Nitta Corp. has launched sales of Linemate LB70, a new series of ultra-flexible resin hose products with applications in hydraulic piping for machine tools and machining work. The new hoses are 15-25 percent more flexible than existing products and also have a major weight advantage.
(Continued from part 1 published Dec. 18, 2015) Yokohama Rubber Co. Ltd. (TYO:5101) has developed a multi-objective design exploration technology enabling innovative new ideas in rubber materials design that have not been derived from conventional methods. The goal is to take a fresh approach to developing high-performance tires that excel in terms of fuel economy and safety, while also delivering...
2015 was a year of numerous new materials and material development technologies from tire companies. Sumitomo Rubber Industries Ltd. (TYO:5110), which makes Dunlop tires, came out with its Advanced 4D Nano Design new materials development technology. Advanced 4D Nano Design is able to accurate analyse and simulate the internal structures and molecular behaviour of rubber, making possible significant, simultaneous improvements...
Bridgestone Corp. (TYO:5108) has developed a simple technique for diagnosing white root rot disease. Caused by the plant pathogen Rigidoporus microporus, the disease affects para rubber trees, a source of natural rubber. Bridgestone aims to contribute to para rubber tree conservation efforts and a stable supply of natural rubber. The new technique applies a biotech method called loop-mediated isothermal amplification,...
Mitsui Chemicals Inc. (TYO:4183) achieved a strong performance in the first half of fiscal 2015 (April–September) for EPDM (ethylene propylene diene terpolymer) rubber. Contributing factors were a weak yen and low naphtha prices. Shanghai Sinopec Mitsui Elastomers Co. Ltd. (SSME), Mitsui Chemicals’ joint venture for EPDM production in China that went onstream at the end of 2014, started up again in...
Bridgestone Corp. is the first company in the world to successfully commercialize a technology that identifies road conditions from a tire. The proprietary technology is called Contact Area Information Sensing (CAIS). It collects data on the tire surface that comes into contact with the road and analyzes that data to understand the road and the tire’s condition. Through real-time analysis...
