Today's News

David and Cheryl Venarge receive Bert A. Polsky Humanitarian award

David and Cheryl Venarge are the 2025 recipients of Akron Community Foundation’s Bert A. Polsky Humanitarian Award. David is the owner of APV Engineered Coatings, a nearly 150-year-old business where he worked prior to purchasing the company in 1982. In addition to his work, David has been involved with numerous nonprofits in the area, including Mount Hope Cemetery and First Tee Akron.

Bellofram Elastomers expands production with 12 new compression molding presses

Bellofram Elastomers has expanded its U.S. manufacturing facility to accommodate 12 new compression molding presses with vacuum for its diaphragm division. The equipment, in compressions ranging from 250 tons to 400 tons, dramatically increases Bellofram’s diaphragm production capacity to meet growing market share. Floor space was expanded accordingly by more than 2,000 square feet.

Zeon develops new hydrophilic polymer for winter tires

Zeon Corporation has developed Nipol® BR1300, a new hydrophilic polymer for winter tires. This polymer is synthesized using polybutadiene rubber as its structural base, resulting in an unprecedented level of hydrophilicity as a material for tires. Having completed development for tire applications, Zeon began commercial production of the polymer in May 2025 at its Tokuyama Plant (Shunan City, Yamaguchi Prefecture).

Continental Tire appoints Wyatt D. Hamilton Sr., as director of sales for U.S. RE Truck Tire

Continental Tire the Americas announces the appointment of Wyatt D. Hamilton, Sr. as the new Director of Sales for the Truck Tire Replacement division in the United States.

In his new role, Wyatt will lead Continental’s strategic initiatives to grow market share, strengthen customer relationships and drive sales performance across the U.S. replacement truck tire segment. He brings more than two decades of experience and a deep understanding of both the Replacement (RE) and Original Equipment (OE) aspects of the business.

Apollo Tyres appoints R Mahalakshmi as chief human resources officer

Apollo Tyres Ltd has appointed R Mahalakshmi as its new Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO), effective immediately. Bringing nearly 3 decades of rich experience across India, Africa, the UK and Southeast Asia, Mahalakshmi joins Apollo Tyres with an impressive track record of leading transformative people strategies in complex, multicultural environments.

Messe Düsseldorf rebrands as K-Alliance

The K-Alliance stands for the international strategy of Messe Düsseldorf, for performance promises and customer-oriented service. Because in the international trade fair business it is important to create professional communication platforms for globally operating companies. Messe Düsseldorf’s international portfolio provides an ideal offering here – both with K in Düsseldorf and worldwide. Own events and strategic alliances with leading trade fairs for the plastics and rubber industry offer the industry tailor-made opportunities.

Mixing

Simulation of rubber formulation development using AI-Graf Compounder

Integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into rubber compound development is said to mark a transformative step in materials science, and the authors explore the use of AIGraf Compounder software to simulate and optimize rubber formulations. By leveraging feedforward neural networks, the system can predict material properties based on ingredient compositions.

Chemicals and Materials

Goodyear sells off Chemical Business to Gemspring Capital Management

Pursuant to the transaction terms, Gemspring will pay Goodyear cash proceeds at closing of approximately $650 million, subject to certain post-closing adjustments, for Goodyear Chemical facilities in Houston and Beaumont, Texas, and a related research office in Akron, Ohio. Additionally, the transaction provides for a long-term supply agreement.

Extrusion

KraussMaffei Extrusion fuels growth in the cable-compound-market

KraussMaffei Extrusion now offers machine technology with the flexible ZE BluePower, which processes formulations with halogen-free flame retardants in polyolefins – as an alternative to conventional cable formulations based on halogenated flame retardants. The specially configured extruder is used to produce high-quality HFFR (Halogen Free Flame Retardant) compounds with ATH (Aluminum Trihydroxide) content of up to 65%. Additionally, the ZE BluePower can be adapted to various process tasks and formulations, offering customers high flexibility for individual requirements.

Silicone & Medical

Wevo launches supersoft silicone potting compounds for advanced electronics

Wevo has unveiled three new silicone-based potting compounds designed to meet the growing demands of modern electronic components. The WEVOSIL 22106 FL, 22102 FL, and 22105 FL compounds offer a unique combination of supersoft consistency, thermal conductivity, and mechanical resilience, making them ideal for sensitive and thermally demanding applications.

Oil, Gas & Energy

Advanced perfluoroelastomers: The preferred sealing solution for oil and gas

The technology for sealing has considerably advanced since it was first developed in the late 1800s. It is crucial to

Testing & Instruments

Rubber testing equipment market forecast at $21 billion by 2035

The global Rubber Testing Equipment Market is poised for steady expansion, with its market value expected to grow from USD 15,686.3 million in 2025 to USD 21,081.0 million by 2035, marking a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 3.0% over the forecast period. As manufacturers across industries seek advanced solutions to ensure product durability, performance, and compliance, the demand for high-precision rubber testing equipment continues to rise.

Molding

Elmet SMARTshot I to use AI intelligence to control mold flow

The pioneering “I” technology is based on online rheometry for continuously optimizing the process and determining the actual material viscosity in the shear rate range of relevance to injection molding. This technology uses a mathematical relationship between the volumetric flow rate of the injection molding machine, the geometric constraints of the cold runner, and the shear force at the needle to identify and quantify batch-to-batch fluctuations. This turns the cold runner into rheological measuring instrument.

In learning mode, the system automatically detects the volume of material required to fill a cavity, so facilitating setup and optimization, especially with family molds with a number of cavities of differing sizes. Ready for integrating artificial intelligence (AI), the system is set in future to be able to support self-controlled injection molding machines if SMARTshot I control is integrated into the machine at a later date.

Thermoplastic Elastomers & Urethanes

Huntsman extends automotive portfolio with intumescent coating

Huntsman has launched a new intumescent polyurethane coating system developed for automotive applications, which can provide passive fire protection to metal and composite substrates used in electric vehicles (EVs) – without compromising design flexibility. POLYRESYST® EV5005 polyurethane coating system has been developed to help protect structural integrity and improve fire protection in battery cells – a key challenge in the automotive industry.

Latex and Natural Rubber

Latex Foam and its applications

by Boontham Nithi-Uthai, consultant Latex foam was industrially created in 1929 by Dunlop Rubber. The latex was foamed with fatty

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