsto witness the spectacle of the world's best touring car racing.

2009 marked the fourth year that YHPT has attended the UKround of the WTCC. The hospitality unit was located, as it has beenfor the last two years, alongside the racetrack just before thestart/finish line, giving exceptional views of the action throughoutthe weekend. Not only did guests get to watch the two WTCC races,they also saw a Formula Master race and a round of the Lotus OnTrack series, all of which run on Yokohama rubber.

Managing director of YHPT David Seward and sales manager NickGreenfield were invited to present the trophies to the winning driversat each race. Commenting on the weekend, David Seward said:“Once again, this weekend's UK round of the WTCC was an outstan-ding success. The racing was excellent, the standard of the hospita-lity provided to our guests was superb and it proved the perfect envi-ronment to spend time with our dealer and members of the press.

“As it has been for the last three years, it was extremely gratifyingto see our products contributing to such excellent racing action, notonly for the WTCC but also, Formula Master and the Lotus On Trackseries. We look forward to supporting these series and enjoying morevisits by the WTCC to the UK using Yokohama ADVAN tyres.”

The unit had a pair of WTCC simulators so guests could see forthemselves the closeness of the action. Outside, there was a PalmerSport RaceMaster BMW M3, which forms part of MotorsportVision'srace experience days. YHPT's five grid girls also helped the guests totake part in three grid walks, for both the WTCC races and immedi-ately before the start of the Formula Master race. Two WTCC drivers,Jaap van Lagen and Brit James Thompson later visited the unit tospeak to the guests and sign autographs. akbAccording to Dunlop, its use of RFID tags

is a world first

Yokohama HPT managing director, David Seward with Lada Sport drivers Jaap vanLagen and James Thompson


UK TYRE MARKET

1/2 H Bandvulc AD

20 per cent of tyres fitted to major leasing fleet vehicles arebeing replaced early due to avoidable tyre damage. Accor-ding to figures published by ATS Euromaster following areview of the tyre replacement cycle across 100,000 leasevehicles, the average remaining tread on tyres removedthrough damage is 4.8mm. With 1mm of tread equivalentto approximately 4,000 miles, these damaged tyres areachieving less than half their potential life. Across a samplefleet of 25,000 vehicles, this damage is costing over£440,000 each year in wasted mileage potential.

Avoidable Tyre Damage Costing Fleets

Commenting on the findings, Steve Bury, Head of National Carat ATS Euromaster explained: “Just three causes of tyre

damage account for a staggering 81 per cent of the tyres wereplace prematurely. This includes punctures (31 per cent), side-wall damage (27 per cent) and drivers exceeding the 50mph / 50mile limit on deflated run-flat tyres (22 per cent).”

“In many cases this damage could be avoided, and we areactively encouraging fleet managers to cascade this information

back to their company’s drivers, along with three simple steps tohelp reduce damage. It’s a win-win situation for everyone,” headds, “as longer tyre life means reduced cost, downtime, hassleand fewer tyres being disposed of prematurely, which in turnsbenefits the environment.” cja

ATS Euromaster found that 81 per cent of premature tyre replacementwas caused by either punctures, sidewall damage or drivers exceedingthe 50mph/50 mile limit on deflated run-flat tyres

EDIT-ADS:Layout 1 9/9/09 01:32 Page 21


UK TYRE MARKET

In other Vintage Tyre Supplies news,the Beaulieu based specialistcomments that, in the current climateof “recycle and reuse”, the companyis well aware of the need to disposeof worn out classic tyres in a respon-sible way. VTS reports that its tyres arealways collected and processed by anethical tyre processing company;many tyres reappear as children’splaygrounds, conveyer belts andeven new car tyres.

Recently however, VTS has beenable to use its old worn tyres in a different way, as part of the new“World of Top Gear” at the NationalMotor Museum, located just a hop,skip and a jump from Vintage Tyres’headquarters. This new exhibitiondisplays many of the cars built andtested to destruction by the team onthe popular BBC televisionprogramme. The creators wanted toemploy used tyres as part of thedisplay, and VTS customers can now see their old tyres lined up alongside the “cool wall”and the “reasonably priced car” lap times. Also present is a full size replica of The Stig…or,as some people say, the real Stig in hibernation between lap duties. sg

RecyclingClassic Tyreswith the Stig

Some say his skin contains silica to make it more supple inlow temperatures, and that he breathes out pure inflationnitrogen….all we know is, he’s called the Stig

The UK and Ireland are reportedly Europe’s worst offenders when itcomes to driving with dangerous tyres. That’s the verdict of tyremanufacturer Michelin, which is embarking on its sixth year ofrunning Fill Up With Air, a European tyre safety campaign. Based onchecks of 50,000 cars across 27 countries, only Latvia, Greece, Lithu-ania and Estonia have a worse record with Austria and Germanybeing consistently the most safety conscious. Out of 5,000 UK carssurveyed by Michelin in 2007/08, more than 43 per cent were foundto have “dangerously” under-inflated tyres, risking an accident. (Forthe purposes of this campaign dangerous means between 8 and 14psi off recommend pressures).

Motoring journalist Vicki Butler-Henderson, who is promoting thecampaign, said: “Tyres are the only contact a vehicle has with theroad and it always amazes me how little care we take as a nation interms of looking after them. We have to remember that cars arepotential lethal weapons and it is our duty to ensure that we makethem as safe as possible and minimise the risk of potentially lethalaccidents.”

For 2009 Michelin has collated the statistics gathered over thelast six years to compile a picture of tyre safety in the UK and acrossEurope. Interestingly 27 per cent of cars checked in Liverpool werefound to be driving with punctures. The most tyre conscious regionis said to East Anglia with 10 per cent of the population checkingtyre pressure once a week

Michelin’s head of communications, Peter Snelling, said: “On thecontinent, drivers far more aware of the importance of their tyres.They have respect for their vehicles and are fully aware of the safetyimplications of using unsuitable or incorrectly maintained tyres,something we seem to happily ignore in this country, until it’s toolate.”

Fill Up With Air will be taking to the roads this summer and visi-ting more than 45 locations across the UK and Ireland. In order topromoted the event Vicki Butler Henderson’s has produced this toptyre safety tips video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U4nHaRkVRHQ. cja

UK and Ireland Europe’s Top Tyre Safety Offenders

Retune Your TyresAvoid flat tyres, high fuelconsumption and ‘fuzzyscreens’ with simple mainte-nance

Freeview may be campaigning to remindviewers to retune their digital TV equipmentas often as they check their tyres pressure,but representatives of Michelin’s ‘Fill up WithAir’ are hoping drivers would improve thispressure awareness a bit first. Ilse Howling,managing director of Freeview, recentlysaid: “In the same way you would regularlycheck tyre pressure and keep water levelstopped up on a car, get into the habit ofretuning your digital box, Freeview+recorder or digital TV from time-to-time.”

However tyre manufacturer Michelinwarns “Freeview customers they could beleft with blank screens if they apply attitudestowards car maintenance to TV sets.” Thefact is that, according to research carried outas part of Michelin’s annual Fill Up With Aircampaign, the UK and Ireland are amongstthe worst in Europe for checking tyre pres-sures. In 2007/2008 a staggering 43% ofdrivers checked by Michelin had dange-rously under-inflated tyres.

cja

To find out about selling KUMHO tyres through the ECSTA Performance Centre programme, contact:Jason Burgess at Micheldever Tyre Services on 07767 297730 or Bonnie Adams on 01926 816826

Pure ClassECSTA – the ultra high performance tyre with Formula TechnologyMore control, more styleECSTA’s state-of-the-art technologies ensure precise and consistent handling at high speed. ECSTA adds a touch of elegance and style to your car.Driving passion – with ECSTA

www.kumhotyre.co.uk


UK TYRE MARKET

3 Motorsport SeriesCommit to DunlopGreat and British Till2012

Dunlop are to support the British Auto-mobile Racing Club (BARC) organizedGreat and British Festival package for afurther three seasons, and three leadingUK Championships have committed to bea core part of the programme for the nextthree seasons till 2012.

The Radical Championships, MiniChallenge and the BARC Dunlop SportMaxx Production Cup have proved to bepopular with competitors and spectatorsalike, and will form the core content onthe package for a further three seasons.The package was launched in 2006 withthe mission of ‘putting national racingback on the map’ and has carved its placein the UK motorsport hierarchy, comple-menting the TOCA British Touring CarChampionship package that is alsosupported by Dunlop and organized byBARC.

Dennis Carter BARC “Being able to putthis package together with the help andsupport of Dunlop has resulted in beingable to elevate and showcase variouschampionships in a manner that other-wise would not be possible.”

James Bailey, Dunlop: “To have athree-year commitment from three of theUK’s best national championships is a signthat the Dunlop Great and Britishpackage can continue to grow. Thisagreement will take us through to theseventh year of our partnership with theBARC in 2012 and proves that such astable, well organized and promotedpackage is able to entice ambitious,professionally run championships onboard.”

Paul Harvey: Mini Challenge: “To haveunanimous commitment to the future ofthe Dunlop Great & British package until2012 from all the core members this earlyis excellent news. The MINI Challengecan confidently push ahead with its plansfor the future with the stability of apackage that is now considered TOCA’ssuccessful younger brother.” cja

Birmingham Show to Host TyreMunching Panther In the past T&A has reported on a cheetah snacking on tyres in a Cambridgeshire backyard– see our November 2008 story for details of this surreal occurrence – and now we’ve caughtwind of a panther heading in our direction. This particular creature also chomps readilyupon the black rubber objects, yet there is no cause for concern….rather than being a zooescapee, the panther in question is a boon for the tyre recycling industry.

The Evashred Panther, to use its full and correct name, is the largest industrial shredderever to be built by New Zealand based company Evans Engineering. The company, whois represented in the UK by Ecosystem Ltd, is shipping a Panther unit to Britain for exhibi-ting at September’s The Recycling and Waste Management Exhibition in Birmingham.

This is the first time a Panther shredder has been sent overseas “We’ve got ongoing salesfor our smaller units, but this is the first time we’ve taken our biggest machine out of NewZealand for promotion,” sales manager Neil Rees told New Zealand’s Dominion Postnewspaper. “It’s the first time we’ve taken a machine to a trade fair like this. The sheer sizeof it is a factor, of course.”

The Panther weighs a hefty 3.5 tonnes, is 4.5 metres long and stands more than 2.5mhigh. According to information printed in the Dominion Post, the unit is driven by two 40-horsepower motors with 42,000 normal cubic metres of torque, and is designed to munchupon truck and car tyres. Yet according to Rees, the Panther is a versatile beast: “It’s set upto shred passenger and truck tyres but it can be configured to shred any product.”

Two Evashred Panthers are built simultaneously at Evans Engineering’s New Zealandfacility, and the UK bound unit’s twin has already been sold to a local company for aroundNZ$220,000 (£85,000). sg

Bandvulc Enters New Tyre MarketRetreader becomes leading UK Fulda commercial tyre stockist

The Bandvulc Group has entered thenew tyre market by becoming theleading stockist of the Fulda range ofcommercial tyres in the UK. Coveringsizes from 17.5 to 22.5-inch, Band-vulc will wholesale and distribute theFulda brand alongside its ownproducts and the recently agreedsmall order Goodyear/Dunlop arran-gements.

The Fulda brand is whollyowned by Goodyear Dunlop and, inEurope at least, is described as “a leading brand.” The new agreement gives Bandvulc theopportunity to compete in the new tyre market sector, which it has previously been unableto do. According to the company, the move will enable Bandvulc and its fleet operationBTC to compete in both wholesale and regional fleet business with much more confidence.

Philip West, commercial director, Bandvulc commented: “By having control over distri-bution of a new tyre brand we will be able to manage policy fitments very effectively andat the same time offer our dealer network a competitively priced tyre product which fits aniche in the market.” cja

Dave Hurrell, distribution manager for Bandvulc Tyres, withthe Bandvulc Telesales team.

TyrexpoAfrica_2010 19/6/08 21:17 Page 7


Following a meeting of the Supervisory Board of Continental, thecompany’s Executive Board has been reshuffled. Effective immedia-

tely, the Supervisory Board appointed Dr. Elmar Degenhart, formerlypresident of the Schaeffler Group’s Automotive Division, as chairman ofthe Executive Board. He replaces Dr. Karl-Thomas Neumann, who stepsdown from Continental’s Executive Board “by mutual agreement,”according to a statement by the corporation. The Supervisory Boardthanked Dr. Neumann for his work. Also effective immediately, Dr. ElmarDegenhart, previously chairman of the management board of the Auto-motive unit in the Schaeffler Group, was appointed as new chairman

of the Executive Board of Conti-nental AG. He also takes chargeof the Powertrain division.

The Supervisory Boardappointed three new membersto the Executive Board: Dr. RalfCramer (head of the Chassis &Safety division of ContinentalAG), Helmut Matschi (head ofthe Interior division of Conti-nental AG) and Nikolai Setzer(head of the Passenger andLight Truck Tires division ofContinental AG). Rolf Koerfer isprepared to pass on his post aschairman of the SupervisoryBoard to an external successoras soon as a new chief financialofficer has been found and thereorganization of the ExecutiveBoard has been concluded.This is to be effected as soon aspossible. Afterwards, Koerferwill continue to advance the

merging of Schaeffler and Continental as a member of the Chairman’sCommittee. The Schaeffler Group restated its unfailing confidence inKoerfer.

“Today's decisions clear the way for a trust-based collaborationbetween the two companies in the interest of their customers,” said Dr.Jürgen Geißinger, Schaeffler Group President and CEO. “With ElmarDegenhart, an excellent manager assumes the leadership of Conti-nental AG. The Executive Board has been strengthened with the threeproven specialists, Dr. Ralf Cramer, Helmut Matschi and Nikolai Setzer.We expect that the new Executive Board will work together in aconstructive and result-oriented manner.”

Schaeffler insists that it continues to adhere to its objective of crea-ting a global technology group consisting of the three divisions Auto-motive, Industrial and Rubber, as the Supervisory Board confirmed onceagain the continuing preparation of a capital increase. akb

COMPANY NEWSCOMPANY NEWSCOMPANY NEWSCOMPANY NEWSCOMPANY NEWSCOMPANY NEWSCOMPANY NEWSCOMPANY NEWS CarCareer Teer Tracksracks

Dr. Elmar Degenhart, formerly president ofthe Schaeffler Group’s Automotive Division,replaces Dr. Karl-Thomas Neumann aschairman of the Executive Board

(l-r) Dr. Hans-Joachim Nikolin, Dr. Ralf Cramer, Helmut Matschi, Dr. Elmar Degenhart(chairman of the Executive Board), Heinz-Gerhard Wente, Nikolai Setzer

Continental Reshuffles Executive Board

Malcolm Scovell has been appointed as commercialdirector for Michelin Tyre Plc with responsibility for

the UK and Republic of Ireland. He will be based atMichelin’s UK headquarters in Stoke-on-Trent. Hereplaces Hervé de Froment, who is transferring after fouryears in the role to take on a new position with Michelinin Spain. The latest appointment signifies significantchange in the management of Michelin Tyre Plc as itfollows the appointment of Bill Schafer 42 as commer-cial director of Michelin’s truck and bus operations in July.

Scovell brings with him extensive industry expe-rience after 34 years with Michelin, most recently asmanaging director for the replacement car tyre marketfor the Nordic countries, based in Stockholm.

Other roles during his career with the Companyhave included 10 years in the manufacturing group aswell as three years as head of the UK motorsportsdepartment and various account and managementpositions in car, truck, aircraft replacement and OEdepartments.

Commenting on his new appointment, Scovell said:“My main objectives in the short term will be to ensurethat in the current market we identify and managethreats to our business ahead of time and are agile andcourageous enough to spot, generate and act onopportunities that occur….this while protecting ourcustomers’ and end-users’ longer-term interests.” cja

Malcolm Scovell has 34 years of experience at Michelin

Malcolm Scovell New Michelin Tyre Plc Commercial Director

CALL US ON

0870 60 54321

STAPLETONS. THE VITAL PIECEIN THE SUPPLY CHAIN.

www.stsprofitlink.co.uk www.stapletons-tyres.co.uk

8584-Stapletons Jigsaw ad 25/8/09 09:21 Page 1

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COMPANY NEWS


Michael Schwämmlein: BASTproject is imminentEuropean retreaders have a problem. They constantly lagbehind current legislation in Europe. They now fear thatthe stigma of being second-rate will become entrenchedin law and, sooner or later, the bottom will fall out of themarket. The European retreading association BIPAVER isnow endeavouring under the overall control of its TechnicalCommittee to demonstrate that retreaded tyres can complywith the same product requirements as new tyres, andconsequently a practicable and financially feasible meansfor smaller and medium size retreading business to securetype approval must now be found. “We are ready to playa part in this,” explains Michael Schwämmlein, who servesas BIPAVER’s technical consultant. To argue its case the asso-ciation will now conduct a study together with the BAST(Germany’s Federal Highway Research Institute).

The legal requirements placed upon tyres today and in the nearfuture will keep on increasing in complexity while placing a

greater emphasis upon road safety and environmental protection.Whether the legislation be for vehicle type approval, such as thatwhich as of November 1, 2011 sets new standards in regards torolling resistance, wet grip and road surface noise, or for typeapproval for components such as tyres, such as the S-Mark require-ment due to take effect in most European countries onOctober 1, 2009, or the European Union’s so-called Eco-Label – retreaded truck tyres will be exempt. Yet it is clearat BIPAVER and throughout the European retreadingindustry that retreaded tyres, at least those manufacturedin a professionally operated facility, have nothing to fearwhen compared in any way with new tyres. A 2003 studypublished by the BAST adds weight to this belief.

The BIPAVER now wishes to provide evidence of retre-aded tyres’ ability to perform in terms of rolling resistance,road noise and wet grip in a new study, so that in futurethese tyres can compete in the market against new tyreson a level playing field and not – through a legal strokeof fate – fall behind. “At the moment we are askingourselves what we can do to prove that retreaded tyresare not second-rate and how we can embed this in legis-lation, as the absence of would spell the demise of 90 percent of all retreading businesses,” states MichaelSchwämmlein, the Kraiburg Austria product and servicemanager who also acts as technical consultant forBIPAVER. The draft for an “environmental and safetyrelated performances of retreaded truck tyres in compa-rison to new tyres” study is currently in the European

Union’s hands. The BIPAVER is attempting to receive a proportion ofthe cost involved, estimated at almost one and a half million euros,through EU co-financing. The scope of the study – generally spea-king – will centre upon the relative comparison of a cross-section ofEurope’s most commonly produced (in terms of dimension) mouldand precure retreaded tyres with the equivalent new tyres producedby premium manufacturers. In other words, the retreaded tyresample group will be directly compared with new tyres in relationto rolling resistance, wet grip and road noise. Other companies areparticipating intensively in this study along with Kraiburg, includingMarangoni/Ellerbrock and Bandag.

BIPAVER assumes that Brussels will make a positive decision onthe project’s grant application within a year. Then the BAST project,whose completion is estimated to require around one and a halfyears, can begin. This admittedly means, Michael Schwämmleinemphasises, that part of the above-mentioned new legal require-ments will already have come into effect. “We lag behind legislationfor new tyres,” says the BIPAVER technical consultant. It is perhapsnot a problem for the time being, yet retreaded tyres may well soonfall behind their new tyre equivalents. A risk will emerge if fleets –public transport operators, for example – continue to only acceptreplacement tyres that meet environmental and safety related stan-dards. Retreaded tyres – at least under the current legal arrange-ment – are not at all required to meet these standards. They are, afterall not included, and retreaders could thus be cut off from such fleetcustomers. Schwämmlein fears that along with public vehicle fleets,private fleet operators will develop a preference for purchasing newtyres over retreads; these after all fulfil – at least for the time being –

the legal requirements, however forretreads neither a test procedure orstandard exists. Even if everybodyknows through the new study that aretreaded tyre has, for instance,exactly more or less road noiseproduced as an equivalent new tyre,there is still no S-mark on the sidewallto show this.

If the conclusions of theBIPAVER/BAST study are available intwo and a half to three years, thenthe focus will shift to the currentproject’s second phase: integrationinto a legal framework. At themoment retreaded tyres are nottreated as type approved compo-nents, and according to MichaelSchwämmlein up to 8,000 variantsare manufactured in Europe alone,and a testing and approval proceduremust be established in order to bothprevent small and medium size retre-

Liberating Retreaded Tyres from the Stigma of Being Second-Rate

The European retreading industry is ready tocontribute towards the further development oflegislation to free retreaded tyres from theirperceived second-class stigma


COMPANY NEWS

ading businesses being driven to financial ruin and to boost theiroriginal equipment credibility with customers such as trailer manu-facturers. As the cogs of the legal apparatus turn slowly it is neces-sary to adjust the parameters at an early stage, a fact demonstratedby the ban on high aromatic oils in tyre products. The use of Poly-cyclical aromatic hydrocarbons, or PAHs, which serve as a softeningagent, will as of January 1, 2010 no longer be permitted in tyres.„At Kraiburg we introduced PAH free retreads as early as 2007,”Schwämmlein points out, noting that the company’s new treads arestorable for up to three years. “We’ve done our homework early,”the Kraiburg Austria product and service manager adds. At the same

time, it unfortunately cannot automatically be assumed that this isthe case with all suppliers in the market. As the retreader, as manu-facturer, carries the responsibility for a tyre, next year it will be herather than his supplier that would be answerable for breaches ofthe PAH ban. In particular against a current background of weakdemand in the truck tyre sector – whether new or retreaded – everyretreader must precisely consider what to do with its tread stocks.Cushion gum and mould cure compound meanwhile can only bestored for three and from three to nine months respectively, hencethe PAH ban’s implementation here is still under way.

[email protected]/sg

Built on the pragmatic assertion that “tyres don’t last forever;they get worn” the Kargro Group has quite literally made ittheir business to make good use of what others throw away.Like other similar operations Kargo collects both passengercar and commercial vehicle casings, inspects them and deter-mines whether they are suitable for re-use, can be retreadedor are destined for the shredder. What’s different is the scale.

Kargro Group stores an average of 120,000 casings ready for exportto any of 40 countries at any given time. However, when Tyres &

Accessories visited the company’s Montfoort base earlier this summer,40,000 casings were in inspection yard, with another 115,000 linedup in a further storage site nearby. According to company representa-tives, these above average casing stocks are a result of reduced haulagemiles in the transportation business and therefore reduced usage.Rather than buy new stocks, some haulage companies are said to beidling vehicles and doing their own internal tyre replacements. 315/70R22.5 size products are said to be moving particularly slowly. That said,

at the last published count (in 2007), the company calculated that ittraded 1 million tyres a year.

However, with current market conditions as they are, it is unlikelythat the company traded so many in 2008 or will do in 2009. Insteadsuccessful navigation of the recession looks likely to come down to thecompany’s diversity. Kargro’s strength is in the varied, but inter-relatednature of the group’s component parts. At the core of the business isthe company’s casing collection and storage operation, which takesplace on 75,000m2 of premises to VACO, Recytyre and ISO 9002 stan-dards. A large proportion of the casings the company collects are storedon-site before being exported all round the world. Suitable passengercar casings are distributed through the company’s Lintire internationaltrading subsidiary. In addition, Kargo International specialises in the salesof new and used truck wheels “in most common sizes.”

Those casings that aren’t exported or traded are either retreaded(by the company’s Banden Plan, Tyre Plan, Bandag and UBO retrea-ding operations) or reprocessed by Kargro Group’s Rumal subsidiary. Asfar as production is concerned, retread output may have been down

Tyres Don’t Last Forever…Let them Run AgainKargro battles high stocks and 50% lower retread output

Kargro Group operations include casing collection and trading, pre-cure and mould-cure retreading and tyre recycling.The UBO retreading division runs 21 curing moulds


COMPANY NEWS

by as much as 50 per cent when T&A visited, but that is no different tothe marked production cuts experienced across the board.

The fact is that the company’s Banden Plan (in Holland) and TyrePlan (in Belgium) businesses are able to pre-cure or mould-cure retreadcustomers’ own casings according to their wishes. Mould-cure retreadsare branded with the UBO trademark, while pre-cure retreads areproduced using the Bandag process. The company’s annual Bandagcapacity equates to 60,000 units a year and thegroup has 21 mould-cure presses. Qualityremains high on the company’s agenda, withthe UBO factory one of the first in Europe to beECE109R and ISO 9002 certified.

Tyres that are not traded, exported or retre-aded end up at the Rumal division, whichbrought its 20 years of experience in tyre recy-cling into the Kargro Group in 1994. Rumalreprocesses 30,000 tonnes of tyres each year.Tyres with a maximum diameter of 1400 mmby 450 mm are fed directly the shredders andcome out as rubber granulate and crumb. Thecompany runs two production lines under cryo-genic (below -45°C) and normal ambient

temperature conditions. The resultant materials are used in productssuch as synthetic sport surfaces, carpet underlay, car mats, brake pads,cattle mats, solid wheels, rubberised asphalt and compound-extenders.So as the company says, whether they end up running as retreadedtyres or in carpet underlay, tyre Kargro collects still get to “run again.”

[email protected]

Restructuring costs will continue to restrict, but improvementsin sales and earnings in second quarter of 2009 shouldcontinue, according to Dr Neumann

Continental reported mixed news in its half-year financial results. Salesare down 31.6 per cent to 9.063 billion euros from 13.254 billion

in the same period in 2008, but the company’s press release was keento play up its Adjusted earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) figure of248.7 million euros, representing an effective return to profitability, albeitwith a figure considerably down from 2008’s first half Adjusted EBITfigure of 1.184 billion euros – of course, in the context of the world-wide financial crisis, this drop is less than surprising, and the positivesto be gleaned from this years figure are numerous. (“Adjusted” is definedby Continental as the EBIT figure, “before amortization of intangibleassets from PPA, changes in the scope of consolidation, and specialeffects, including severance payments from the worldwide cost-cuttingprogramme in 2009.”)

According to Continental Executive Board chairman, Dr Karl-Thomas Neumann, “The entire Continental team has worked hard inrecent months, and the results are becoming more and more obvious.Together, we have achieved an important immediate goal by returningour operations to profitability in a very difficult marketing environment.”Dr Neumann argued that the company’s cost-cutting measures – arestructuring programme he describes as the most “extensive…in thehistory of Continental” – have been primary in factors leading to signsof the company’s improving financial position. The restructuring andcost-cutting programme has seen the corporation’s total employees

figure cut 8,621 since the end of 2008, leaving the number at 130,534.In terms of the Rubber Group side of Continental’s business, the

company showed a vast improvement in its second 2009 quarter toachieve a half-year Adjusted EBIT of 382 million euros, down from2008’s first half figure of 554.4 million euros. Illustrating this and theprogress made in 2009’s second quarter, the Passenger and Light TruckTires division was able to achieve an Adjusted EBIT of 296.9 millioneuros, with more than two-thirds of this figure recorded between Apriland June. The ContiTech division posted an Adjusted EBIT of 98.8million euros, with 61.4 million made in the second quarter. While theCommercial Vehicle Tires division saw what the corporation describesas “a huge market-driven slump in sales in the second quarter”, itsAdjusted EBIT “reached the breakeven point. Sales for the Ruber Groupas a whole were down by just over a billion euros, at 3.710 billion from4.778 in 2008.

Dr Neumann concluded, in his outlook for the corporation, that itremains difficult to forecast for the remainder of 2009, but was willingto share Continental’s expectation of “a continuing revival in sales andoperating results in the second half of 2009 compared to the first half.”However, similar wide gaps are predicted for figures comparing 2009with 2008, due to “the planned plant closures and the announcedproduction adjustments.” According to Dr Neumann, these changes“will result in further restructuring expenses for the corporation in thecoming quarters.” Conti will also look into options regarding the repay-ment or refinancing of part of its credit facility, due in August 2010,“with the goal of substantially improving the capital structure as well,”said Dr Neumann. akb

Kargro Group stores an average of 120,000 casings ready forexport to any of 40 countries at any given time

Continental Reports 32% Sales Drop; Achieves “Intermediate Goal”


COMPANY NEWS

The price of RSS3 grade natural rubber has shot up 25per cent to US$2.0/kg in the last month (and US$ 1.8/kg

for TSR 20 grade). True, according to Deutsche Bank analyststhe latest prices surge is expected to impact tyre manufac-turers’ profit and loss accounts in the first quarter of 2010,but this is still significantly below what tyre companies paidin 2008 (approximately $2.8/kg; 2007:$2.3/kg). Further-more, according to the bankers, this is “not necessarily badnews for the industry” because higher input prices reducesthe risks of “negative pricing” in the short term. In otherwords, with the impending recovery in sell-in marketsexpected any time now, in the coming months the industrywill face no difficulties in increasing selling prices.

The fact that natural rubber prices have rebounded 25per cent to US$2.1/kg for RSS3 in the last month means rawmaterial prices that had been assisting tyre manufacturersare no longer a “tailwind.” The news is forcing analysts suchas Deutsche Bank to revise their earnings estimates as they had mostlyfactored in the possibility that that tyre companies would pass a portionof this raw material price benefit onto their vehicle making customers.

However, with thecurrent boost inrubber prices behindthem the 33 – 50 percent of the so-calledrubber tailwind theymay have pencilled toshare with the OEMs isnot likely to be erased.

Since 75 per centof tyre demand comesfrom the aftermarket,analysts expect tyremanufactures to keepmost of the benefit of

the lower prices they have been experiencing in advance of the priceshikes kicking into their balance sheets in six months time. As a resultof this and improved sell-in sales, profit margins are expected toincrease.

Rubber represents a significant portion of the purchasing cost fortyre companies. According to Deutsche Bank, 56 per cent of Michel-in’s and 50 per cent of Pirelli’s purchasing bill is made up of rubbers.

Global production of natural rubber (NR) is estimated to have fallenby 4.6 per cent, according to Association of Natural Rubber Produ-cing Countries (ANRPC) data for July. The figures show that Thaiproduction fell by 12.4 per cent on an annualized basis. Productionduring the 12 months to June 2009 was 2906 thousand tons, down6.0 per cent from 2008 (January to December). Indonesia's NR outputcontracted 6.0 per cent in first half 2009 compared with the sameperiod in 2008. Production is estimated to have fallen by 3.1 per centto 2665 thousand tons in the 12 months ended June 2009, comparedto 2008 full year. Production in Malaysia dropped by 32.6 per cent infirst half 2009. cja

Rubber Price Trends 2007 –to date

Source: Bloomberg Tyres & Accessories 09/2009

Dunlop Aircraft Tyres Receives Funding for Modelling Project

Natural Rubber Price Up +25%Rubber prices no longer a ‘tailwind’ for tyre makers

Aresearch project utilising modelling technology to reduce thecost and time involved in aircraft tyre development has landed

Dunlop Aircraft Tyres £120,000 in funding from the Midlands Aero-space Alliance (MAA). This project, co-funded by the aircraft tyremanufacturer, is being conducted together with the University ofBirmingham’s School of Mechanical Engineering.

In addition to identifying ways in which modelling can improvethe tyre design process and thus bring products to market quicker,the project gives airframe, landing gear and wheel and brake manu-facturers will have the opportunity to save costs by utilising outputfrom the supply chain partnership project to improve aircraft andlanding gear system modelling and simulation.

“We have an aggressive new product programme as part of our

overall expansion strategy,” said Dunlop Aircraft Tyres chairman IanEdmondson. “This funding, and the support of the University ofBirmingham and Airbus, gives us the opportunity to research newways to use the very latest modelling technology to make advance-ments in aircraft tyre design and to remain at the leading edge ofthe industry.”

The project is part of the MAA’s Aerospace Technology Exploit-ation Programme, funded by the European Regional DevelopmentFund and Advantage West Midlands. It is headed up by DunlopAircraft Tyres’ head of research, Dr Wei Ding. Before joining the tyremanufacturer Wei worked for Airbus, where he was project managerfor tyre research and team leader for tyre, wheel and brake model-ling and simulation. sg

Rubber prices may have grown by a quarter, but this may also allow manufacturers to prevent pricesfalling too low


COMPANY NEWS

1/2 AD CITExpo

On 14 August, the European Commission began an investigation into the alleged‘dumping’ of Chinese-made aluminium wheels into the European market. The inves-

tigation followed Association of European Wheel Manufacturers’ (EUWA) June complaintthat the practice has been taking place.

“Having determined that there is sufficient evidence to justify the initiation of a procee-ding, the Commission hereby initiates an investigation,” Reuters quoted the journal of theexecutive arm of the 27-nation European Union as saying. China's Ministry of Commercedenied the charges saying: “It raises the cost of repairs for customers, affects the recoveryof the European auto sector from the global financial crisis, and hurts the interests of bothChina and Europe'” in a statement on the Ministry's website.

The investigation launched by the EU reportedly involves more than 60 Chinesecompanies, and Chinese sources estimate it will cause US$390 million in economic lossesto wheel exporters. The Chinese Xinhua news agency speculated that if an anti-dumpingjudgment is made, the EU may levy tariffs of up to 33 per cent on Chinese aluminumalloy hubs for five years. cja

According to the China’s Ministry ofCommerce, 60 Chinese companies arebeing investigated at an estimated cost of US$390 million ineconomic losses to wheel exporters

EU Probes Chinese Wheel Dumping Complaint

China International Tire Expo

Citexpo



COMPANY NEWS

July Sell-in Market ‘Stabilising’The last statistics show that global replacement demand isimproving, however OE tyre sales remain weak and opinionare divided about whether or not the worst is over for theEuropean truck tyre market.

According to figures compiled by Michelin and further researchby analysts published on 3 September, European and worldwide

tyre markets are finally beginning to stabilise. Writing in response tothe latest round of market figures issued by leading French tyremanufacturer, Michelin, market analysts at Morgan Stanley describedtheir view of the current market conditions as “slightly better thanour expectations.” Despite highlighting the fact that the data conti-nues to show negative year-to-date growth rates in almost everymarket, the analysts focused on the fact that the pace of the decline“showed material improvements compared to year-to-date trendsand it looks on track to exceed our volume forecast for the quarter.”

The usually bearish analysts at Morgan Stanley optimisticallyreported that while European truck tyre OE sales fell 69 per cent inJuly, replacement sales were just a comparatively low 17 per cent -“the most mild year-on-year decline since October 2008.” However,this assertion flies in the face of an earlier report from Deutsche Bankwhich suggested the same figures represented some of the leastimproved figures are in the European truck replacement market;figures, which the bank described as, “very poor.”

Looking globally, the analysts described Chinese replacementmarket tyre sales as “improving,” with sales of replacement truck tyresin the replacement market down 7 per cent year-on-year. OE trucktyre sales were down 5 per cent in China in July. In Brazil sales oftruck tyre OE sales decreased 37 per cent while replacement salesfell 17 per cent. The analysts outlook is that improving year-on-yeardeclines should turn to “outright growth in many key markets byyear-end with growth accelerating into the first half of 2010.”

Referring to Michelin itself, the analysts’ report notes that Michelinvolumes in July declined 9 per cent compared the analysts’ earlierprediction of a 12 per cent volume decline in the third quarter.

However, Deutsche Bank interpreted the same figures rather

differently, singling out commercial vehicle tyre markets for particularcaution. Some of the least improved figures are in the European truckreplacement market, they said, describing the status quo as “verypoor” - while truck tyre OE figures were said to be almost twice asbad with OE tyre sales down 50 per cent in July and -60 per centyear-to-date.

The good news is that replacement market sales are improvingand, while still not yet positive, are considerably better than theywere. In Europe passenger car tyre replacement sales were down 6per cent in July and -11 per cent year-to-date. In North America pass-car replacement tyre sales actually grew 3 per cent in June, howeverthis figure is still down 9 per cent year-to-date. According to thefigures, North American Truck tyre sales were down 2 per cent inJuly and -15 per cent year-to-date.

Commenting on the figures, Deutsche Bank analysts said: “Westill expect a small volume decline in the third quarter (-5 per cent)and a small recovery in the fourth quarter (+5 per cent) on a verylow base) after a 20 per cent decline in the first half. cja

Morgan Stanley optimistically reported that while European truck tyre OE sales fell69 per cent in July, replacement sales were just a comparatively low 17 per cent -“the most mild year-on-year decline since October 2008.”

Toyo Joins VLN RaceToyo Tire & Rubber Co., Ltd. will participate in the next round of

the VLN at the Nürburgring continuing their race tyre develop-ment programme. As in the recent Millenium Merdeka race atSepang, the “Lammertink Racing with Toyo Tires” team will beworking with Toyo engineers to further develop their race tyres.Lammertink will use their Porsche 997 GT3 race car fitted with245/640R18 front tyres and 285/680R18 rears against the very expe-rienced “Ringmeisters” of the VLN series. Lammertink will use ProxesRS1 if the conditions are dry with Proxes RR1 wets available if it rains.

Held on 29 August the RCM DMV Grenzlandrennen is theseventh round of the 10 race VLN series. It is a well established round,being the 32nd time the Rheydter Club für Motorsport have heldthe race and is expected to feature more than 190 teams. This year’sVLN series has seen close racing and after six rounds, the series is

still wide open. As a result, Lammertink, with less experience at theNürburgring than most VLN competitors, expect four hours of verychallenging racing. cja

FOR MORE INFORMATIONON THE NEXEN RANGE CALL

0870 60 54321www.stapletons-tyres.co.uk

NEXEN TYRE

Nexen tyres are available inmore than 140 sizes to meetthe demands of the moderncar - from the family to highperformance executive cars.

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8367-Stapletons Nexen dashbrd 1/6/09 10:11 Page 1


COMPANY NEWS

Elemica and RubberNetwork have merged in a moved desi-gned to provide greater cost savings for global manufactu-rers. Elemica, a global supply chain services provider, andRubberNetwork, a sourcing and supply chain company willcontinue to operate under the Elemica name. Financial termsof the merger were not disclosed.

According to an official statement announcing the news, “positiveresults are expected quickly as the combined product portfolio

provides a complete suite of capabilities to unlock cash in the supplychain for the company’s clients.”

“The products of both Elemica and RubberNetwork are similar butnot overlapping, we provide outstanding supply chain services to ourblue chip clients, and we complement each other in the industries inwhich we operate,” said Mike McGuigan, President and CEO of

Elemica, who will continue to serve in this role for the combinedcompany, adding: “This merger creates exceptional opportunities forour current clients and new manufacturing customers globally to drivegreater efficiencies in their businesses. In turn, this will further enhancethe growth of our company.”

The global footprint of the merged company includes offices inAtlanta, Amsterdam, Frankfurt, London, Seoul, Shanghai, Singapore,and Tokyo. Headquarters will remain in Exton, Pennsylvania.

Elemica annually processes over $50 billion in annual transactionsacross multiple industries. Clients include Arkema, BASF, BP, Dow,DuPont, Lanxess, Rohm and Haas, and Shell. RubberNetwork is repor-tedly the leader in sourcing and supply chain integration for the globaltyre and rubber industry. The company sources about $10 billion inspending with savings of approximately $1 billion. Clients include Conti-nental, Cooper, Goodyear, Hankook, Kumho, Michelin, Pirelli,Sumitomo, Toyo and Yokohama. cja

Elemica and RubberNetwork Merge

Manufacturer warns of the dangersof bowing to economic forces atthe expense of tyre safety checks

Bridgestone has released a plea to drivers not to allow their treaddepth to drop below the legal limit, a trend that could be on the

rise while the economy continues to flatline. With many cars on thevacation trail during the summer months, concerns that drivers aretrying to save cash by keeping their tyres going past the legal 1.6mmtread depth limit are increasingly common. Bridgestone’s European re-search study of more than 100,000drivers showed that 10.3 per cent ofchecked cars were fitted with tyres wornbeyond the legal limit. The dangerousconsequences of this are well docu-mented and include serious loss of gripin wet road conditions and an increasedrisk of puncture at speed on themotorway.

A recent report from Touring Mobilis– an online traffic service of the BelgianAutomobile Club and breakdownservice, “Touring” – noted a 30 per centincrease in tyre punctures in 2008compared to the same period in 2006.It stated that in response to currenteconomic difficulties, motorists appear-ed to be postponing the purchase of new tyres and driving for too longon worn treads.

In the UK, tyres were the second main cause of breakdown for theAA with 331,000 call-outs during 2008. Bridgestone is concerned thatthe figure reveals that motorists could be prepared to take more risksin order to save money. “Leaving changing your tyres to the last minute

is a false economy,” says Bridgestone’s senior analyst Andy Dingley.“Driving with tyres below the legal limit could involve a fine of up to£2,500 and three points per tyre. At worst those tyres could cause anaccident, putting not only the driver and passengers at risk, but alsoother road users.”

Bridgestone is keen to point out the importance of the messagethis week as millions of Britons take to the roads on holiday, especiallyas cash-strapped holidaymakers spend their holidays in the UK. Workingin conjunction with the international FIA Foundation, Bridgestone’sThink Before You Drive programme also identified that 26 per cent ofdrivers run on under-inflated tyres. Almost all of these motorists are

unaware of the adverse consequences oftheir behaviour – to their safety, to their fuelbudget and to the environment.

The first consequence of low tyre pres-sure is that it puts safety at risk. Deflationleads to a loss of handling control, incre-ased vehicle drift, and lower tyre durabilitydue to the stress and heat build-up fromtyre sidewall bending. The increasedweight of holiday baggage, extra passen-gers and a caravan or boat in tow adds tothe potentially dangerous situation. Lowtyre pressure hits holiday-makers’ pockets.It not only increases tyre rolling resistance,pushing up fuel consumption, but alsoincreases tread wear, thus reducing the lifeof the tyre. Tyre wear life is halved if pres-

sure falls from 2.2 bar to 1.0 bar.Bridgestone’s Technical Centre Europe, based near Rome in Italy,

calculates that the motorists who routinely drive on under-inflated tyresuse more fuel than they need to – equivalent to 3.9 billion litres of extrafuel a year worth 5.1 billion Euros. They also emit an extra 9.2 milliontons of CO2 into the atmosphere. akb

Not only will the correct tyre pressure aid safety, it will helpconserve energy – another concern highlighted by Bridgestone’sgreen-striped Formula One Potenzas

Recession Pressure a Safety Worry, Says Bridgestone


COMPANY NEWS

1/2 AD H Deestone

Pirelli Issues Global PZero Corsa RecallPirelli has initiated a recall of any 285/35 ZR19 PZero Corsa tyres manu-

factured from May 2007 to July 2009. The tyres in question equipthe Ferrari 430 Scuderia and 430 Scuderia Spider 16M. Company repre-sentatives explained that owners of these cars have been contactedany that have rear tyres marked with the "XB" identification mark areadvised that these may need substituting.

According to an official statement on the matter, the recall campaignis “a preventative measure only.” Pirelli’s explanation for this is that “dueto a manufacturing discrepancy,” PZero Corsa tyres marked "XB" couldincur partial detachment of portions of the tread blocks. However, Pirelliand Ferrari point out that this problem may only occur under severecircumstances - running at over 300 km/h for long distances. Never-theless, as a precautionary measure the two companies have chosento replace all rear tyres on the vehicles in question.

The announcement follows a similar recall in the US where Pirelliissued a statement recalling 1,680 Pirelli PZero Corsa tyres, size 285/35

ZR19 (99Y) K1, manufactured between June 2007 and July 2009 withan apparently similar problem. According to the National HighwayTraffic Safety Administration, partial tread and/or belt edge separationcan occur at speeds over 168 mph or 270 kph, potentially resulting ina vehicle crash. Pirelli has not yet provided NHTSA with a remedy andnotification schedule. cja

Pirelli is recalling any 285/35 ZR19 PZero Corsa tyres manufactured betweenMay 2007 and July 2009



COMPANY NEWS

From 2012 all new cars sold in Europe will have to be fittedwith tyre pressure monitoring systems (TPMS) as standard.However, leading TPMS-maker Schrader Electronics believesthe legislation passed by the European Parliament earlier thisyear is flawed and could even compromise road safety.

The concerns centre on the fact that the forthcoming rules maketwo types of TPMS technologies available to car companies - direct

and indirect measuring systems. The tyre and TPMS industries favoursolutions such as the direct system which places a pressure sensor ineach wheel and transmits reliable pressure measurement informationback to the car data centre which then informs the driver immediatelyabout the condition of its tyres.

The problem is that indirect systems, while a less expensive option,compare one wheel against the others and/or perform an analysis ofthe vibration characteristics using the car’s ABS sensors. The car’scomputer (ECU) analyses the data and works out if the tyre is chan-ging diameter and the software interprets this as a loss of tyre pres-

sure. The delay in providing this information to the driver is consider-able opening up the possibility of a rapidly deflating tyre not beingdetected and the possibility of an accident. In some instances (forexample when tyres are worn unevenly) this can lead to phantomblow outs where a TPMS light signals, but pressures are actually correct.

The other crucial difference between the two systems is that theindirect version requires, when the tyre pressures are adjusted or a tyrechanged, that the driver must – to make the system effective – re-cali-brate the system. This relies heavily on the driver checking the tyre pres-sures with an accurate gauge, and in the optimum conditions whenthe rubber is cool, and then hitting the re-set button. With tyre pres-sures ranking low down on the agenda of most drivers, the processis open to mistakes. This is a fundamental flaw and could provide afalse sense of safety to the driver who could be running on severelydeflated tyres yet the system is indicating “correctly inflated”

However the indirect system is favoured by some car companiesand supported by OICA (Organisation International Constructeursd’Automobiles).

Schrader: EU Accident Prevention Rules May Compromise Road

Dunlop Help Set ‘Radical’Nürburgring Record Radical Sportscars have set a new benchmark for Road-going production cars on Dunlop tyres. Radical Sportscarsreportedly smashed the Nürburgring production car laprecord, with driver Michael Vergers posting a committed6m48s lap time. The road-legal SR8LM smashed theprevious record, also held by Radical since 2005, by anincredible eight seconds. All this, less than 24 hours afterthe car was driven from England to Germany for the recordby Vergers and Roger Green, from UK automotive maga-zine ‘Evo’. The latest Dunlop Direzza DZ03G road-legal tyreswere used to drive from the UK to Germany – and the sameset of tyres was then used for the record.

The Dunlops chosen by Radical were 225/45R16 Direzza DZ03Gfront tyres and 255/40R17 Direzza DZ03G H1 on the rear. The

test programme was engineered by Paul Bryant, Matthew Rees andMichael Butler from Dunlop Motorsport.

When launching new supercars, car manufacturers wear aNurburgring Nordschleife lap record as a badge of honour. Morerelevant than maximum speed or acceleration times, a ‘Ring lap timetells the story of how fast a car is in an environment with every typeof corner, crest, and camber to challenge its dynamic capabilities. Asproduction cars and tyre technology gets faster and more effective,they are getting ever closer to the outright lap-record for racing cars,set by Stefan Bellof in a Porsche 956 in 1985 in 6m 11s on slick tyresin 1983.

Radical co-founder Mick Hyde said: “I’m obviously delighted, therecord has been a real team effort. Dunlop have supplied us withbrilliant, hard-wearing trackday tyres, indeed we’ve only used oneset to both drive to the ‘Ring, and set the record. We’ve proved thatthe SR8LM is not only the world’s best trackday car, but it’s also prac-tical enough to drive to and from the circuit. It is a genuine produc-tion sportscar, with genuine performance credentials, as we’veshown today.”

Some may claim the Radical is merely a ‘racing car with numberplates and a tax disc’ and highlight Nissan’s recent 7m27s lap withtheir GT-R as truly representative of the ultimate lap for a car with a‘roof and four seats’, but Dunlop are comfortable with this debate:both the Nissan GT-R and indeed Bellof’s 956 record-breaker wereshod with Dunlop tyres as well. cja

The latest record lopped eight seconds off the previous lap best


COMPANY NEWS

1/2 AD Eurotyre

While a collection of TPMS manufacturers and tyre makers support the direct measuring technology, the indirect system is favoured by some car companies and supported by OICA (Organisation InternationalConstructeurs d’Automobiles).

Those lobbying for the direct method are encouragethe European Commission to ask the UNECE committee,responsible for implementing the technical details of thenew regulation, to favour the accurate tyre pressure moni-toring technology which will maximise its contribution toroad safety and CO2 reduction, an issue at the top of theEU agenda. A campaign to highlight this road safety issueis being spearheaded by Schrader Electronics, one of theprinciple developers and suppliers of TPMS, with supportfrom major tyre companies. Leading industry bodies haveissued position papers supporting strict performance requi-rements for TPMS, currently achievable using only thedirect TPMS option, these include ETRTO (European Tyreand Rim Technical Organisation), CLEPA (the EuropeanAssociation of Automotive Suppliers) and the EuropeanFederation for Transport and Environment. cja

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Tyres & Accessories 9/200940 Tyres & Accessories 9/2009

In the midst of some of the worst falls in Europe truck tyreproduction in a decade, opinions about the short andmedium term prognosis for the segment remain divided. Butwhile the research available fails to offer conclusive answersto the question of whether or not the truck tyre market hasyet “bottomed out”; and fails to clearly indicate whether ornot it is yet in recovery mode, there are signs that the worstis over.

Let’s get the bad news out of the way first. Full year 2008 Europeantruck tyre sell-in sales totalled 7.95 million units – a decline of around

the same size as the total UK truck tyre market. By all accounts 2009’sfigures are set to be even worse. The latest data Tyres & Accessorieshas seen (year-to-July) puts Western European truck tyre sales at 3.7million units, down 27 per cent. Now this metric doesn’t include thesignificant numbers of Far Eastern imports that are available in themarket, but it is still sobering reading.

Looking at the SMMT’s UK commercial vehicle registration figuresis a similarly depressing place to start, but it reflects just how bad thesituation has been up till now. This data shows that there were just309 3.5 – 6 tonne truck registrations (-35.89 per cent) in August; 7,5313.5 tonne van registrations (-34.56 per cent); and 1546 heavy truckregistrations (-46.49 per cent). Year-to-date registrations aren’t anybetter and are currently -43.88 per cent, -21.79 per cent and -44.59per cent for each of those three segments at 203,117; 5,669 and32,263 registrations respectively. According to SMMT chief executivePaul Everitt, not only are the truck and van markets “dogged by weakdemand,” but the outlook is that “van and truck registrations will stabi-lise at around 45 per cent down” compared with 2008.

While not venturing as far ahead as a projection for how far downthe market will be at the end of the year, Michelin’s latest market figures(for July) show a similar pattern. The leading French tyre manufac-turer confirmed that OE tyre demand is likely to remain down for some

time, reporting that the European (including CIS) truck tyre OE marketexperienced a 68.7 fall in demand in July. European truck tyre repla-cement demand was reportedly down 16.6 per cent in July. The newsis that, as big as these month falls are, the rate of decline appears tobe slowing at around 2 points a month in OE (compared with April)and 4 or more points or month the truck tyre replacement markets.

With this in mind Morgan Stanley said market conditions are“slightly better than our expectations.” Their view is that the 16.6 percent fall is “the most mild year-on-year decline since October 2008.”However, Deutsche Bank analysts suggested that the same datashows that the market is still “very poor.” Make of this what you will,but the consensus seems to be that improving year-on-year declinesshould turn to “outright growth in many key markets by year-end withgrowth accelerating into the first half of 2010.”

Western European Truck Tyre Sales 2004-2008

Tyres & Accessories 9/2009Source: T&A research

*year to July

9.41

2004

8.98 9.0 9.1

7.95

3.7*

2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009*Unit sales in millions

Analysts say the worst may be over, but the truck tyre market still has a tricky path to negotiate

Green Shoots or False Dawn?Things may be better than before, but truck tyre market must stillweather a storm


TRUCK TYRES


Goodyear’s Debica, Poland plant increases truck tyre production 17%

One sign that the demand doomand gloom could be lifting in themedium term is that Goodyear’s TCDebica S.A. factory recentlyannounced it is jump-starting trucktyre production by increasing output17 per cent. Debica has halted trucktyre production three times so far thisyear due to faltering demand, after itsaid (on 26 February) it would triplecommercial vehicle tyre productionfrom 1,700 to 5,000 units a day. It isnot clear where the latest increase inproduction puts current truck tyreoutput, but the figure is likely to liebetween the 1,700 and 5,000 unitper day range. This example is signi-ficant because company data showsthat 75 per cent of production atDebica is destined for export, andthat just under 99 per cent of thefactory’s output (which includespassenger car and agricultural tyres)is destined for major European after-markets such as UK, France andGermany.

So what signs are there a widerrecovery in the market? Positivegeneral economic indicators out ofEurope, Asia and the US have repor-tedly given market analysts reason toforecast a recovery in the widerglobal logistics industry. However forglobal freight volumes and revenuesto rebound significantly – and there-fore the tyre sales which rely on logis-tics firms of this kind prospering –analysts at Datamonitor suggestthere will need to be “major impro-vements in consumer confidence,industrial output and subsequentinternational trade volumes.”

Datamonitor bases its predictionson the fact that positive Germanexports, which have traditionallydriven the country's economicgrowth, surged by 7 per cent in Junecompared to the previous month,representing the fastest growth inalmost three years. Imports were alsoup by seven per cent month on

month. As a result, the Germaneconomy has now exited therecession, recording 0.3 percent overall growth betweenApril and June. With Francematching this performance,Europe's two largest econo-mies have rebounded from a12-month period of recession.The UK - as has been well publi-cised - may not have got thereyet, but the government andOECD data, not to mentionthe delayed introduction of the“bangers for cash” seems tosuggest that recovery isrunning late rather thanAWOL.

The one word of cautionis that such broad economicfigures are, by definition,imprecise. For example theFrench and German econo-mies have managed to haulthemselves out of recessionsthanks to their respective over-subscribed car scrappageincentive schemes. But Germa-ny’s scheme ran out of steamin August. Healthy economiesare usually good environmentsfor business in general andtherefore tyres, but will Franceand Germany’s currently goodoverall economic figures lookso good next year when carsales are predicted to plummetdue when consumers are nolonger being offer 2000 eurosto buy cars? The point is thatunless you are in the new cartransportation business,France and Germany’s relativeeconomic strength (and hope-fully the UK’s soon) doesn’t saymuch about tyres sales.

[email protected]

UK Withstanding Retreading Downturn Well

Following a decade of steady growth in demand averaging 10per cent, last October the financial and economic crisis pushed

European retreading markets into a freefall. The largest decline waslisted by market participants in the opening quarter of this year, andaccording to Marangoni demand for retreaded tyres in Europereduced by a quarter. Yet at the same time, the market for new trucktyres dropped some 30 per cent. In the second quarter, demand wasstill some 15 per cent below that of the previous year, while the newtyre industry recorded sales a clear 25 per cent worse – another resultreflecting the new tyre industry’s greater difficulties.

June performance, reports Marangoni Retreading Systems mana-ging director Giuseppe Ferrari, admittedly lagged some 5 per centbehind that of last year, yet Marangoni calculates that demand duringthe second half of the year will return to last year’s levels. This pointstowards, says Ferrari, “optimism for the future,” even though wholeyear 2009 will probably end up around 10 per cent down. As wasthe case in previous downturns, he now expects a “sudden andmassive market recovery.” Ferrari anticipates the start of this recoveryto arrive next year.

The fact that not every market is affected to the same degree –as is the case during every downturn – also holds true for the retre-ading industry. While Eastern Europe, Germany and Spain/Portugalhave suffered from a drop in demand, the UK and Turkish marketswere helped by their currencies. The weaker pound, for example,led to increases in the cost of (imported) new tyres, and retreaderswere able to hit home their advantage in light of this.

[email protected]/sg


TRUCK TYRES

Maxxis Recruits UK HeavyTruck Tyre DistributorsCompany’s heavy truck PPM‘on a par with top brands’

Having made headway in the UK passengercar and light truck segments, Maxxis reportsthat it is now on the lookout for heavy trucktyre distribution partners. The company’smain selling point (both to customers andpotential distribution partners is the longterm mileage performance of its products.According to the company, tests withleading UK fleets show the all-importantPPM (pence per mile) figures achieved bythe Maxxis 22.5 inch heavy truck range areon a par with those reported by the topbrands. While the figures are not yetcomplete (due to the ongoing nature of thetests) company representatives told Tyres &Accessories the figures are still helping to“boost the brand’s credentials for quality,reliability and value in this sector.”

“The new super single has been well-received

and for the range as a whole the PPM figures

speak for themselves. Demonstrating not that

Maxxis truck tyres are cheap, but rather, that they

represent excellent value, they underline that we have the credent-

ials to be a major player in this marketplace,” says Maxxis UK Inter-

national managing director Derek McMartin, adding: “Sales are conti-

nuing to rise steadily on the back of the impressive customer test

programme results and we are now keen to appoint distributors.”

Meanwhile, sales of Maxxis 17.5 inch and 19.5 inch van and light

truck tyres are also said to be on the up. Manufactured from a

premium rubber compound, the tyres are of double steel belt

construction and feature continuous shoulder ribs for long life and

uniformity and extra plies for improved puncture and abrasion resi-

stance.The Maxxis UR-275 is available in sizes 215/75R

17.5PR to 245/70R 19.5 and is said to offer“superb manoeuvrability and handling stabi-

lity thanks” to its low rolling resistance andpuncture-resistant casing, while the UE-168 has a 70-80 profile and jointlessspiral-wrapped full nylon cap for addedstrength.

A practical solution for everydayuse, the UE-103 enjoys a rugged treadcompound formulation that resistsabrasion and a rib tread design whichimproves water dispersal and ensuresstability, especially on motorways. TheMaxxis MA-751 Bravo comes in 13-16-inch sizes and is a well-establishedfavourite amongst sports truck/pick-up/4x4 operators due to its responsive

handling and optimum traction on allterrains, while the MA-703 combines

responsiveness and durability toproduce excellent traction in wetand dry conditions along withsmooth handling at high speeds.

Maxxis steer, drive and trailertyres come in sizes 10R22.5,11R22.5, 12R22.5, 275/80R22.5,

295/80R22.5, 315/80R22.5 and include a 385/65R22.5 supersingle, the UR288, which was added to the range last winter. Maxxisvan and light truck tyres (up to 17.5 inch) are available from leadingindependent wholesaler Grouptyre, while Maxxis 22.5 inch heavytruck tyres are available direct from Maxxis International UK. cja

Maxxis added the UR288, a 385/65R22.5 super single tyre,to its range last winter

Kings Road Tyres (KRT) had a container load of Aeolus heavy trucktyres stolen on Friday 4 September. According to KRT managing

director, Adrian Bader, a container on the way to the wholesalerwas high-jacked en route to Aston in the Midlands and around 100tyres have been stolen. However, it is unlikely that the thieves willbe able to shift the stock without raising suspicions as the Aeolusbrand is exclusive to KRT throughout the UK. So, dealers being

offered these tyres from any source other than KRT are advised tocontact Adrian Bader the Wholesale managing director on +44(0)1460 57353 or +44 (0)7976 442656.

The details of the stolen tyre are as follows: 315/70R22.5 HN355(13 tyres); 315/70R22.5 HN359 (15); 315/80R22.5 HN355 (6);315/80R22.5 HN252 (15); and finally 38 units of 385/65R22.5HN805 tyres – a total of 87 pieces. cja

Aeolus Brand Tyres Stolen from KRT



TRUCK TYRES

NDI UK: A New Competi-tive Option for Truck Tyres

Since the beginning of 2009, West Midlands based NDI UK hasbeen evolving from a small regional tyre wholesaler/distributor

into a nationwide tyre wholesaling option. According to thecompany, this progression can be directly attributed to the fact thatit is part of one of Europe’s most competitive tyre distribution groups– Nordisk Daek Import A-S in Denmark.

Ian Smith, managing director of NDI UK commented: “Up to theend of 2008, the company had been well known throughout theWest Midlands but now we intend to work more closely with NDIDenmark in order to gradually become a respected wholesaler speci-alising in all market sectors from a small implement tyre right throughto large earthmover patterns serving the entire UK market. Like NDIDenmark we intend to develop into a fully active multi-brand speci-alist offering a competitive combination of major ‘A’ brands plusnumerous mid-range brands to suit all applications.”

One particular specialist market for NDI UK has always been trucktyres and the company’s base in Coseley (near the M6 motorway)can be well supported by its Danish partners (when required) whooperate a current warehousing area of 56,000 square metres at theirheadquarters in Brørup plus other distribution points throughoutScandinavia and Germany.

All truck tyre orders can be distributed courtesy of a dedicatednationwide carrier service throughout the UK. At the same time NDIis currently in the process of upgrading its facilities to promote anumber of specially selected brands whilst maintaining its growingreputation as a multi-brand specialist.

“When it comes to truck tyres, NDI UK now consider themselvesto be a growing, competitive new distribution source to the UKmarket backed by a vast amount of quality products and experiencein this specialist sector,” Ian Smith concluded. cja

Earlier this year Cumbrian operator John Miller Limited selectedUniroyal tyres for use in its general haulage fleet. The reason? The

tyres stood up to real-life tests consisting of frequent journeys of up to20 miles on unpaved forest tracks as part of the company’s timber fleet.Now they’re fitting them to steer axles on Mercedes-Benz Actros trac-tors on general haulage work and looking to achieve up to 180,000kilometres of life before they go for regrooving.

The Carlisle firm, which has 30 trucks dedicated to timber haulage,used the Uniroyal FO 200 on/off road steer axle tyre on its tag-axle DAF

CF85s for 18 months on its timber trucks carrying wood out of forestsright across the Scottish borders to saw mills throughout the region.When they’re not on forest tracks, the trucks are mainly running on Aroads, which can also put tyres to the test.

These demanding conditions make it essential that drivers checktheir tyres daily. At Miller’s this is also backed up with more thoroughinspections carried out by the supplying dealer, Matthew Brewer Tyres(MBT), who provide a complete tyre management service to thecompany.

MBT will often check a truck’s tyres two or three times a week andalways at least weekly to ensure that any sign of damage or under-inflation is quickly spotted and action taken. When tread depth appro-aches 3 mm the tyres come off the steer axle for regrooving and theFO 200s are then available for use on the lift axle, thus extending theirlife by several thousand more kilometres. Further life is gained by retre-ading, which can also later be followed by a second regrooving.

Davie Carson, a director at John Miller Limited, says that the arduousconditions of timber work are about as testing as it gets for truck tyres.“I’ve been very satisfied with the way the Uniroyal’s have performed inour timber fleet. Following that experience, and on the advice of MBT,we’re now using the DH 100 on the drive axles of our Actros Megaspace tractors and so far they appear to be doing well.”

Uniroyal tyres are sold and distributed exclusively for ContinentalTyre Group by Uniroyal Truck Tyres UK, a subsidiary of King Road Tyres,one of the largest tyre wholesalers in the UK and Ireland. cja

The impressive performance of Uniroyal tyres on its timber trucks led Cumbrianoperator John Miller Limited fit the tyres across its general haulage fleet

Uniroyal Takes on Forest Tracks

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TRUCK TYRES

Infinity is now openly promoting both its light and heavy ranges asretreadable products after Bandag issued the following official certifi-cation: “In conjunction with Bandag and its distributors, Infinity trucktyres have received some very good reports for the quality of the casingswhich have recently been retreaded.” According to retreading systemsand material supplier and franchiser, Infinity casings have “reasonableintegrity” and “the quality of the casing is good”. As a result the Bandagcertification says: “Infinity casings are fully suitable for retreading throughBandag dealers.” All Infinity truck tyres are manufactured to interna-tional standards under strong operational quality control systems and

all Infinity Truck radial tyres bear “E” and “s” markings,” the statementexplained.

In addition, Infinity are now offering distributors tyres/wheel setsloaded on pallets, direct from the factory in most Infinity TBR sizes. Themove opens the way for Infinity distributors to supply OE customers,or anyone who wants a complete tyre and wheel unit.

The heavy truck radial range is available across over 20 patternsand over 40 sizes – and includes the new INF F865, INF D925 andINFA902 patterns. The light truck radial range is available in 15 sizes.

cja

Swinton Survey Outs VanTyre Safety Ignorance

According to a recent poll of 1,000 commercial van driving custo-mers, Swinton Insurance has revealed that 25 per cent of the

segment never checked the condition or tread of their tyres, while42 per cent did not know the correct legal tread depth. While only9 per cent admitted that they never check their tyre pressure – muchbetter on average than passenger car drivers – the figures still showthat there is some way to go before tyre safety awareness reachesan acceptable level, including those whose livelihood depends onthe good condition of their vehicle.

Phil Moss, commercial vehicle manager at Swinton said, “Vandrivers tend to clock up more miles than other road users thereforeit is vital that they carry out routine safety checks on their vehicle.Low tyre tread depth can be extremely dangerous in wet weatherconditions and given the ever-changing weather this summer wewould urge van drivers to inspect their tyres on a regular basis. Failingto maintain a commercial vehicle properly increases the risk of anaccident which will ultimately affect future van insurance premiums.”

Hayes Lemmerz ReceivesDaimler Truck Award

Hayes Lemmerz International has become one of a small number ofcompanies acknowledged by Daimler Trucks North America for

meeting its rigid quality requirements and expectations. This recogni-tion came in the form of a Masters of Quality Award for 2008.

"It is a great honour for us to receive this high recognition for qualityexcellence from one of our valued customers," said Donald Hampton,Jr., Vice President, North American Operations. "We are proud of ourAkron facility's accomplishments. Our Akron facility, like all of our globalfacilities, is committed to continuing to deliver world-class products toDaimler Trucks and all of our global customers.” sg

Infinity Tyres Get Bandag Retreadability Certification

Double Coin Adds 12 SizesDouble Coin distributor, Kirkby Tyres Ltd, has announcedthat the Chinese tyre manufacturer is expanding its trucktyre range. According to Kirkby Tyres, the size expansionmeans the sole distributor (UK and Ireland) can now offeran “all-encompassing truck tyre line to meet the needs ofthe most demanding tyre retailer or end user.”

The Double Coin factory commenced operation in 1991 after instal-ling “state-of-the-art” tyre building and curing machinery sourcedfrom equipment manufacturers in the USA, Japan and Europe.According to company literature, Double Coin engineers haverecently integrated the advanced TECO (Tyre Entirety ConstructionOptimization) theory and special adhesive technology to “furtherimprove tyre performance and manufacturing quality.” cja

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INTERNATIONAL TYRE MARKET

Titan Works to AddressGiant Tyre Concerns

Taylor responds to mediareports on performance issues

Following performance problems with its 63-inch radialOTR tyres, Titan Tire said it will install inflation and heatsensor equipment on each tyre. “In next few months, Titanexpects to ship each tyre with a sensor that will monitor airpressure and temperature so that each mine will know tyredata instantly, as will Titan,” said Titan chairman and CEOMaurice M. Taylor Jr.

The decision to fit the additional equipment comes after reportsemerged that giant Titan OTR tyres in use on Canada’s oil sands

were delivering far less than their anticipated performance. Bloom-berg stated on August 24 that some of the tyres installed on trucksoperating in the region lasted just one per cent as long as expected.Reporting on a telephone interview made with Taylor, the newsservice said a number of tyres failed after 100 hours of work on the400-ton trucks used to haul oil-soaked sand for Royal Dutch Shell Plcand other energy companies in Alberta – a far cry from the minimumexpected lifespan of 10,000 hours.

Bloomberg reporter Joe Carroll further stated that Taylor placedthe blame for the failures on local dealers who set air pressure toolow, raising internal temperatures and causing steel belts to sepa-rate. “The tyre dealers up there demanded a seven per cent to tenper cent kickback, but I refused to pay it,” Taylor was reported as

saying. “If you don’t give them some money, they let a little air outof your tyres, and no one sees it.” According to Carroll, Taylor didnot reveal the dealers’ identity.

In a Titan issued statement, however, Mr. Taylor took exceptionto the information released by Bloomberg and other news sources.He claimed the stories were inaccurate and did not reflect the perfor-mance “without interruption” provided by the company’s giant tyres.

“It is interesting to see just how much misinformation is flowingaround,” said the Titan chairman and CEO. “Bloomberg reporter JoeCarroll called me from Calgary to discuss 63-inch tyres that werebeing tested with heavy loads, running at faster speeds and longerdistances. This scenario is beyond the rated conditions of any tyrethis size. Our competitors’ tyres don’t hold up to these excessiveconditions, either. In these tests, Titan’s tyres were getting too hot inthe steel belt, which was melting the rubber, resulting in a failure.The report didn’t mention the other hundred Titan tyres that havebeen in use.” Taylor added: “The average life of a 63-inch tyre in theoil sands is around 5,000 hours, not 10,000. In fact, Mr. Carroll notedthat a celebration was held for a tyre that ran 10,600 hours – thatis a special occasion, not the average.”

According to the Bloomberg article, the cost of each fitted sensorcomes to US$2,700. Taylor, however, disputes this sum. “This is aservice we will supply, and our cost is expected to be lower than thereported $2,700.”

In his statement, Taylor announced he had invited Mr. Carroll tovisit Titan’s Bryan, Ohio factory, and he extended this invitation toother journalists. "Titan is in the business not only to produce everyoff-the-road tyre size, but also to be the best, and we will,” heconcluded. “It is a great compliment that we share the spotlight withthe ‘big dogs' and we love the challenge to prove the naysayerswrong. Titan is still on the move, and never forget that the word‘Titan' means giant." sg

News regarding the performanceof Titan tyres in Canada is “inaccurate”, says Maurice Taylor

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India is set to have its own dedicated tyre and equipmentexhibition following confirmation of plans to stage TyrexpoIndia in Chennai in July 2011. The exhibition, based in theregion that is home to many country’s leading automotiveindustry players, including Apollo Tyres, Michelin, DunlopIndia and MRF, will be based on the successful modelalready applied by organiser ECI International at its estab-lished Tyrexpo Asia, Tyrexpo Africa and Brityrex events.

Making the announcement, ECI International sales directorRowena Suthers said: “India’s position as one of the fastest-

growing and most important markets for the global tyre industrymakes it a natural choice to stage a high profile exhibition like TyrexpoIndia.

“Our research among exhibitors and industry contacts world-wide tells us there is enormous interest in doing business in India,”Suthers added. “Tyrexpo India will fill the gap in the market for a trulyinternational and dedicated tyre trade exhibition that will offer greatpotential for suppliers in the tyre, retreading, accessories and equip-ment markets to establish profitable new relationships.”

Welcoming the news, Mr Rajesh Vyas, senior general manager(exports) with tyre manufacturer BKT stated: “India is home to arapidly developing tyre market and is now a significant global player,so it is fitting that the country will have its own trade show dedi-cated to the tyre business. I welcome this new initiative as it will attractgreater international interest in the Indian market and help to raisethe profile of domestic manufacturers and suppliers to global buyers.

BKT has been closely involved inother tyre expos organised by ECIInternational, so I am confidentthey will deliver a top class eventin 2011.”

His views were echoed byTreadsdirect president T. Ashok-anand. “This new show will be agolden opportunity for the tyreand rubber people over here [inIndia] and I am sure there will begood participation from India aswell as overseas,” said Ashok-anand. “We are very glad that atlast India is now on the globalmap of tyre trade shows. I amsure that all Indian tyre andrubber manufacturers will be veryeager to participate in this big event, alongside the global players,and benefit immensely. With radialisation gaining momentum in thiscountry, the timing is perfect.”

Tyrexpo India will take place at the Chennai Trade Centre inChennai on the 5, 6 and 7 July 2011. The venue is, comments ECIInternational, one of the country’s most prestigious exhibition centres,playing host to a series of major events including the InternationalRubber Expo, Indian Industry Expo and Print Expo. More detailsabout Tyrexpo India can be found at www.eci-international.com.

sg

ECI International launches Tyrexpo India Chennai based tyre trade exhibition to be held in July 2011




Arcom SPJ is a family-owned business was established by brot-hers-in-law Artur Wilk and Robert Zieba in the spring of 1996.

Previously, both Artur and Robert owned rival tyre shops, which hadbeen trading very successfully for several years, in neighbouringdistricts of Poland. The evolution of the new business came aboutthrough a number of their customers enquiring after suitablesuppliers of tyre storage systems in Poland. The realisation that, atthat time, there was no company supplying specifically for this marketeventually culminated in a joint decision to form a new venture toproduce storage systems exclusively for the tyre industry.

Arcom began life in a small building, with one skilled welder andlimited resources but, from the very beginning, the companyadopted a clearly defined policy to manufacture the highest qualityproducts available. The success of the new enterprise was imme-diate; the order book soon surpassing the production capability.Consequently, additional skilled staff was recruited and extra produc-tion space was built onto the existing premises, which were furtherexpanded on a number of occasions during the following monthsand years.

In 2002 a significant order was placed by a large Dutch tyrewholesaler, necessitating further investment in new and more sophis-ticated machinery. New designs were introduced, providing Arcomwith the opportunity to make increasingly significant inroads intothe export market. By early 2007, still retaining an abundant orderbook and no possibility for further expansion of the existing premisesavailable, there was only one possible solution. So, later that year afive hectare site, with industrial planning, was purchased in Rzezawanear Krakow on which would be constructed a highly contempo-rary facility, incorporating the very latest in high technology manu-facturing machinery, including robotics.

Today, Arcom employs more than 80 people working a conti-nuing 24 hour, 3 shift system. Office staff include a multi-lingualsales team plus specialist export, marketing and logisticalpersonnel.

"Our current standard production range consists of 30 storagecontainers of which four or five are exceptionally popular, makingup almost 70 per cent of total sales," said joint managing director,Robert Zieba. "Although we principally produce for passenger andtruck tyres we have the flexibility and expertise to manufacturecontainers for any size of tyre. Our design office will be pleasedto consult with customers in order to construct products that meetthe clients' own specific requirements; this facility is available evenfor relatively short production runs. Arcom also specialises andadvises on the complete storage fitment of turnkey projects forany size facility. Products can, if required, be finished in customers'own corporate colours including insignias and logos. Delivery

time from receipt of order will normally be two months; this appliesto all products in our catalogued standard range as well as thosemade to customers' specifications.

"In an ever changing industry we listen very carefully to our custo-mers' comments in order to make absolutely sure we are manufac-turing the storage system that exactly matches the needs of themarket. For this reason we are continually improving and updatingour product portfolio. Currently over 85 per cent of total productionis exported to tyre manufacturers, wholesalers, distributors, fast-fitoutlets, tyre shops and garages in over 30 countries throughout theworld, with sales being particularly strong in Germany and Italy.While we have established markets in Europe, which we willcontinue to develop, recent research has indicated excellent poten-tial for our products in the Middle East and Africa, these are marketswe will be targeting in the very near future. Our export marketingstrategy is based upon direct sales. To date, we have found this tobe the most appropriate and successful approach. However, we atArcom are always prepared to broaden our horizons by introducingnew business concepts as long as the professionalism with whichwe conduct all our sales is not compromised. The company attendsa number of international exhibitions, which we find to be a verysuccessful method of customer contact and product promotion.

"Last year we were approached by both SAAB and Ford to designand produce special containers for the movement of original equip-ment parts. In a positive way this encounter with the automotivemanufacturing industry has possibly initiated an optional tradingperspective, which could prove to be a lucrative extension to ourbusiness.

The new Arcom factory in Rzezawa, Poland

The Arcom management team; joint managing directors Artur Wilk and Robert Ziebaare shown far left and far right respectively

Arcom SPJ a Leading Manufacturer of Tyre Storage Systems




1/4 V AD Monarch

1/4 V AD North Hants

A robotic manufacturing station at Arcom

Enjoy The Best of ChinaEnjoy Tyre is a young, Chinese company trading in the wheel and tyresector, which has built up an export business supplying companies inmore than 60 countries in less than five years. Turnover in 2008 wasUS$ 46 million. The product range includes good quality Chinese tyres,including a number of brands that are becoming increasingly familiarnames in Western Europe. Among these are; Linglong, Chengshan,Westlake, Goodride, Taishan, Double Star and Jintong. Miss Xu Xia,managing director of Enjoy, told T&A that the company has globalexclusivity for the distribution of the Rotalla brand of passenger car andhigh/ultra high performance radial tyres, which are being activelymarketed across Europe. Passenger car tyres make up only part of theEnjoy product portfolio and the company can offer van and SUV tyres,light truck bias ply tyres, truck and bus bias ply and radials, agriculturaland earthmover tyres, plus a range of industrial tyres including press-on, pneumatic and solid tyres. As well as tyres, Enjoy markets a rangeof wheels (both steel and alloy), rubber tracks, conveyor belts and hoses.Although the company does not manufacture products itself, it keepsa close eye on the quality of products supplied and has built up closeand fruitful relationships with its suppliers, says Miss Xu Xia. In return,Enjoy provides its suppliers with market information and feedback andthis has been instrumental in helping the factories develop new sizesand products to cater for changing market needs and demands. pg

"The company has achieved ISO 9001:2000 and other requiredcertifications, covering the design and production of metal structuresused in storage logistics. Obtaining this official recognition was notonly a matter of pride and achievement for us, but also a basis forthe continuing improvement of the composition of our managementsystems for working methods and production."

Arcom is one of the three biggest manufacturers of tyre storageand racking systems and is the first company to use durable steel inthe construction of its products. Durable steel has the same strengthas conventional steel, but is much more flexible. It is also cost effec-tive which enables the company to keep its prices extremely compe-titive and customer friendly.

"The immediate objective," continued Robert Zieba, "is a returnto pre recession 2007 sales levels. Our long term aspirations will leadto further expansion with an increasing number of robotic manu-facturing stations, which will allow us to focus on becoming themarket leader. However, we will not strive to achieve our ambitionsto the detriment of customer care, on which we place the utmostimportance, neither will we sacrifice quality for price. The familyatmosphere that has remained since Arcom's formation allowsmanagement to maintain the personal touch with both employeesand customers and this is very important to me." ad/pg


Monarch

PRODUCT INFORMATION

1/4 V MonarchAD MENARCH

North Hants AD

North HantsNORTHHANTS


North Hants Tyres

North Hants

WHOLESALING

North HantsVintage Tyres

North Hants Tyre Co. Ltd.Henry John House, 2, Ivy Road,

Christy Industrial Estate,Aldershot, Hampshire, GU12 4TX

Telephone: 01252 318666Fax: 01252 318777

Email: [email protected]




When building its all-new factory in China, Toyo Tire & Rubberwill be going it alone. During a Board of Directors meeting

on August 27, the company decided to end its joint venture agree-ments for tyre production in China. Toyo has operated Cheng Shin-Toyo Tire & Rubber (China) Co., Ltd. together with Taiwan’s ChengShin Rubber Ind. Co., Ltd. since the end of 1995, with a focusupon manufacturing car tyres and tubes for the Chinese market.The company also began a partnership, Cheng Shin-Toyo Tire(Xiamen) Co., Ltd., with Maxxis International Co., Ltd. in 2002,producing commercial vehicle radials. Both joint ventures havebeen terminated as of August 27.

Toyo reports it decided to end the two joint ventures as ameans of responding to “increasing tyre demands in accordancewith the rapid progress of motorisation in the Chinese market.” Inplace of the joint venture agreements, Toyo will rely upon consign-ment manufacturing, as it believes the company has “achieved

adequate results regarding the original business target.” Thecompany will also build a wholly owned tyre factory in China.

The new facility will meet, as Toyo says, “robust demand in thedeveloping Chinese market.” The company is currently in theprocess of selecting a location for the factory, and says theexpected site will be somewhere along China’s coastal region, inorder to accommodate deliveries to vehicle manufacturers withinChina. Production is anticipated to commence late in 2001 follo-wing an initial 10 billion yen (£65 million) investment phase.Production capacity will initially be two million passenger car andlight truck tyres per annum, destined for domestic consumption,however Toyo comments the plant is “expected to gradually rampup its capacity in accordance with the market expansion.” Appro-ximately 400 people will be employed at the new factory. sg

Phase 2 of Yokohama’s ‘Forever Forest’ Completed in Thailand

Some 5,000 trees have been planted at the Yoko-hama Rubber tyre factory in Thailand as part of

the company’s tree planting programme. Thesecond phase of the plant’s "Yokohama ForeverForest" project – the first phase two plantingconducted at a Yokohama facility outside of Japan –took place on August 12. Around 1,100 employees,family members, local residents and other volunteersplanted 26 varieties of tree under the supervision ofSirin Kawlaierd, tree planting expert employed by theThai Imperial Household Agency and Akira Miya-waki, an expert in physiognomy and ProfessorEmeritus of Yokohama National University.

The "Yokohama Forever Forest" project is beingimplemented over a ten-year period to 2017 – itsconclusion is timed to coincide with the company’s 100th anni-versary. Under the guidance of Mr. Miyawaki, a total of 500,000trees will be planted at seven domestic and 11 overseas Yoko-hama Rubber Group plants in accordance with potential naturalvegetation. In Japan, the first-phase tree planting has alreadybeen completed at all the manufacturing bases, and the imple-

mentation of second-phase tree planting began in April 2009.Overseas, the first-phase of planting has taken place at four sites.In total, approximately 100,000 trees have been planted throughthe project worldwide. sg

Toyo Ends China JVs, Announces Construction of New Factory

A total of around 12,000 trees have now been planted at Yokohama’s Thailand site



TGI & GITI Tire USA Announce DistributionAgreement

Group International and GITI Tire USA have announced a distribution arrangementthrough which TGI will distribute GT Radial branded tires in South Florida. TGI will

carry the full line of GT Radial tyres, including the Maxtour line, Champiro 128, Champiro228, Champiro 328, Champiro 528, Savero H/T, Adventuro A/T II and Adventuro M/T lines.The GT Radial line up will be stocked in the company’s Miami distribution centre.

“We feel the addition of GT Radial tyres to our current product portfolio is another stepin solidifying TGI’s position as the market leader in the distribution of quality tyres,” said TGICEO Tony Gonzalez. “GT Radial is a perfect fit for TGI and with our marketing expertise andcurrent customer base, we feel that we can make a significant impact in our market ratherquickly.”

According to TGI, it and GT Radial will leverage their respective strengths by imple-menting a retail mar-ket approach. This will be accomplished, the company elaborates, byutilising TGI’s value-added wholesale business model through established access to the retailmarket in southern Florida. sg

The Champiro 228 is one of a number of tyres to bestocked in TGI’s Miami distribution centre

1/2 H AD TSI/SSG




At the start of 2009, the Chinese Rubber Industry Associa-tion reported that, despite the global economic meltdown,China remains the world's fastest growing market. TheChinese tyre business is reportedly worth about $8 billion andaccounts for 9 per cent of the world tyre market share.However with most of the world’s markets either strugglingto recover or still nose-diving, the fact that July figuressuggest Chinese passenger car tyre OE and replacementdemand are actually up 10 and 20 per cent respectively istruly impressive. With this in mind, Messe Essen’s third ReifenChina exhibition running from 11 – 13 November is likely topique the interest of buyers, manufacturers and traders fromaround the world.

Last year’s show attracted 110 exhibitors from 17 countries and 5,500trade visitors from 72 countries. According to organisers, over 90

per cent of exhibitors and 98 per cent of visitors decided to attend thenext fair immediately after attending the 2008 show. In addition 75per cent of international exhibitors who came to the last Reifen Chinawith the intentions of developing new markets said their results were“very good to satisfactory.” And crucially 83 per cent of internationalexhibitors said they successfully addressed their target groups.

One thing that has singled out Reifen China in previous years hasbeen the strong support of China’s leading tyre manufacturers for theexhibition. This year some of the biggest names in Chinese tyre manu-facturing including Cooper Chengshan (Shandong) Tire Company Ltd,Triangle Tyre Co., Ltd., Hangzhou Zhongce Rubber Co., Ltd., DoubleCoin Holdings Ltd. will once again be in attendance. Reifen China’s rela-tionship with such largescale manufacturers is only likely to increase inimportance in the years to come, as most sources agree that thecurrently quite fractured market is due for consolidation.

At present there are something like 300 tyre production enterprisesin China, but according to a recent Research and Markets report, 70per cent of them are small factories whose annual output is under500,000. This research states that the average production capacity ofChina's tyre manufacturers is only 400,000/year, with just 15 largermanufacturers whose production capacity is over 1 million/year.

In addition to the best known new tyre manufacturers in China,the show will also play host to a number of retreading material andequipment producers; and a whole host of potential product sources.One new name that stood out is Road Scenery Holding (U.K.) Ltd,which describes itself as a “specialist pneumatic tyre producer and atrading company based in UK, with our own sourcing and procure-ment office in China.” Road Scenery purchase on a large scale frommanufacturers and aim to supply competitive pricing its clients, which

mostly buy OTR radials and TBB andLTB tyres.

From the retreading business themore familiar "Newera International(Shanghai) Co., Ltd." will be exhibi-ting its range retreading products.Newera, a leading regional retrea-ding supplier, has 40 years ex-perience and the Newera Group hasearned a reputation for being aneffective distributor for many global(and European made brands).

More importantly, NeweraGroup is recognized as a reliablesupplier of quality products andcomprehensive services, includingaftersales maintenance, training,consultancy and retreading factoryturnkey project implementation.

Also, Tyres & Accessories/tyre-press.com will once again be presentwith a stand in the European pavi-lion.

Despite global economic difficulties, China remains the world's largest producer of tyres, and its tyre output and exportvolumes rank amongst the best in the world.

Reifen China Aims to Connect Far Eastern and European BusinessesChina still the world’s fastest growing market

Tyres & Accessories9/2009 57


1/2 H AD Kabat

TireTech Forum to examine the impact of ITC ‘protectionism’

Judging by experiences other Chinese tyre trade shows this year, oneeffect of the United States’ proposal import tariffs on Chinese tyres hasbeen to put off some North American visitors from attending this kindof show. However, Reifen Essen’s intrinsic connection with the Euro-pe’s (and arguably the world’s) largest dedicated tyre trade showmeans there are plenty more interested parties outside of the US.Furthermore, in light of the whole quota/tariff discussions, exhibitionorganisers have arrange for a seminar on this very topic at Novem-ber’s show. “Reading and Analysis the ITC calls on Chinese Tires” willsee professionals from the Chinese ministry of commerce interpret the“significant trade protectionism measures” in the tyre industry for2009.

The concurrent seminars, known as TireTech Forum, are beingorganised by CURC, under the guidance of China Rubber IndustryAssociation, which is cooperating with Beijing Rubber Research Insti-tute and DE Global Consulting Ltd Corporation. According to promo-tional literature, this forum seeks to discuss the current industry dev-elopments, trends and the latest advances in tyre production tech-nology and products. The forum is also open to discussion over theproducts and technology exhibited at the show. In addition, theforum is intended to serve as an opportunity for better communica-

tion and interaction between technology experts in the tyre and otherrelevant industries. Here are selection of the topics under discussion:

“2008-2009 Rubber Market Analysis and Forecast” – This seminarwill see professionals from the China Rubber Industry Associationanalyse rubber industry trends and developments in the face of thecurrent financial crisis and trade protectionism tendencies. This ideais to prepare and equip forum participants (and tyre companies) tobe better able to deal with market changes.

“Understanding China’s Tire Retreading Trade via International TireRetreading Practices” – The Chinese tyre retreading trade has facedmany difficulties in the recent years. Policy issues, market demandsand business models have contributed to these difficulties. Withdiscussion from as yet unnamed market professionals, this seminarseeks to review the past developments in this trade and subsequentlyunderstand the future direction of the market.

On the raw materials side there are seminars on “The Impact onTire Oil due to Base Oil Refining Trend” and “Material Traction andElasticity Research.”

Reifen China 2009 again takes place parallel with Rubber TechChina, the international trade fair for rubber processing and rubbermanufacturing. Both shows and the seminar series run from 11-13November at the Shanghai New International Expo Centre in thePudong region of Shanghai. [email protected]


58

BATTERIES


Supplier of VARTA-branded products, Johnson Controls Batteries saysit has responded to problems experienced by tyre and battery

specialists when comparing performance ratings for European carbatteries with their Far Eastern counterparts.

The company has published guidance for those in the aftermarketexperiencing issues surrounding cold cranking values, one of twocritical criteria used in the measurement of lead acid starter batteryspecifications. Cold cranking denotes the amount of starting powerthe battery can deliver under load – usually seen when starting theengine first thing in the morning. The standard value in Europe,accepted by all European original equipment manufacturers, is EN(European Norm). In the Far East and the US, the standard used isdenoted by SAE. Trade feedback suggests that these differing valuesare often used in error when comparing EN-rated batteries with non-European imports.

The test used to obtain SAE values discharges the battery morethan the EN test, with the result that SAE values are always higherthan EN. However, says Johnson Controls Batteries, this has nobearing on the real performance of the battery, nor does it mean thata higher SAE rating is better than a lower EN rating. A simple crossreference chart, which can be downloaded from Johnson Controls’website under the PartnerNet section designed for trade customersupport at www.varta-automotive.com, is based on current VARTASilver dynamic, Blue dynamic and Black dynamic batteries for cars andthe newly launched VARTA Promotive batteries for commercialvehicles.

Paul Matarewicz, managing director for Johnson Controls Batte-ries, UK explained, “Although the EN standard has been with us nowfor a number of years, feedback from our trade customers has suggest-ed that there is still much confusion for both trade and consumer.However, fitting the right battery has taken on a new significance intoday’s sophisticated car market, where a high number of electricalconsumers are fitted as standard, and it is vital that like for like replace-ment of the OE battery is adopted throughout the trade if prematurebattery failure is to be avoided.

“In addition, many motorists now retrofitpower sapping accessories such as DVDplayers, iPod and portable satellite navigationsystems, and unless the battery is upgradedaccordingly, this can lead to problems for theconsumer. The trade should take extra carewhen comparing cranking values of differentbattery brands to avoid such problems.”

Demand for AGM batteries to increase

Earlier in the year, Johnson Controls Batteriesurged the UK aftermarket to gear up to copewith stronger demand for AGM (absorbentglass mat) batteries to support the stop-starttechnology now available on an increasing

range of new cars. Stop-start is the European automotive industry’sprimary response to EU guidelines for the reduction of average CO2emissions to 120 g/km by 2012. It conserves energy by shutting offthe engine whenever the car stops, such as at a traffic light, thus reduc-ing fuel consumption by up to 10 per cent and also reducing CO2emissions.

New European models launched with automatic stop-start includethe Audi A4, Fiat 500, Panda and Croma, Mercedes-Benz C, E and SClass, Volvo C30, S40 and V50 and the new Mk 6 VW Golf. Re-start-ing the engine requires sufficient power, but in urban driving conven-tional batteries often do not charge sufficiently. To resolve this, all carsusing stop-start technology rely exclusively on an AGM battery toprovide enough starting power to support the new system.

AGM batteries provide far greater cyclic durability and rechargeacceptance than conventional lead acid and calcium-silver batteries.The technology was originally developed to cope with the dramaticincrease in electrical consumers in modern cars, leading to the launchof the Varta Ultra dynamic AGM car battery for the aftermarket.

Virtually all AGM batteries fitted as OE on models so far launchedwith stop-start technology have been supplied by Johnson Controls– early models with stop-start include BMW, Mercedes-Benz A, B andC-Class, Smart, Mini and VW Passat. “With many of these cars now intheir third or fourth year of ownership, there will inevitably be press-ure on battery suppliers to stock AGM batteries to meet replacementdemand,” says Tony Miller, Product Manager for Johnson ControlsBatteries. He goes on:

“The micro-hybrid (stop-start) market is growing apace andprogrammes that we have with vehicle manufacturers soon to cometo fruition will see many more cars with this technology enteringservice, this year alone. An estimated 2.5 million micro-hybrid vehicleswill be manufactured by 2010, rising to 10 million by 2015. So special-ists who can meet local demand for AGM batteries will be in the bestposition to take advantage of the strong profit opportunities this tech-nology will bring.” pg/akb

Johnson Controls Batteries Responds to PerformanceRatings Confusion

59

BATTERIES


Battery Market Brands Growing,say Manbat, Johnson MDsManbat reports continued increases aidedby extensive training

The UK battery market is seeing branded products in growth at theexpense of private labels, though the latter still hold over two-thirds ofthe total market, according to Paul Matarewicz, the managing directorof Johnson Controls Batteries and VARTA. Meanwhile, Manbat’s MD,Steve Sheppard believes that the rising brand awareness in the UK is a result of thegeneral economic slump, to which consumers are responding with a desire for greater reliabilityand longer lifespan.

Matarewicz estimates that the size of thetotal UK battery aftermarket (including

automotive, LCV and commercial vehiclesand excluding the original equipmentmarket) is 4.5 million units per annum. Ofthis figure, he believes that the split betweenprivate labels and brand names is around70:30, though this ratio is changing withinthe current economic climate, with brandnames seeing growth. In terms of themarket share between what Matarewiczsees as the five major names, he believesthat VARTA has the largest slice of themarket, with 6.5 per cent, though Yuasaand Banner remain close. Bosch and Exide,he says, round out the range of brandnames with significant shares in the UKmarket.

Explaining the trend towards growth inthe “name” brands and decline in privatelabels, Sheppard believes that it is in partbecause people who usually change theircar regularly are delaying the change. Indoing so, he theorises, drivers are morelikely to fit a recognised brand because theyhave more interest in the vehicle’s long-termreliability. If they were selling it on, he says,they would be less brand conscious. Inkeeping a car for longer, he continues,drivers could be going to independentgarages for servicing rather than the dealer,meaning that they could be paying substan-tially less than before, even when a brandedbattery is fitted.

In terms of new technology, Matare-wicz is convinced that the current economic

climate has taken its toll on developments.Because vehicle manufacturer’s are needingto cut costs, progressions such as AGM tech-nology are put back in favour of cheaperexisting technology, which continues toyield acceptable results. In addition, the costcutting measures have left the manufactu-rers with a dilemma: some are going tosmaller engines, some stop/start techno-logy and others are moving towards hybridsolutions. This diversity has slowed downbattery development, because there is noone obvious path to research and existingbattery technology can already serve theseinterim solutions. Before a single develop-ment reveals its importance over others, itseems battery manufacturers must bidetheir time in order to take their cues fromthe vehicle markets’ needs.

Manbat continues growth

Manbat, the UK’s largest battery distributor,has reported significant sales growth fromits top six buying group and nationalaccount contracts. Increasing sales of OEbrand VARTA, along with its own brandNumax, and the expansion of the leisuresector account for majority of the gains,however without training, the picturewould be far less rosy.

Martin McGreevy, UK sales managerexplains: “Manbat is dedicated to help itscustomers sell more batteries and thegrowth of these major accounts is a perfectendorsement of the philosophy, with sound

staff training being a key element in theprocess.

“Training is the only way to quickly bringthe workforce up to speed with the termi-nology, applications and testing proceduresof batteries,” said McGreevy.

Manbat conducts on-site training withits customers and the training is tailored tocover the specific requirements of the busi-ness. However, generic training starts witha basic knowledge-based programmeaimed to define the relevant terminologysuch as CCA (Cold Cranking in Amperes), Ah(ampere hour) capacity, battery type (VRLA,GEL AGM) and battery characteristics (star-ting, cyclic, etc).

Regional manager, Martin Shillitoadded, “To make the most of its batterysales, businesses need to provide customerswith the most suitable battery for thepurpose. It is risky to assume that a directlike-for-like replacement is the correct appli-cation. In many cases the incorrect batterycould have been fitted and so the correctprocedure is to use an application guide forthat particular vehicle.

“However, there is the opportunity toupgrade the battery when a moreadvanced battery is suitable to the vehicle,or to the use that the vehicle is being putto. Manbat training helps customers matchthe most appropriate battery to each parti-cular application and to explain whycheaper isn’t actually better value formoney,” he concluded. akb

The Numax Premium Silveris new to Manbat’s range ofVARTA-produced products


BATTERIES

Lithium-ion Battery Development Wins Award for ContiTechnology ready for commercial vehicles in two years

Continental claims the lithium-ion batteries it has developed offer significantlygreater storage capacity compared with the nickel-metal hydride battery tech-nology still currently used in hybrid vehicles. The battery’s energy density is saidto be around 30 per cent and its power to size ratio some 50 percent greater,while still retaining its compact dimensions. Development work on this unit,which saw its series production debut in the latest Mercedes-Benz S 400 Blue-HYBRID, took place at Continental’s Nuremberg, Germany facility, and the sitenow has a production capacity of 15,000 units per annum. Recently Conti’sPowertrain Division and its Hybrid & Electric Vehicles business unit wereacknowledged for the battery’s development and series introduction with anaward from a logistics and transports association located in the factory’s localregion.

On July 8 the Nuremberg-based Centerfor Transportation & Logistics Neuer

Adler e.V. (CNA) awarded Conti’s PowertrainDivision the “Intelligence for Traffic andLogistics” innovation prize, a distinctiongranted on the basis of the jobs andsustained growth the battery project hasbrought to the region of Bavaria. The awardceremony was held at the Nuremberg plantin the presence of some 50 representatives.During the ceremony, CNA chairmanJürgen Nutz paid tribute to the technologydeveloped by the company’s Hybrid & Elec-tric Vehicles business unit, and stated that“an important milestone had been reachedin Germany on the way to electrifying thepassenger car drive train.”

Attention was also drawn to the majorfuel savings made possible by the use ofhybrid technology, savings which amountto around 25 per cent compared with thetraditional petrol engine. “In two years,Continental’s lithium-ion technology willalso be ready for use in the commercialvehicle sector”, said Hybrid & Electric Vehi-cles business unit head Jörg Grotendorst.“Our latest generation of powerful lithium-ion batteries prepares the ground for hybridbuses driven purely by electric power. Thiscould lead to a future reduction in the levelof pollutants and CO2 emissions, particu-larly in inner-city areas where pollution issuch a sensitive issue.”

The lithium-ion batteries used in theMercedes S400 BlueHYBRID enable the

spacious saloon’s six-cylinder petrol engineto achieve a consumption rate of 7.9 litresper 100 kilometres, equating to CO2 emis-sions of 190 grams per kilometre. This will,comments Continental, make the vehiclethe world’s most economical petrol-engineluxury saloon. Thebattery Continental hasdeveloped can supplysufficient energy for anelectric motor tosupplement thecombustion engine’spower output by up to19kW, thus producing aconsiderable fuelsaving when accelera-ting or starting off. Thebattery is chargedwhenever the vehiclebrakes or decelerates,for example whenfreewheeling up to ared light. This regenera-tive braking or recupe-ration is controlled bythe power electronics. Like the integral auto-matic start-stop function which automati-cally switches off the engine when thevehicle comes to a standstill and switches iton again when starting off, recuperation isincluded as part of Continental’s hybridmodular system, which combines all thecompany’s hybrid technology expertise in asingle package.

Conti notes that using lithium-ion tech-nology in vehicles poses particular chal-lenges: For example, it is vital that thebattery functions safely and reliably throug-hout the entire service life specified by thevehicle manufacturer. A sophisticatedbattery management system ensures thatthis requirement is met. The electronicscompare the battery’s overall condition,temperature and energy reserves against itsage; while safety circuits prevent the energystorage unit from becoming too hot. A CellSupervising Circuit monitors the individualcells and ensures their optimum interaction.According to Continental, this guaranteesthat the lithium-ion batteries will really last -with unimpaired functionality, power andsafety - for the required ten years or 160,000to 240,000 kilometres.

Series production of the battery beganin the autumn of 2008, following a 3.3million euro investment to develop a 300square metre manufacturing facility atContinental’s Nuremberg plant. Accordingto the company, existing production capa-city can be doubled to 30,000 units a yearat short notice should such demanddevelop. sg

Nuremberg councilor and economic consultant Dr. Roland Fleck, CAN executivechairman Jürgen Nutz, head of Conti’s Hybrid & Electric Vehicles business unitJörg Grotendorst


BATTERIES

Euro Car Parts Launches Battery Application Guide, PromoEuro Car Parts has launched a new battery catalogue and announced a buy now and pay later promotion.

According to the aftermarket parts supplier, one of the largest independent distri-butors of batteries in the UK, customer demand has led Euro Car Parts to produceits own 40-page ‘Battery Application Guide 2009/2010’. The guide covers all carmarquee applications, from Alfa Romeo to Volvo, including all the technical speci-fications one would expect, covering brands by Bosch, Exide and Lion. Alsoincluded are sections delivering comprehensive safety advice and regulations forlead-acid batteries as well and instructions for using starter batteries.

ECP has also launched a customer buynow and pay later battery promotion,

offering the customer the chance to bulkbuy on batteries from leading worldwidebrands. Customers signing up for thepromotion have the chance to receive afree battery stand, point of sale items, andan advanced battery tester.

In 2009, ECP strengthened its portfolioby stocking the Exide range of batteries.Exide Technologies, with a 100-year pedi-gree, are a global leader in stored electricalenergy with the Transportation Divisionaccounting for 72 million units a year acrossboth OE and aftermarket sectors in Europealone.

ECP says that it is delighted to be ableto offer its customers an “Original PartMatching Quality Programme”, which aimsto guarantee the longevity of theproducts’ quality. The companybelieves it can offer customersthe battery performance levelsthat the original equipmentmanufacturer originallyprovided.

The company stocks theExcell range of batteries, whichhave an extra 15 percent star-ting power compared to a stan-dard battery, are completelymaintenance free and enjoy athree year warranty, accordingto ECP. In addition to Exide, ECPboasts premium Bosch Batte-ries and LION Brands. The

company is the largest distributor of BoschBatteries in southern UK, stocking the S3and S4 ranges.

All batteries stocked by ECP areproduced from European sources andmaintain high standards of production,using calcium technology to endure toughconditions. The distributor offers three yearand four year warranty terms against manu-facturing defects, depending on the batterytype. Its central warehouse holds over40,000 batteries, meaning that stocks areavailable throughout the UK via ECP’s 65branches.

ECP representative, Donna Westcommented, “At ECP we are always lookingfor ways in which to help our customerssave money and enjoy additional benefits.

The promotion is valid until the end ofNovember. With competitive pricing and amassive range available from ECP, it meansevery customer is catered for.”

The battery promotion is available nowin all of Euro Car Parts 69 branches.

akb

Exide is one of the majorbattery brands involved in thepromotion in which participantscould take away display itemssuch as this stand

The Exide Excell range was added earlier this year

62

PRODUCT INFORMATION


Tire Monitor System Gains Interest in OTR Tyre Marketentered the UK market with EarthmoverTyres (Wakefield Ltd) in June 2008 with trialsat Ferrybridge Power Station coal supplyplant. Darran Stone, sales executive forEarthmover Tyres (Wakefield Ltd) reportedsignificant interest in the system and ispresenting it to their customer base where

they supply tyre maintenance and supply:“Fitting the internal mounted sensors is easyusing standard tyre patching techniquesand a vehicle power supply is all that isneeded to connect the system. Tire MonitorSystem offers our customers a reliable androbust tyre pressure system designed andproven for the rigours of OTR tyres. Themarket has been waiting for a product likethis, TMS as we know it, is proven techno-logy tested and used by the likes of Bombar-

dier Transportation.” cja

Darran Stone of EarthmoverTyres (Wakefield) Ltd carryingout a routine tyre inspection atSalt Union in Winsford

Tire Monitor System entered theUK market in 2008

Marangoni Manufacturing Ringtreads for the World ently in Europe around 55 per cent of treadssold by the Marangoni Group are Ring-treads. And, according to Guiseppe Ferrari,managing director of Marangoni’s Retrea-ding Systems business unit, a still higherEuropean market share is possible.

In the USA Marangoni has to date onlymarketed its Ringtread system, a measureadmittedly undertaken for historicalreasons. Competition from strong marketparticipants such as Bandag, Michelin,Goodyear and Oliver Rubber meant that

Marangoni needed to “come with a specialproduct” in order to enter this market in2003. After Michelin took over OliverRubber in the summer of 2007, however,retreaders bound to a particular systemfound themselves with no remaining largemarket participant that would still delivertreads to customers not operating under afranchise set-up. This will now change,comments the Retreading Systems mana-ging director: The Ellerbrock facility nearHamburg in Germany is to manufacture cut-

In its Ringtread treads the MarangoniGroup has a product that has been effec-

tively developed since its introduction in the1970s. When the Italian tread manufacturerand retreader took over Germany’s Eller-brock GmbH in 1990, the share of totalproduction dedicated to Ringtread produc-tion was no more than 20 per cent. Todayglobal share has grown to around 50 percent; Ringtreads are manufactured in Feren-tino, Italy, at Ellerbrock in Germany, in Nash-ville, USA, and in Belo Horizonte, Brazil. Pres-

Tire Monitor System, a OTR TPMS systemdeveloped by A M Bromley Limited, is

now being distributed to the OTR/earth-mover market in the UK via EarthmoverTyres (Wakefield) Limited. The devicefeatures a new Operator Interface Unitwhich is said to enhance performance tothe retrofit OTR/earthmover tyre market bydisplaying tyre pressures and sound alarmsfor up to six wheels. The unit also has a realtime log feature so data can be downlo-aded and analysed at a later date.

Tire Monitor System has been sold directto OTR OEMs in the North America andAustralia markets since 2005. The product

63

PRODUCT INFORMATION


‘Marix Ecology’ 4x4 Retread Range Offers Savings PotentialAccording to Marangoni, its Marix range forpassenger cars and light commercial vehi-cles has proven a popular choice for off-roaddrivers thanks to a series of products desi-gned for extreme use, such as Lion andPuma. Both of these tyres feature substan-tial tread blocks, and for this reason aresought by those who use their 4x4 for workor in sporting competitions, and want a tyrewith good grip and drainage capacity. Thelatest additions to the Marix 2008 range arethe Cruise and Ghepard, the latter a highperformance tyre for SUVs that is approvedfor high performance and available in 17and 18-inch sizes. Marangoni says theGhepard ensures comfort and maximum gripin all conditions thanks to the use of high performancecompounds.

The Marix Ecology 4x4 range is intended to respond to thedemands of people with such a wide variety of off-road require-ments, and includes winter and studdable tyres. The range coversa wide spectrum of applications, from 95 per cent on-road to 90per cent off-road.

Marangoni notes that, at a time when we all need to spendwisely, the choice of retreaded tyres offers particular value for off-roaders. The manufacturer points out that retreads today featurequality that is comparable to new tyres – quality that, as pertains

to the Marix Ecology retreads, is TÜV certified and approved incompliance with the UNECE Regulation 108. The entire MarixEcology 4x4 range is M+S approved for winter use, and includedthe following products:

Lion (90 per cent off-road, 10 per cent on-road), Puma (80 percent off-road, 20 per cent on-road), Ecoland (70 per cent off-road,30 per cent on-road), MPC (60 per cent off-road, 40 per cent on-road), Ecoland Plus all-purpose 4x4 tyre (50 per cent off-road, 50per cent on-road), Cruise (10 per cent off-road, 90 per cent onroad), and the Ghepard high performance SUV tyre (5 per centoff-road, 95 per cent on-road). sg

to-length flat treads for the North Americanmarket.

The Chinese retreading market could alsoone day become an important purchaser ofRingtreads, adds Guiseppe Ferrari. Alreadysome twelve of the 60 million retreaded tyresproduced globally every year are manufacturedin China. The market will one day be the “world’slargest market”, even though to-date none ofthe retreading industry’s largest players havemade themselves at home there. Since Marchthis year Marangoni has, through a local offtakepartner, supplied Chinese customers withUnitread treads, using compound sourced fromMarangoni in Ferentino and Ellerbrock inHamburg. Premium treads, on the other hand,will in future be delivered directly from Europe.“The market is not yet ripe for Ringtreads,”Ferrari concludes. [email protected]/sg

Marangoni offers an extensive range of retreaded 4x4 tyres

Today, every second tread Marangoni produces is a Ringtread


PRODUCT INFORMATION

Bosch Launches New Tyre Service and Alignment Range Through its recent acquisitions ofBeissbarth and SICAM, Bosch hasenhanced its product range andnow reports it can offer workshops acomplete range of tyre service andwheel alignment equipment. Itslatest release is a new garage equip-ment line-up that it says focusesupon “around the wheel” products.

Tyre and rim service on passenger cars,light commercial vehicles and motorcy-

cles can be lucrative work and offers work-shops a good business opportunity, Boschnotes. In addition, wheel alignment workallows garages to offer customers a greatadded value service.

Bosch’s new “around the wheel”products include the latest generation tyrechanging (TCE) and wheel balancing (WBE)range of equipment and the state-of-the-artFWA 4630 3D wheel aligner. Both of theseproducts, says Bosch, have been specificallydesigned to help workshops make the mostof the growing opportunities in the tyreservice business.

Commenting on the new range, BillJohnson, sales director Bosch and Beiss-barth, Equipment and Services said: “Morethan ever before workshops and techni-cians need the right technical equipment toget the job done quickly, safely and effi-ciently. Our new, latest generation tyreservice and wheel alignment equipmentfeature many advanced, technical innova-tions which we believe will help workshopsfulfil ever demanding customer require-ments whilst maximise efficiency and impor-tantly profitability.”

Tyre Changing Equipment:

Increasing demands from customers isputting ever-greater time pressure on work-

shops to get the job done quickly. The newrange of tyre changing equipment (TCE)from Bosch has been specifically designedto provide technicians with a safe, versatileand importantly time-saving operation.Bosch’s TCE range from Bosch is suitable forpassenger cars, motorcycles (with addi-tional accessories) and light commercialvehicles.

Key Features of the new range includeimproved clamping to safely and securelyhold the wheel without damaging alloy orpolished rims while tyres are removed andrefitted, better mounting capabilities toensure tyres are fitted quickly and safely,

suitability for RFT, PAX, BSR and CSR tyres soworkshops will be able to handle both highand low profile run-flat tyre systems (withadditional accessories), and the ability toaccommodate tyres with up to a 30-inch rimdiameter and 22inch width

Wheel balancing equipment:

The ability to offer customers a fast, accu-rate and user-friendly wheel balancingservice is an important element of tyreservice. Bosch reports that its range ofwheel balancing equipment boasts anumber of innovative features that will help

The Bosch tyre changing range offersmodels capable of handling tyres forrim diameters of up to 30-inches


PRODUCT INFORMATION

improve efficiency in the workshop. Key features include pneumaticor mechanical quick clamp to quickly secure the wheel in the rightposition as well as a wheel lift and a large weight holder, an elec-tronic scanning arm to allow for quick recording of rim distance,width and to place easily the weights at the correct position, an LEDor large TFT Display for quick reading of measured values. A lasermeasured wheel width, true running, wheel symmetry and side slipcontrol function is also available.

Wheel alignment Equipment:

The development of modern suspension and chassis system tech-nology is ongoing, and wheel alignment equipment has had to keeppace with the rate of change. The need to provide technicians withaccurate, up-to-date information and data to ensure the correctsettings are applied is also vital. Bosch says that its new FWA 4630has been specifically developed to meet both these important criteria.The FWA 4630 employs 3D technology through cameras that Boschreports are three times more accurate than current image alignersand an integrated reference system. According to Bosch, the FWA4630 is fast, mobile and requires only one technician to operate it.

Optional updates ensure that new models can be quickly inte-grated into the FWA 4630’s vehicle database, which currentlyincludes around 25,000 vehicles from more than 60 manufacturers.The user can extend it by individual vehicle specified data and regularsoftware-updates. The interface with Windows-typical functions isdesigned for user-friendly operation. The user is able to selectbetween a guided routine before and after adjustment, a fast measu-rement without caster deflection or an optional measurement fortargeted testing of individual measured values. The system providesmany explanatory images and drawings, which allow immediate,reliable correction of alignment errors.

Key Features of the FWA 4630 include an absence of electronicson the wheel and very robust sensor heads, usability on differentlifts, pits and even on the garage floor, without the need to installthe aligner in a fixed position, the ability to operate in a relativelyconfined space (only 600mm is required on each site of the car), fastmeasurement combined with high accuracy (the complete measu-rement process including set up can be performed within7minuntes) and rolling runout compensation and consistent simul-taneous accuracy on all four wheels without having to lift thevehicle.

The FWA 4360’s 3D measuring technology permits automatic,high precision measurements. High reproducibility of the resultsguarantees reliability and competence even in the case of repetitions,Bosch adds. sg

1/4 AD Supertracker

1/4 AD Van Aarsen

Feasibility and flexibility first.

Granulator Low operating

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costs Optimum

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Minimum service down time due to solid low maintenance construction

www.aarsen.com

Super Tracker



PRODUCT INFORMATION

Cooper Unveils its First Low Rolling Resistance Tyre

Cooper Tire & Rubber has announced that, in response to consumer demandfor greater vehicle fuel efficiency, it has launched its first low-rolling resistancetyre line – the Cooper GFE (Greater Fuel Efficiency). The new range is alreadyavailable in dealerships across the US.

“With the recent volatility in gasoline prices,customers are looking for ways to improvetheir vehicle fuel economy,” said ChuckYurkovich, Vice President of Global Techno-logy. “Tyre rolling resistance has a significantimpact on vehicle fuel economy, so Cooperresponded with a new tyre specifically desi-gned for fuel-efficient vehicles.”

A mixture of advanced design and mate-rials technology have gone into creating atyre that maximises fuel economy and savesmoney at the pump while providing excel-lent traction and treadwear, comments

Cooper. The GFE is a touring tyre offered ineight sizes. The range is aimed at drivers offuel-efficient vehicles, but also includespopular mainstream sizes. Key fitmentsinclude the Toyota Prius, Corolla, Yaris andEcho, plus the Honda Civic and Fit.

The GFE showcases Cooper EnergyReturn Technology (CERT); the tyre makerexplains CERT as being a new tread stockmade from a silica technology married witha specialised polymer in order to providevery low-rolling resistance while maintai-ning outstanding wet grip and long tread

life.The GFE also employs unique mould

technology using traction compensatingsipes. These sipes increase in length as thetyre wears. According to Cooper, the inter-locking action of the sipes helps providemore stable handling when the tyre is new,then adds length to the biting edgesthroughout the tyre’s life. This technologyhelps maintain wet and winter traction asthe tread wears.

In addition, the GFE has a T speedrating, which meets or exceeds the originalequipment requirements of many cars, mini-vans and crossovers. The all-season designalso employs a computer-enhanced, sound-quality system that optimises the treadpattern to produce a quiet ride. The appe-arance of the GFE is enhanced by the useof engraved segmented moulds, Cooper

Avon’s ZZR Tyre Paired withCaterham Cars’ Superlight

Avon Tyres’ ultra-high performance tyre, the ZZR, is to be paired with the Caterham Super-light range. The brands’ 18-year association has resulted in the creation of a bespoke

version of Avon’s road-legal ZZR tyre, designed for optimal dry weather grip. Avon says thatthe range is popular among track day attendees seeking a tyre offering predictable andprogressive handling.

This is not the first time Avon and Caterham have combined; the much heralded AvonCR500 was developed specifically for the predecessor of

the present-day Superlight R500, and is standardfitment across the current Superlight range.

James Weekley, Avon Tyres’ operations and UKsales manager commented, “The challenge was totake our most extreme tyre and tune it to compli-ment the specific characteristics that are inherentto Superlight Sevens. A two-tonne Nissan GTR isan altogether different prospect to a half-tonneCaterham. Using all the data and expertise we’vecollected over the years, we’ve tweaked the ZZRwith a lighter overall construction, using less stiffsidewalls, reduced reinforcement and a softercompound of rubber, making it ideally suited to thenew application.”

Available as an option on the Caterham Super-light range, the road-legal ZZR offers track enthusi-

asts enhanced performance in the dry over the stan-dard fitment Avon CR500. akb

Avon’s road-legal ZZRtyre is aimed at trackday enthusiasts

Thorite WebstoreOffers Big NameCompressors

Thorite, has added a substantial numberof new compressors to its range of work-shop series piston compressors. Estab-lished models from FIAC and Thorite’sown brand Diamond Professional andPerformance ranges and now joined bythe latest models from big name manu-facturers ABAC and SIP. The two newranges offer a wide choice of outputs, allat the most competitive prices: There are1.5 and 2.5hp direct drive portables, 3hpbelt drive portables and belt drive statio-nary models ranging from 3hp to 10hp.

cja


PRODUCT INFORMATION

improve efficiency in the workshop. Key features include pneumaticor mechanical quick clamp to quickly secure the wheel in the rightposition as well as a wheel lift and a large weight holder, an elec-tronic scanning arm to allow for quick recording of rim distance,width and to place easily the weights at the correct position, an LEDor large TFT Display for quick reading of measured values. A lasermeasured wheel width, true running, wheel symmetry and side slipcontrol function is also available.

Wheel alignment Equipment:

The development of modern suspension and chassis system tech-nology is ongoing, and wheel alignment equipment has had to keeppace with the rate of change. The need to provide technicians withaccurate, up-to-date information and data to ensure the correctsettings are applied is also vital. Bosch says that its new FWA 4630has been specifically developed to meet both these important criteria.The FWA 4630 employs 3D technology through cameras that Boschreports are three times more accurate than current image alignersand an integrated reference system. According to Bosch, the FWA4630 is fast, mobile and requires only one technician to operate it.

Optional updates ensure that new models can be quickly inte-grated into the FWA 4630’s vehicle database, which currentlyincludes around 25,000 vehicles from more than 60 manufacturers.The user can extend it by individual vehicle specified data and regularsoftware-updates. The interface with Windows-typical functions isdesigned for user-friendly operation. The user is able to selectbetween a guided routine before and after adjustment, a fast measu-rement without caster deflection or an optional measurement fortargeted testing of individual measured values. The system providesmany explanatory images and drawings, which allow immediate,reliable correction of alignment errors.

Key Features of the FWA 4630 include an absence of electronicson the wheel and very robust sensor heads, usability on differentlifts, pits and even on the garage floor, without the need to installthe aligner in a fixed position, the ability to operate in a relativelyconfined space (only 600mm is required on each site of the car), fastmeasurement combined with high accuracy (the complete measu-rement process including set up can be performed within7minuntes) and rolling runout compensation and consistent simul-taneous accuracy on all four wheels without having to lift thevehicle.

The FWA 4360’s 3D measuring technology permits automatic,high precision measurements. High reproducibility of the resultsguarantees reliability and competence even in the case of repetitions,Bosch adds. sg

1/4 AD Supertracker

1/4 AD Van Aarsen

PRODUCT INFORMATION

1/4 Dynomec AD

Dynomec

PRODUCT INFORMATION

Dynomec

1/4 Dynomec AD

LIFTING EQUIPMENT

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Dynomec

Locking Wheel NutRemoverLOSING TRADE DUE

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Tel: 01977 520666

Fax: 01977 510333

www.dynomec.co.uk

www.lockingwheelnutremover.com

Removes 100%of locks nuts

Will not damagealloy wheels

Designed & Manufacturedin the UK

by Dynomec Ltd

AS USED BY THE AA

1/4 Vintage Tyres AD

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from the ultimate tyre

* mainland only



PRODUCT INFORMATION

Wolfrace Launches New Bari andMilano WheelsWolfrace GB has launched two new alloy wheels – the new Bari and Milano. Bari(pronounced ba-ri) is a new multi-spoke design finished in Black with a high qualitypolished surface. Available with a three-year warranty and a wide range of sizes inclu-ding 7.0x15, 7.5x16, 8.0x17 and 7.5x18 the Bari has recently been approved by Renaultas an aftermarket alloy solution for Renault cars.

For those looking for a more OE alloy for their ride, there’s the new Milano. The simplemulti-spoke design, twisted slightly for extra effect, looks great on hardcore rides built toimpress with under-stated elegance. The Milano is finished in a new Titanium colour andas well as an enviable range of sizes catering for small hatchbacks to larger vehicles, sizesinclude 5.5x14, 6.5x15, 6.5x16 and 7.0x17. The Milano also offers the Wolfrace GBrange’s unique five year warranty.

Like all Wolfrace GB wheels, the Bari and Milano are made in Germany and haveTUV certification. The suggested retail prices for Bari are: 7.0x15 - £112.95; 7.5x16 -£118.95; 8.0x17 - £156.99; and 7.5x18 - £138.95. The suggested retail prices for Milanoare: 5.5x14 - £92.95; 6.5x15 - £99.95; 6.5x16 - £96.95 and 7.0x17 - £107.95. cja

Sykes-Pickavant Launches Pneumatic Wheel LifterSykes-Pickavant has announced its new Pneumatic

Wheel Lifter, which the company says helps tocomply with regulations regarding the workingenvironment and safety in the workplace. It is –says Sykes-Pickavant – particularly useful for largerSUV, 4WD and Van wheels and tyre.

Features include the ability to lift wheels in lessthan ten seconds with its all in one

continuous movement, stoppingprecisely at the desired position,the wheels rest on rollersmaking it easy to turn thewheel until the correct position

is found and it has an additionalcompressed air outlet to connect

an air wrench with free access towheel nuts.

In addition to the lifter, the company hasannounced a wheel trolley, specifically for moun-ting and dismounting large wheels on SUVs,4WDs, vans and trucks. It has rotating rollers makeit easy to turn the wheel until the correct position

is found, with the rollers ableto be fitted in 3 positions for

different wheel sizes.

Wheel Lifter Specifications:• Suitable for Wheel / Tyre overall diameters from 13” - 24” (325 – 600m )

• Lifting capacity up to 65 kg• Max. lifting height 1000 mm• Compressed air capacity 85 – 140psi• Width : 700 mm - Height : 1880 mm

Trolley Specifications:• Roller positions:• Outer – 620mm / Middle – 450mm / Inner 290mm• Lifting height: approx.100 mm• Max.weight of wheel: 150 kg

• Min. diameter of wheel: Ø600 mm• Max. diameter of wheel: Ø1100 mm

akb

The new Pneumatic Wheel Lifter New wheel trolley with rotating rollers

EU Wheel Balancer/TyreChanger Market Down2.7%

Less than 42,000 tyre changers and wheelbalancers were sold across the sevenleading European markets in 2008. A newreport by LEO-Impact Consulting GmbHfound that market volumes in this part of thegarage equipment sector varied from -4.9per cent to +0.2 per cent in the sevenmarkets surveyed (Germany, France, Italy,UK, Spain, Scandinavia, Benelux), but weredown 2.7 per cent on average comparedwith 2007. UK market volumes were theforth largest after Germany, France andItaly. According to the report, the mostimportant players (in alphabetical order are:Cemb, Guilano, Nexion, Samio, Sican(Bosch), Snap-On and Werther. However,there are a lot of regional and a few over-seas competitors. cja

TYRES APRIL P81.qxp:Layout 1 8/4/09 13:21 Page 1


PRODUCT INFORMATION

Sunborne SolutionsIntroduces ‘LiquidGloves’ to the TyreBusiness

Tyre shop equipment and consuma-bles specialists, Sunborne Solutions

recently introduced “liquid gloves” to thegarage and tyre bay business. Imaginethe normal latex gloves used for messyoil changes and air conditioningservices, only this time in a bottle. Accor-ding to Sunborne, the new product “willreplace most of the uses Latex gloveswere designed for with a plus.”

Liquid Gloves have been used in thehome and the health service for a fewyears now. When first introduced intothe UK they were designed for domesticand medical use and the product is stillbeing used for medical purposes bypeople that suffer with eczema, dry skin,calluses etc. Now, however, according tothe company, Liquid Gloves is now readyfor heavy industry use by mechanics,tyre fitters, aviation maintenance andancillary medical support staff.

The product works like this - justsquirt the substance onto the palm ofyour hands, rub well in back and frontup to your wrists. Let dry for about 30seconds and off to work you go.Whether you work in dirt, grime, grease,oil, rubber Liquid Gloves will protect yourhands from the ingrained dirt and greaseindustry throws at you. Afterwards,according to the directions, you justwash off with water, nothing else, justwater. No soap needed or dreadedsolvents, just the plain old universalsolvent called water. It leaves the skin softand clean. No chemical fragrance justclean hands.

Those you watching the bottom linewill be pleased to note that the cost ofthe product is no more than a box ofLatex gloves with more service and addi-tional protection. cja

Evo Corse Release Dakar LandRover Wheel into AftermarketEvo Corse has released its‘Dakar’ wheel into the after-market. According to thecompany, the 16 x 7-inchwheel has also proven itsworth on the Land Rovers ofthe British Army in Iraq andAfghanistan.

Each wheel is low pres-sure cast in a permanent steelmould from A356 Primaryaluminium alloy, before beingreceiving a T6 heat treatmentto avoid imperfections. Thewheels are then CNCmachined both front and rearto get the precise spoke profileand to eliminate any possibleimbalance. The Dakar is specified up to a load index of 1500kg per corner, meaning thatlight armoured applications and full loads are both safely within Evo Corse’s stringent designcriteria.

The wheels are cast in Italy, and use a hardened steel insert to allow for the retentionof the OEM wheel nuts for the ultimate integrity of fitment. Colour wise, the pictured MattBlack is available, plus silver and gunmetal for those not quite so concerned with keepinga low profile. The rims retail at £232.69 + VAT each. cja

Evo Corse’s Dakar wheel, which has reportedly proven its worthwith the British Army in Iraq and Afghanistan, has reported for dutyin the UK aftermarket this month

Konig Wheels Support Largest MiddleEast’s ModifiedCar Competition

With modifiers bringing cars to the BarbicanTurbo and the Top 100 in Abu Dhabi fromas far as Oman and Qatar last year, this timeround Konig Wheels wants to get in on theaction. Hamid Moaref, manager of KonigWheels & Accessories division, VargaTrading, in the Middle East stated: “We’vebeen strong supporters of Barbican Turbofrom day one – it’s important to have a showdedicated purely to customising vehicles inthis region…It’s all about finding the moststylish ‘show cars’ in the region and this fitsperfectly with the Konig Wheels brand asour motto is ‘style is king’”. All entries to theTop 100 will receive a 20 per cent discountvoucher for Konig Wheels from the organi-sers. cja


PRODUCT INFORMATION

AD Arcom

Hofmann Helps MIRA Stay Balanced

MIRA, the leading automotive design, development and certification consultancy, haschosen a Hofmann geodyna 6900p wheel balancer for its vehicle dynamics laboratory.

The geodyna 6900p wheel balancer features a number of patented innovations, includingvirtual plane measurement to ensure accurate balance results that are insensitive to ambientconditions such as temperature, humidity, fatigue and overload. In addition, it also includesa so-called “WeightMiser” function which allows removal of sufficient vibration from a tyre andwheel by applying a lower amount of weight than a normal balance function recommends,thereby reducing the amount of costly balance weights required.

Rob Allton, a Project Engineer in MIRA’s Vehicle Dynamics Department, commented: “TheHofmann wheel balancer has proved to be the ideal choice for our vehicle dynamics labo-ratory. I am particularly impressed with the machine’s automatic measurement of wheel dimen-sions, which saves valuable technician time, as well as the accuracy of the weight placementarm that enables us to use less balance weights and reduce costs.”

Chris Behan, general manager, Snap-on Equipment, added: “MIRA’s reputation is legen-dary, so I am delighted that they have recognised the advantages Hofmann offers in termsof technology and real word cost savings.” cja

MIRA has chosen a Hofmann geodyna 6900p wheel balancer for itsvehicle dynamics laboratoryPelmar and Cincinnati Retread Systems Partner

in Retreading/Recycling Distribution Deal

Pelmar Engineering Ltd. has teamed up with Cincinnati RetreadSystems (CRS) to distribution tyre reteading and recycling machineryon a global scale.

The deal sees Pelmar, a leading supplier of pre-owned, recondi-tioned and new machinery and engineering solutions for thepolymer industry, open up its distribution network of 6 subsidiariesand 10 representatives worldwide to CRS in order for both compa-nies to reach further. CRS specializes in manufacturing Tyre Buffers,Expandable Hubs and Rims, Tyre Mulchers, Pollution Controls andClassifiers. Todd Hunsche, CRS president of the machinery divisionsaid: “In today’s global marketplace our presence in strategic loca-tions that are beyond our reach, will now be reached thanks tocooperation with Pelmar’s global access. Pelmar and CRS will promotemachinery and engineering services that will result in additionalcustomers for both of us.” cja

New Diamond Air Tools Brochure

Thorite, the UK’s largest supplier of pneumatic products and processsystems, has produced a new brochure featuring updated productsin their popular range of Diamond Performance Airtools. Aimedprimarily at the light duty automotive market and DIY enthusiast, thenew brochure features many new products including: Comprehen-sive 43 piece air tool kit, the perfect starter kit for anyone setting upa workshop using air tools, 3-inch Air cut off grinder ideal for a multi-tude of cutting and grinding tasks around the garage or fabricationshop and a 4-inch Angle grinder for heavier duty grinding andcutting tasks. cja

Autopromotec

Pic: APBF.jpg

Cap: Arcom


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www.tyrerecovery.org.ukwww.tyresafe.org

Exhausts/Silencerswww.cesuk.com

Earthmover Wheelswww.kirkbytyres.co.uk

Materials/Accessorieswww.gogommasrl.it

Locking Wheel Nutswww.dynomec.co.uk

www.theaftermarketshow.comwww.semashow.comwww.rubbere.com

www.maxima-expo.ru

Miscellaneouswww.traxjh.com

Importers/Wholesalerswww.tym-international.com

Motorcycle Tyre Wholesalers

www.worldofbiketyres.comwww.cambriantyres.co.uk

Industrial Tyreswww.solideal.com

www.btrgroup.co.ukRecycling Machinery

www.mmhrecsys.com

Retreading/Recycling/Disposalwww.systems4recycling.comwww.klarius.eu

www.oddballtyres.co.uk

Fleet Management Systemswww.advancedidcorp.com

www.pneu-logic.co.uk

www.cmshredders.comwww.credenv.com

www.ringtread.comwww.kraiburg-retreading.com

www.environment-agency.gov.uk/tyrewatch

www.treadsdirect.comwww.sapphirerecovery.co.uk

The WEB DIRECTORYin TYRE & ACCESSORIESand the LINK SECTION in

www.tyrepress.com

To appear in thisWebsite Directory

for 12 months which, willinclude hyperlinked

entries on theTyres & Accessories websiteE-Mail: [email protected]

THE FAST AND DIRECT WAY TO YOUR HOMEPAGE

72 Tyres & Accessories 9/2009

WEB DIRECTORY

Breakdown Serviceswww.www.itdn.org.uk

73Tyres & Accessories 9/2009

WEB DIRECTORY

www.watts-rubber.com

www.fulda.co.uk

Tyre Manufacturers

www.bridgestone.eu/truckpoint

www.dunloptyres.co.uk

www.cgs.cz

www.conti-online.co.uk

www.treadwayscorp.com

www.stapletons-tyres.co.uk

Tyre Exporterswww.china-tyre.com

www.sintontyres.co.uk

www.bkt-tires.com

www.tribatyre.com

www.micheldever.co.uk

www.eptyres.com

www.tyrespot.co.uk

www.midlandmobiletyres.co.uk

www.sentaida-international.com

www.viking.co.uk

www.nete.co.uk

www.tyres-bernaerts.com

www.inter-sprint.nl

www.lexanitire.com

www.lytire.com

www.deldo.com

www.herculesinternational.com

www.fieldens.co.uk

www.deklokbanden.com

www.glanworthtyres.com

www.heuver.com

www.dessimpson.co.uk

www.dalytyres.com

www.bridgestone.eu/truckpoint

Tyre Compoundswww.vipal.com.br

Tyre Distributors/Wholesalerswww.4site4x4.co.uk

www.bitsuk.co.uk

www.blackcircles.com

www.aeolus-tyres.eu

www.cooperbros.co.uk

www.grouptyre.co.uk

Tyre Computer Softwarewww.teamsystems.co.uk

www.kirkbytyres.co.uk

Truck Wheelswww.kirkbytyres.co.uk

Softwarewww.mamsoft.co.uk/tyres

www.gripenwheels.com

www.lctyres.ie

www.bandvulc.co.uk

Truck Tyre Retreadingwww.mickeythompson.co.uk

www.mastercrafttyres.co.uk

www.northwesttyres.com

www.kingdavidtyres.co.uk

www.internationaltyres.com

www.starco.com

www.sd-international.cn

www.coopertire.com

Testing Serviceswww.dunloptyretesting.co.uk

www.gold-spark.com

www.goodyear.co.uk

www.kenda.com.tw

www.gt-tires.com

Wheels

www.butler.it

www.mrftyres.com

www.silverstone.com.my

www.trelleborg.com

www.tsw-wheels.co.uk

www.vredestein.com

www.yokohama.co.uk

www.uniroyaltruck.co.uk

Workshop Equipmentwww.agequipment.co.uk

Tyre Repair/Inflation

www.schrader-valves.co.uk

www.nankang.com.tw

www.nexentire.co.kr

www.kumho-euro.com

www.lassa-europe.com

www.beissbarth.co.uk

www.tsissg.com

www.mswuk.com

www.elitedirect.com

www.uniflate.com

Tyre Mouldswww.jwinc.co.kr

www.imagewheels.co.uk

www.pirelli.co.uk

www.performancealloys.com

www.marangoni.com

www.punctureproof.com

www.matador.sk

www.harvieprema.co.uk

www.maitechtire.com

www.tip-top.co.uk

www.techkingtires.com

www.afan-tyres.co.uk

www.tyre-equipment.co.uk

www.overfinch.com

Vintage Tyres

www.longstonetyres.co.uk

www.monaflex.com

Wheel Balancers/Accessorieswww.haweka.com

www.alcar.co.uk

www.vredestein.com

www.bateman-sellarc.co.uk

www.grouptyre.co.uk

www.vintagetyres.com

www.smartronics.co.uk

www.supertracker.com

www.trelleborg.com/wheelsystems-uk

www.innotecworld.com

www.wheelalignmentuk.com

www.cosengautomotive.com

www.northhantstyres.com

www.reinheimer-stitcher-roller.com

www.toyo.co.uk

www.airbosstyre.com

www.pro-align.co.uk

74 Tyres & Accessories 9/2009

WEB DIRECTORY

www.magnatyres.com

www.kirkbytyres.co.uk

www.sunbornsolutions.com

LOOKING FOR THE RIGHT DEAL?Place an advert within the classifieds

& get a free advert on

www.tyrepress.com

Call Scott on 01782 214224or e-mail:[email protected]

Aluco GmbHWe Buy and Sell at very competitive prices.

NEW AND USEDPASSENGER CAR AND LIGHT TRUCK TYRES

ALUMINIUM WHEELSTYRE CHANGERS AND WHEEL BALANCING MACHINES

64579-Gernsheim, Emanuel-Merck-Str.1-3, GermanyTel.+49-6258-93010 Fax:+49-6258-3095 Mob.+49-171-476150

e-Mail: [email protected] [email protected] [email protected]

Leading Official Supplier For: • Pirelli ™ Yokohama ™ & Kumho

Motorsport and Road Legal Track Day Tyres.

• Over 30,000 major brand tyres held at our warehouses.

• Trade enquiries welcome• Deliveries throughout the UK

The TYRE EQUIPMENT COMPANY Ltd. The TYRE EQUIPMENT COMPANY Ltd.

Browse our catalogue and shop securely on-line at Browse our catalogue and shop securely on-line at

www.tyre-equipment.co.uk www.tyre-equipment.co.uk

Or phone for a catalogue Or phone for a catalogue

Tel: 01905 821697 Tel: 01905 821697 Freefax: 0800 3280825. Freefax: 0800 3280825.

www.reifen-szymos.deEmail: [email protected]

Tel/Fax: +49 (0)6245 905858

From GermanyAll sizes of USED CAR TYRES

Profile and tested high-profile tyres

NEXT DAY DELIVERYONE STOP TRADE SHOP

THE VERY BEST TRADEPRICES ON ALL STOCK

TA SEP CLASSIFIED .qxp:Layout 1 14/09/2009 13:27 Page 103

HALL 2, STAND 117

� PERFECT when air-pressure tested� All our used CAR TYRES� Sizes 12/13/14/15/16/17/18

19/20/21/22 inch Wheels� Summer and Winter tyres

You are welcome to visit us and see for yourself

KURZ RHG – GERMANY (Frankfurt)www.kurz-reifen.de [email protected]

TEL: 001928 5568 6648 FFAX: 001928 5568 6649

Truck casingsWide variety of sizes & Qualities always required

Providers of casing management services for International Bluechip Companies

ISO 9001:2000 Waste Management LicenceE:[email protected] W:www.stathamtyres.com

The Dexel Tyre Group is one of the largest Independent TyreRetailers and Distributors in the UK and now due to retirement

we require a Business Development Manager

The ideal candidate will live within the area or be preparedto move to the area and have a good knowledge andexperience of the Tyre Industry, particularly within theCommercial Tyre field.• Knowledge of Industrial and Agricultural Tyres would bean advantage

• Training will be given to the right person where necessary• The candidate will need to be articulate, self-motivated,target and customer satisfaction driven

• The successful applicant would be responsible formaintaining and growing an already large and successfulportfolio of customers

• The position offers an excellent salary package including abonus system

• The position includes a fully expensed quality Company Carchoice and the provision of a mobile phone, pension etc.

Business Development ManagerCovering the Lincolnshire and Scunthorpe Area

Interested candidates should apply in writing and inconfidence with an up-to-date C.V. to:

Mark Mellon - Director, Dexel Tyre Group,128-144 Staniforth Road,Sheffield, S9 3JQor [email protected] by 30th September 2009.

TYRE COMPANY LTD

WHOLESALE QUALITY USED TYRESLarge stock of quality used car & light truck tyres for UK &

Export

1000’s in stock atJunction 8/9 M40, Oxford

Please call with your requirments

01865 775522 / 07889 006841 & ask for [email protected]

Quality Used Tyres 4mm Grade30,35,40 & 45 series

In 16,17,18 & up to 19,20 & 22-inch Tyres

Also the following sizes @ 6mm tread depth

195/60x15, 205/55x16

Also new tyres in above sizes

in any quantities and in job lots

Top Cash Paid

WANTED

Email:[email protected]:07793 102660

WANTED

A.L.TYRES

FOR SALETTRRUUCCKK CCAASSIINNGGSSSPECIAL PPRICES PPAID

FOR AALL MMAKES && SSIZESWE BBUY && SSELL WWORLDWIDE

SHEFFIELD SST., OOFF LLANCASHIRE

HILL, SSTOCKPORT, SSK4 11RL

TEL.+44(0)161 4477 55813FAX.+44(0)161 4480 00416

[email protected]@ALTYRES.CO.UKWWW.ALTYRES.CO.UKWWW.ALTYRES.CO.UK


ATV TYRES, TURF TYRES,INNER TUBESCALL FREE:

0800 731 1720

JAPANESE CASINGS

All kinds of Japanese

Casings and Used Tyres

Contact

KANEKO SHOJI., LTD.

TEL: +81 29 2553712

FAX: +81 29 2553713

Email:

[email protected]

WELLINGTON RUBBERCO. LTD

Consistent Buyers of

TYRE BUFFINGSBUTYL TUBES

BUTYL BLADDERSTextile Street, West Gorton, Manchester M12 5DL

Tel: 0161 223 7181Fax: 0161 223 0173

We Buy on a Regular Basis:� Rubber Buffings and

Strippings from Tyre Retreading

We are also interested in:� Old Inner Tubes� Off Grade Tyre Compounds� Technical Rubber Waste

Industrieweg 8, 5492 NG, Nijnsel, HollandTel: 00 31 413 472963 Fax: 00 31 413 473810www.jakobsrubber.com [email protected]

cooper brosOVERTOWN ROAD, NEWMAINS,

WISHAW, LANARKSHIRE LEADING STOCKISTS OF YOKOHAMA,

STUNNER, VREDESTEIN, MAXXIS,FEDERAL, HANKOOK AND ALL MAJOR

BRANDS PLUS BATTERIES, EXHAUSTS,CATS, COMPONENTS, BALANCE WEIGHTS

AND REPAIR MATERIALS.REGULAR DELIVERIES THROUGHOUT

CENTRAL SCOTLAND PHONE: 01698 383724 FAX: 01698 386673E MAIL: [email protected]

M

Maxxis 5

Michelin 17

Monarch 53

N

Nexen 35

North Hants Tyres 53

Q

Quinton Tyres Back Cover

S

Sailun Tire 9

SEMA 49

Shandong Linglong 69

Sibur 27

Sintons 11

Stapletons 19

Supertracker 65

T

Treads Direct 29

TSI/SSG Export 55

V

Van Aarsen 65

Vintage Tyres 67

A

Apollo 79

Arcom SPJ 71

B

Bandvulc 21

BKT 7

British & International

Tyres Supplies 41

C

C.I.T.Expo 33

Cooper Tyre Front Cover

D

Deestone 37

Deldo Insert

Dynomec 67

E

E.C.I. 25

Infinity Tyres 2

Eurotyre 39

H

Henan 51

K

Kabat 57

Kirkby Tyres 45

Kings Road Tyres 43

Kumho 23

AA DDVVEERRTTII SSEERRSS IINN DDEEXX



PREVIEW

In Our Next IssueA brief look forward at a few of the articles appearing in next month’s T&A.

First published in June 1946, T&A is distributed in the third week of

every month by:

Tyre Industry Publications Ltd.Unit I, Magnolia Centre

Telford Road, Clacton-on-SeaEssex CO 15 4LP, England

Telephone: +44 (0)1255 222233Editorial: +44 (0) 1782 214224

Fax: +44 (0)1255 222234e-mail: [email protected]: www.tyrepress.com

Correspondence and advertising materialshould be sent to the above address.

Publisher:Klaus Haddenbrock

[email protected]

Editor:Christopher Anthony

[email protected] Goodchild

[email protected] Bogie

[email protected] Editor:

Peter [email protected]

Advertising Manager:Alan Day

[email protected] Sales:

Scott [email protected]

Circulation Manager:Julie Wilshaw

[email protected]

Editorial office:6A Salem Street

Etruria, Stoke-on-Trent Staffordshire, ST1 5PR

Telephone: +44 (0) 1782 214224Fax: +44 (0) 1782 260252

Contributors:[email protected]

[email protected]@reifenpresse.de

Layout:Heike Schomaker-Eymers

Gaby Hinck

2009 Subscription Rate: £60 (UK), £70(Europe), £90 (R.O.W.) per year.

Back issues: £5 per copy.Reg. No: 1023538 England

VAT No: 466 0254 53Bank: National Westminster Bank

PLC, 10 Station Road, Clacton-on-Sea, Essex CO15 1TA

Account No: 70304440Sort Code: 60 05 33

Printed by:The Magazine Printing Company

1082 Mollison AvenueBrimsdown, EnfieldMiddlessex EN3 7NT

Tyre Industry Publications Ltd. can accept noresponsibility for the veracity of claims made by

contributors, manufacturers or advertisers

A Growing PresenceThis year online tyre retailers have largely defied prevailing trends by recording muchimproved year-on-year sales. While the two leading internet only tyre businesses operatingin the UK (Blackcircles.com and Delticom AG-owned mytyres.co.uk) still command the majo-rity of the online market share, other sites such as kwik-fit.co.uk, national.co.uk and best-

buytyres.co.uk are alsomaking an impression onthe market. Next monthTyres & Accessories onceagain takes a look at thisincreasingly essential busi-ness tool.

Tyre Wholesaling

The importance of the tyre whole-sale business cannot be underesti-mated, with the influence of someof the larger wholesalers even exten-ding to design and developmentpartnerships with manufacturers.October’s wholesaling featureexplores the many facets of the tyrewholesaling business, both in theUK and internationally.

TYREPRESS.COM –

Your number one source for tyre industry news and facts now has a brand new look. We’ve kept the up-to-the-minute news and information you know and trust, but our completely updated site now delivers even more features – in an attractive and user-friendly format.

Now even better!


Documents

Tyres & Accessories September 2009