Author: RubberWorld

Elkem ASA has signed an agreement to acquire REC Solar Norway AS from REC Solar Holdings AS, a subsidiary of Reliance Industries. This transaction will give Elkem control of industrial areas and facilities in Norway, including areas next to Elkem’s activities at Fiskaa in Kristiansand.

ACE Laboratories has announced another significant expansion. This recent expansion is part of an ongoing investment exceeding $1,000,000 and an increase in lab space by 7,500 square feet. The state-of-the-art dedicated laboratory expansion offers dynamic testing capabilities for materials, essential services for predicting in-service performance of rubber products such as tires, belts, mounts, vibration isolators, bridge bearings, seals and much more.

KraussMaffei Group (KMG) has reorganized the management of the Group. The previous Chairman of the Supervisory Board, Chi Zhang, has been appointed as the new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) with effect from January 10, 2024. The previous CEO, Yong Li, will take on the newly created position of Chief Administrative Officer. His responsibilities will include Corporate HR, IT and Audit. Shihao Yang from the top management of KraussMaffei’s main shareholder Sinochem will head the Supervisory Board. The change will be accompanied by a significant strengthening of the KraussMaffei Group’s Management Board, which will be increased to three members. Jörg Bremer remains a member of the Management Board as Chief Financial Officer.

The Tire Industry Project (TIP) has announced that it has welcomed the Australian Tyre Industry Council (ATIC), the British Tyre Manufacturers’ Association (BTMA), and the Automotive Tyre Manufacturers’ Association (ATMA) of India as Affiliate Members.

Asahi Kasei and an affiliated company have acquired the widely recognized international sustainability certification ISCC PLUS for several products in the fields of thermoplastic elastomers and rubbers, engineering plastics, and other materials.

Through research, virtual simulation and real-world testing, Goodyear and ZF have identified the potential of an integrated solution in improving vehicle performance and safety. Reducing the risk of hydroplaning, the Goodyear SightLine solution is capable of detecting partial hydroplaning early and offers recommendations for optimal speed to enhance vehicle control. Moreover, when heightened hydroplaning severity is detected, equipped with tire intelligence data, the cubiX software is designed to instruct the chassis actuators to apply corrective measures, stabilizing the vehicle.

At CES® 2024, The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company unveiled the latest tire in the ElectricDrive™ family: The Goodyear® ElectricDrive™ 2, an all-season electric vehicle (EV) tire enhanced with sustainable materials1, improved rolling resistance2 and long-lasting tread life to maximize drivers’ EV performance. The new ElectricDrive™ 2 is the latest step in Goodyear’s sustainability maturity and contains at least 50% sustainable materials per tire by weight.

Wacker Chemie AG plans to further expand its silicone specialties business and is reorganizing its production operations in Europe. A new production site for silicones is to be built in Karlovy Vary in the Czech Republic. The main drivers of this expansion measure are megatrends such as electromobility and renewable energies which require silicones from WACKER. Production is expected to start at the end of 2025. In the first step of the project, the Group would create up to 200 jobs. The investment volume is in the low triple-digit million euro range.