Rubber manufacturer Asahi Rubber Inc. has worked with a partner to develop silicone rubber with cup-stacked carbon nanotubes (CSCNTs) dispersed throughout, creating a material that combines high conductivity with optimal hardness. Following a long period of demonstration testing, the new material is set to be used in auto parts that remain usable even under harsh outdoor conditions, and will start...
With automotive production bouncing back from the lows brought by COVID-19, rubber-related auto parts too have seen a recovery in both production and shipment numbers. Looking at Japan’s automotive production figures from last year, it is apparent that production volume started to fall by double digits year-on-year in April 2020, marking a trend that then continued for some time. Following...
Toyoda Gosei Co. Ltd. (TYO:7282) has developed a cutoff valve with a novel structure as a means of helping reduce the weight of automobiles. This valve is already being used as part of the new Toyoda Land Cruiser in certain regions, including the Middle East. Cutoff valves are plastic components used in fuel tanks, where they serve to prevent elevation...
Bridgestone Americas Inc. has announced that subsidiary Firestone Industrial Products LLC (FSIP) is set to boost its production capacity for air springs at a plant in Williamsburg, Kentucky. Total investment in this expansion is slated to come to $51 million, with construction to begin in the second quarter of this year and wrap up by the end of 2022. The...
Toyoda Gosei Co. Ltd. (TYO:7282) is establishing a new plant in Ohira, Kurokawa-gun, Miyagi Prefecture, to bolster its auto parts production capacity in the Tohoku region and better serve its main customer, Toyota Motor East Japan Inc. Set to be established under production subsidiary Toyoda Gosei East Japan Co. Ltd., the new plant is slated for a construction start this...
Rubber auto parts manufacturer Nichirin Co. Ltd. (TYO:5184) recently posted its business results for the first quarter of calendar 2020. The figures here highlight how sluggish demand and sales in the automotive sector – Nichirin’s largest customer industry – brought about a decline in both sales revenue and profit at the company. A large part of this stems from the...
