Shipment volume of rubber sheets (plates) is declining. According to statistics compiled by the Japan Rubber Industry Association, shipments from January to May 2022 totaled 6,908 tons, down 7.3 percent from the same period last year. In 2021, the market recovered from the decline caused by the coronavirus pandemic and remained generally firm throughout the year. However, the recovery trend...
An industry organization for rubber products has finished putting together a range of statistics for January–March. The results reflect what has been a significant impact to the Japanese economy over the quarter – a period that has seen the COVID-19 Omicron variant surge throughout the country, with semi-emergency measures then being put in place in various regions. Providing a broad...
Toyota Group company Toyoda Gosei Co. Ltd. (TYO:7282) has announced that it will establish a new plant in Guangdong, China, to bolster its production of airbags and steering wheels, which are major products for the manufacturer. The new plant will be established as a branch plant of subsidiary Toyoda Gosei (Foshan) Auto Parts Co. Ltd. With investment set to total...
Sumitomo Rubber Industries Ltd. (TYO:5110) announced last year that – working in conjunction with Kansai University – it had developed an energy harvester capable of generating power from a tire’s rotation and then supplying it to a sensor fitted in the tire’s periphery, all without the need for a battery. Now the tire manufacturer has taken its efforts here one...
Achilles Corp. (TYO:5142) recently announced that a conductive surface material it offers has been picked up by Toyota Motor Corp. (TYO:7203) for use in a special-edition Toyota Corolla launched last November. By incorporating the conductive surface material into the driver’s seat, static electricity built up in the driver and their surroundings can be dispersed throughout their entire body, reducing electric...
Sumitomo Rubber Industries Ltd. (TYO:5110) is planning to introduce its Dunlop e. Sport Maxx – the company’s first aftermarket tire for electric vehicles (EVs) – to the Chinese market, where demand for EVs is booming. The e. Sport Maxx is slated for an early launch in China this April. Then in 2023, Sumitomo Rubber is planning a European launch for...
