Toyo Tire & Rubber Co. Ltd. (TYO:5105) recently succeeded in optimizing its process for nano-level molding using advanced filler dispersion. The process enables improved dispersion in compounds that are used for tires and are made from solid rubber and filler. The new process was developed as a means to improve fuel efficiency for trucks and buses. It allows for existing...
Kawaichi Tech Co. Ltd. has acted as the only rubber and resin company to take part in a recent Indian business tour for market development opportunities in the area of water treatment. The event, held over Feb. 13–16 in Bengaluru and New Delhi, was sponsored by the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO). Kawaichi Tech operates in numerous areas relating to...
Nitta Corp. (TYO:5186) has recently developed new technology to be applied as part of the company’s proprietary carbon nanotube (CNT) dispersion technology. The new technology improves flow, conductivity and film strength by taking elongated, isolated and dispersed CNTs and turning these into round cotton ball-like shapes. As it improves in usability, Nitta’s new technology is expected to find an expanded...
Toyo Tire & Rubber Co. Ltd. (TYO:5105) and Kyoto-based electric vehicle (EV) maker GLM Co. Ltd. have agreed to collaborate in developing a suspension module for EVs. The two partners aim to develop an active air suspension system that adapts to road conditions to alleviate shaking and vibration, with a commercial product to come sometime during 2020. GLM will provide...
Mitsutaka Yoshii, president of rubber belt and functional parts manufacturer Bando Chemical Industries Ltd. (TYO:5195), sat down with Japan Rubber Weekly ahead of the new year to discuss his company’s plans for 2018. Noting that Bando’s new businesses have finally taken shape, he stressed that placing them on a sound growth footing is the key task in the second stage...
Bridgestone Corp. (TYO:5108) recently announced that it has joined with Tokyo Medical and Dental University Professor Kenji Kawashima to develop a walking training machine aimed at helping improve the health of senior citizens. Looking toward commercialization, the company plans to begin verification testing for the machine in 2018. The walking training machine under development uses rubber pneumatic artificial muscles developed...
