Yokohama Rubber Co. Ltd. (TYO:5101) has leaned on proprietary technologies to develop a new material that promises to help significantly reduce the weight of automotive air conditioning hoses. Taking the form of a rubber–resin polymer alloy, the new material exhibits a sea–island structure in which the sea phase is composed of resin and the island phase is composed of rubber....
Mitsuboshi Belting Ltd. (TYO:5192) is looking to build a new plant in India for the manufacture of automotive transmission belts and other products. Investment here will come to approximately 3.6 billion yen ($32.64 million), with the new plant slated to begin operations in February 2023. Mitsuboshi Belting’s 2021 medium-term business plan has the conveyor belt and automotive transmission belt manufacturer...
Gates Unitta Asia Co. has launched the U-550, a new contact-free sonic belt tension meter. By employing a microphone to perceive the natural-frequency sound waves generated by belts and then analyzing these waves using a computer, the product makes it possible for anyone to easily and accurately measure a belt’s tension without the need for contact. The measurement process here...
Gates Unitta Asia Co. has launched the U-550, a new product in its lineup of sonic belt tension meters. The U-550 employs a microphone to perceive the natural-frequency sound waves generated by belts, then analyzes these waves using a computer. The process here makes it possible for anyone to easily and accurately measure a belt’s tension without the need for...
Toyoda Gosei Co. Ltd. (TYO:7282) recently announced its development of Smart Insoles, a new type of shoe insole that incorporates the company’s e-Rubber sensors to obtain data on foot pressure as the wearer moves. The company has now also started shipping samples of these insoles to a golf school operated by Mizuno Corp (TYO:8022). A next-gen rubber that moves when...
Mitsui Chemicals Inc. (TYO:4183) has begun working to develop a market for a new heat-sealable film that enables selective high gas permeability. This ability for selective high permeation of a specific gas is what makes this film stand out. Meanwhile, it can form a heat seal at a lower temperature than other resin films. Other films have also allowed high...
