Bridgestone Corp. (TYO:5108) recently announced that it has begun supplying the Alenza Sport A/S as an OE tire for the new Nissan Rogue SUV, which launched in the North American market this October. The tire is equipped with Enliten technology, helping to provide both environmental performance and driveability. Enliten is a fundamental technology under Bridgestone’s lineup. By significantly reducing tire...
With automotive production recovering, there has also been steady improvement in both production and shipment results for rubber products. According to figures released by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) for September, Japan’s monthly production and shipments of rubber products came to a value of almost 181.4 billion yen ($1.74 billion), down just 8.2 percent against the same...
Mitsubishi Chemical Corp. recently announced that its carbon fiber sheet molding compound (SMC) has been adopted for use in the roof of the new GR Yaris launched in September by Toyota Motor Corp. (TYO:7203). In selecting this SMC, Toyota judged that the material would be able to facilitate both significant lightweighting and a high level of component performance while also...
A polyurethane-based engine cover from Sumitomo Riko Co. Ltd. (TYO:5191) has been chosen for use in the newly launched GR Yaris from Toyota Motor Corp. (TYO:7203). The GR Yaris is a compact car that takes the technologies Toyota has built up in the racing field and applies them to a mass-market offering. And to reduce the noise coming from the...
Japan’s exports of rubber products fell 23.2 percent year-on-year to 453.8 billion yen ($4.3 billion) over January–August, while imports were down 11.3 percent to 273.8 billion yen, according to trade figures published by the Ministry of Finance and compiled by the Japan Rubber Manufacturers Association (JRMA). The spread of COVID-19 had a significant impact on both fronts here. Exports showed...
Nitta Corp. (TYO:5186) launched sales on Aug. 1 for the NittaOmega Type XM, an automatic tool changer. In recent years, automakers have shown an increasing need for robots able to transport heavy objects. Improvements to robotic capabilities have meanwhile allowed for faster robotic movement, causing the market to seek out lighter, thinner products to serve as automatic tool changers here....
