New Year’s Top Interview: Yokohama Rubber President Hikomitsu Noji 2015 was a very difficult year, but in 2016, Yokohama Rubber plans to recover by improving sales in Russia and Japan—markets where the company is strong—in addition to meeting strong demand in North America, Europe and China, said Yokohama Rubber Co. Ltd. (TYO:5101) President Hikomitsu Noji in an interview with Japan...
New Year’s Top Interview: Nihon Michelin President Paul Perriniaux Japan Michelin strives to provide superior service and to be customers’ first choice for tires, said Nihon Michelin Tire Co. Ltd. President Paul Perriniaux in an interview with Japan Rubber Weekly. Japan is one of the world’s largest markets for new car tires and replacement tires and it is a market...
New Year’s Top Interview: Bridgestone CEO Masaaki Tsuya The administrative framework at Bridgestone has not changed one iota since it came under a dual leadership structure in February 2012, said Masaaki Tsuya, CEO of Bridgestone Corp. (TYO:5108), in an interview with Japan Rubber Weekly. While moving forward with efforts to establish and maintain a systematic corporate ethos, they are using...
Domestic demand for tires is expected to amount to 118.55 million tires for 2015, 4 percent fewer than the previous year, according to the Japan Automobile Tire Manufacturers Association (JATMA). The decrease was caused by lower vehicle production volume. The forecast for 2016, meanwhile, calls for a 1 percent annual increase to 119.2 million tires. ■ Assumptions behind the demand...
(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...
