Sumitomo Rubber has newly developed Japan’s first voicebot on golf advice, introducing a conversational AI platform provided by Enoki. The system has been released free of charge on Oct. 6 as a new feature of D-Golf, the company’s smartphone application to support golf life. A voicebot is a system that uses conversational AI, voice recognition, natural language processing, and other...
Innovation
Hambo Develops High-Performance Polyethylene Fiber Based on Carbon-Based Ultra-Polymer Technology
Work glove manufacturer Hambo has developed Metalq, a high-performance polyethylene fiber based on carbon-based ultra-high polymer technology. Metalq is a high-performance man-made fiber developed in-house using internationally patented carbon-based ultra-high polymer technology, featuring high strength, ultra-light weight, and high durability. The carbon-based material blended inside the fiber demonstrates high cut resistance on its own without involving glass or metal fibers,...
Teijin Frontier Develops Environmentally Friendly and RF-Free Tire Cord
Teijin Frontier has developed an environmentally friendly tire cord that uses an adhesive free of resorcinol-formaldehyde (RF), which is considered to be harmful to the human body and the environment, and uses chemically recycled polyester fiber for rubber reinforcement. The company intends to develop a wide range of products as reinforcing fibers for rubber products such as tire cords, belts,...
Toyoda Gosei Produces Lightweight Containers Made of CNF Reinforced Plastics
Toyoda Gosei has produced lightweight product transport containers made of cellulose nanofiber (CNF) reinforced plastic, which was developed for use in vehicle interior and exterior parts. The material is five times stronger than steel but only one-fifth the weight. The company will accumulate actual results in the field with a view to adopting the technology for automotive parts. CNF reinforced...
Sumitomo Rubber Succeeds at Visualizing Sulfur Compounds Used in Li–S Batteries
Sumitomo Rubber has used the SPring-8 synchrotron radiation facility in a joint project to create what it is calling a Tender X-Ray Nanoscope, the world’s first technology able to analyze a substance’s structure and chemical bonds at the nano level. This has then been used to successfully visualize the sulfur compounds employed in lithium–sulfur (Li–S) batteries. The project comes as...
Toyoda Gosei Opens Energy Saving Dojo at Miwa Technical Center
Toyoda Gosei has opened the Energy Saving Dojo, an educational facility at its Miwa Technical Center, to share energy-saving examples of production processes within the company and eliminate energy waste. The objective is to share good practices with suppliers and others to promote initiatives to reduce carbon emissions throughout the supply chain. The company aims to achieve carbon neutrality in...