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...
Yokohama Rubber Co. Ltd. (TYO:5101) recently announced that it has begun supplying the Geolandar A/T G31 tire as OE for the new Toyota Land Cruiser, which launched this April in overseas markets such as the Middle East, Eastern Europe and Asia. Well regarded in some 170 countries and regions, the Land Cruiser has been adored for years as the pinnacle...
Bridgestone Corp. (TYO:5108) has announced that it will be supplying its Alenza 001 tires as OE for the new Lexus NX, which is set to start rolling out this month. Alenza is a premium SUV tire brand targeted toward on-road use. And the Alenza 001 set to be fitted to the Lexus NX is being positioned by Bridgestone as one...
Toyoda Gosei Co. Ltd. (TYO:7282) has developed what has been dubbed a “pedestrian protection airbag,” which serves to protect the head of any pedestrian hit by a fitted vehicle. This marks the company’s first entry into the field of airbags aimed at protecting pedestrians and other vulnerable road users. The highest mortality rate among Japanese traffic accidents is seen in...
Sumitomo Riko Co. Ltd. (TYO:5191) and the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST) have improved part of the test course facilities set up at AIST’s Tsukuba North site. Coming as part of a collaborative research effort, this has seen six types of special road surface set up on the course – where testing on these new surfaces...
Bridgestone Corp. (TYO:5108) has announced plans to consolidate its domestic production bases for automotive seat pads, slimming down from its current four-base setup under domestic subsidiaries Bridgestone Chemitech Co. Ltd. (BSCT) and Bridgestone Diversified Chemical Products Co. Ltd. (BDCP). To achieve this consolidation, Bridgestone intends to close BSCT’s Ageo Plant in Ageo, Saitama Prefecture. Once this plant is closed in...
