(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...
Sumitomo Riko Co. Ltd. (TYO:5191) held a ceremony in Thailand to mark the opening of SumiRiko Chemical and Plastic Products (Thailand) Ltd. (SRK-CP). A subsidiary of Sumitomo Riko in Rayong Province, SRK-CP manufactures and sells precision parts for office equipment. Tetsu Matsui, Sumitomo Riko president and COO, said at the ceremony, which took place in early November, that he hopes...
In October, the number of automobiles produced in Japan fell 0.5 percent compared to the same month the previous year, to 813,110 units, marking the sixteenth straight monthly decline. The slump in automobile manufacturing has led to an across-the-board drop in production of automotive rubber products. According to statistics from Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI), total production...
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...
Tosoh Corp. (TYO:4042) president Kenichi Udagawa said his company’s strategy is to concentrate on developing new applications for chloroprene rubber (CR) and chlorosulfonated polyethylene (CSM). Looking ahead, although current low naphtha prices and a weakening yen are in Tosoh’s favor, the environment affecting the company’s various businesses—which includes raw fuel prices, exchange rates, overseas markets and the supply-demand balance—is susceptible...
The palpable economic slowdown that has continued in China since last year is impacting the rubber industry with increasing severity, both directly and indirectly. With China’s economic situation seen as being more severe than is generally portrayed in news reports, grim views on its future are overwhelmingly prevalent. In the rubber industry, for instance, there has been a slump in...
