The auto industry’s transition to electric vehicles (EVs) is picking up pace. However, Toru Matsui, president of major rubber part manufacturer Sumitomo Riko Co. Ltd. (TYO:5191), says the trend is not having as much of an impact on the company as public discussion would imply. That being said, Sumitomo Riko has responded to the wave of EV innovation by setting...
Mitsubishi Cable Industries Ltd., a subsidiary of Mitsubishi Materials Corp. (TYO:5711), has found that more customers could be affected by the company’s recently shipped non-conforming seal materials. Over a two-and-a-half-year period spanning from April 1, 2015 to Sept. 30, 2017, the Japanese manufacturer shipped non-conforming seal materials for applications such as packing and gaskets. The failure has been attributed to...
The Japan Belting Manufacturers Association is forecasting 11,817 tons of demand for domestically produced transmission belt products during 2017, virtually unchanged from the previous year. While automotive-related demand has somewhat declined, demand has been strong for general industrial belting. Growth was driven by applications for semiconductors, injection molding machinery, machine tools and industrial robots. Transmission belt production from January through...
Golf equipment maker Kasco Corp. has announced that it will next April release a new golf ball made using eucommia elastomer. The ball, branded the Biospin, will be a high-end product with a suggested retail price of 1,000 yen ($8.88) per ball. The cover material is made with trans-1,4-polyisoprene, an inedible biomass produced by the Eucommia ulmoides tree – also...
Sumitomo Riko Co. Ltd. (TYO:5191) subsidiary Tokai Imperial Hydraulics India Pvt. Ltd. (TIH) is set to take part in Excon 2017, also known as the International Construction Equipment and Construction Technology Trade Fair. The Indian-based manufacturer and seller of industrial hoses will be exhibiting its key products at the trade fair, which starts in Bangalore on Dec. 12. The firm...
Zeon Corp. (TYO:4205) has begun full-scale operations at its optical film plant in Himi, Toyama Prefecture, with a new production line for LCD TV-use retardation film. The new line brings Zeon’s annual production capacity for the film up from 95 million square meters to 119 million square meters. Retardation film is a vital component in LCD TVs, as it widens...
