Toyo Tire and Rubber Co. Ltd. (TYO:5105) has brought to market a new tire in the Tranpath minivan tire series: the Tranpath ML. This tire is aimed specifically at the mid-range minivan market. It offers good running stability, wear resistance and fuel efficiency, which are all requirements of minivan tires. During the development of the rubber materials used in the...
Toyota Motor Corp. (TYO:7203) has announced that it will be the world’s first automobile manufacturer to employ biohydrin rubber in its engine and drive system hoses. These special rubber components must be highly resistant to oil and heat. Toyota will begin using biohydrin rubber in vacuum sensing hoses (used in engine intake systems) this May, with usage expected in all...
Yokohama Rubber Co. Ltd. (TYO:5101) has announced it will release new all-terrain SUV tires “Geolandar A/T G015” in August under its Geolandar SUV tire brand. The product will come in 27 sizes. Marking the 20th anniversary of the Geolandar brand, the new product targets drivers who enjoy an active lifestyle. The product’s overall improvements enable higher off-road capabilities and endurance...
A five-member team led by Motoyuki Shima has received the 64th CSJ Award for Technical Development from the Chemical Society of Japan. Shima is General Manager of the Semiconductor Materials Laboratory, one of the Fine Electronic Materials Research Laboratories at JSR Corp. (TYO:4185). The award recognizes the team’s development of a topcoat material for use in argon fluoride (ArF) immersion...
Toyoda Gosei Co. Ltd. (TYO:7282) developed a retrofittable alert system that detects dangerous driving behaviors such as taking eyes off the road and nodding off at the wheel in order to help prevent accidents involving its trucks it sold. The system, which consists of a replacement handle equipped with a camera and a smartphone installed with a dedicated application, sends...
Kureha Elastomer Co. Ltd., a manufacturer of office automation (OA) equipment and rubber spinning rollers, is developing ultra-thin high-performance rubber sheets with which it hopes to target new markets such as batteries and medical instrumentations. The ultra-thin high-precision sheets measure 0.05-0.02 mm in thickness with tolerances of ±10 percent, and can be produced from various kinds of synthetic rubber in...
