Production of automobile tires and tire tubes was 93,934 tons in terms of rubber volume for October, up 0.7 percent year-on-year, according to the Japan Automobile Tyre Manufacturers Association (JATMA). Production rose for the first time in 22 months in September, and albeit small, year-on-year production rose for the second consecutive month in October. The production volume was up in...
Bridgestone Corp. (TYO: 5108) announced on Dec. 13 that it has successfully synthesized a next-generation polyisoprene rubber (IR). The material features a narrowly controlled molecular structure and uses the company’s proprietary new gadolinium (Gd) polymerization catalyst. The new catalyst enables industrial applications for which conventional Gd catalysts have so far been unsuitable. Although IR is the synthetic rubber most closely...
Bridgestone Corp. (TYO:5108) will release its new Battlecruise H50 motorcycle tires in February of next year. The tires, which come in eight sizes, are designed for V-twin cruiser motorcycles. The company plans to put out 14 more sizes in 2018. The Battlecruise H50s are tubeless bias-ply motorcycle tires for cruisers outfitted with a V-twin engine. The concept behind the product...
This past August marked the passing of a full two years since German Continental AG’s founding of Continental Tire Japan Co. Ltd. The Japanese arm was established for the purpose of more strategically and efficiently conducting tire marketing operations in the country, and, furthermore, to put local customer care on the fast track. The company boasts a top-class record in...
Demand for commercial winter tires in Japan is expected to be largely the same as that seen in 2015, according to the mid-year review of domestic tire demand for 2016 published by the Japan Automobile Tyre Manufacturers Association (JATMA) in July. The review projects a 100 percent year-on-year equivalent on four-wheel vehicle tires, at approximately 23.2 million units. Of these,...
Toyo Tire & Rubber Co. Ltd. (TYO:5105) continues to advance its Nano Balance Technology, announcing on Nov. 17 the Nano Tan Delta Simulation for nanolevel analysis and the Nano Dynamic Search for nanolevel research. These developments come after five years of work on the technology, which was first established in 2011. Nano Balance Technology involves the observation, projection, functionality creation...
