Bridgestone Corp. (TYO:5108) recently announced findings from research into high-strength material that would lead to resource-saving tires. The research was part of an R&D program within iMPACT (Importing Paradigm Change through Disruptive Technologies Program), a project for furthering innovations in R&D that is being led by the Japanese Cabinet Office’s Council for Science, Technology and Innovation. The R&D program is...
tires
Toyo Tires Releases New Tire Model for Off-road Kei Cars
Toyo Tire & Rubber Co. Ltd. (TYO:5105) recently released the Open Country R/T, a new tire model designed for off-road kei cars. The tire establishes an entirely new genre, filling the gap between mud-terrain and all-weather tires. It targets the growing number of people who enjoy off-roading in SUV/CUV-style kei cars. The tire is designed to meet both on and...
Sumitomo Rubber Holds Truck and Bus Tire Work Contest
Sumitomo Rubber Industries Ltd. (TYO:5110) has recently held a contest concerning the operation of truck and bus tires at the Tire Land Sendai-East shop in Sendai, belonging to its subsidary Dunlop Tire Tohoku K.K. The contest was started in 2010 to improve worker motivation and skill levels, and to ensure safety and rigorousness of efficient work. Held this year for...
Retreaded Tires Need to Overcome Certain Challenges in Japanese Market, Says JRA Chairman
Japan Rubber Weekly recently spoke with Tatsuo Gomi, chairman of the Japan Retreaders Association (JRA). In addition to discussion of the market downturn of retreaded tires faced by Japan in 2015, Gomi delved into the market share of these tires and what the forecast is for them moving forward. At 5.143 million units, brand-new tires for trucks and buses fell...
Production of Passenger Car Tires Down 1.5% in July
Production of automobile tires and tire tubes dropped 2.4 percent year-on-year in July, to a total of 91,442 tons, according to the Japan Automobile Tyre Manufacturers Association (JATMA). Production volume has fallen year-on-year for 20 straight months, but the number of units produced rose 0.3% year-on-year in July. Year-on-year production fell for all tire types other than industrial vehicle tires....
Racing the Ultimate Test for Tire Technology, Says Yokohama Rubber’s Head of Consumer Tire Development
From 2016, Yokohama Rubber Co. Ltd. (TYO:5101) is supplying its Advan racing tires as the control tires for the Japanese Super Formula Championship, the highest echelon of formula racing in Asia. To find out about what goes into such tires and the overlap with their commercial counterparts, Japan Rubber Weekly sat down with Masaki Noro, head of the company’s consumer...