Tire Technology & Manufacturing

Bridgestone Americas (Bridgestone) celebrated the expansion of its Warren County, Tennessee Truck and Bus Radial (TBR) Tire Plant located in Morrison with an official groundbreaking ceremony today. The $550 million investment will add 380 new jobs and expand the plant’s existing footprint by 850,000 square feet to support increased capacity and to accelerate the use of advanced technologies that support cleaner, safer and more efficient commercial truck and bus fleets. As part of the expansion, Warren County will be one of the first plants globally to add the capability to produce our Enliten technology stack. This tech stack is optimized for rolling resistance and wear.f

The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd., announced that from the second half of 2023 it will be applying a new proprietary “E+” mark to its tires for passenger cars, trucks, and buses that have special qualities needed by electrified vehicles. The new “E+” mark is the latest facet of Yokohama Rubber’s response to the rising demand in recent years for tires most suitable for use on electrified vehicles

The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd., announced the development of a highly crack-resistant rubber material made from nanoparticle-based polymers that do not use any additives, such as organic solvents and reinforcing agents. The development is the result of a collaborative effort with a research group led by Associate Professor Daisuke Suzuki of Shinshu University’s Graduate School of Textile Science and Technology and RISM (Research Initiative for Supra-Materials). Further research based on knowledge gained during the collaborative research project is expected to lead to the development of safer and more durable tires and rubber products that are people- and environment-friendly. The developed rubber material can be easily recycled without deterioration and therefore is expected to contribute to the realization of a circular economy

The increasing focus on sustainability, combined with high energy prices, means that energy efficiency is more important than ever. The benefit of Cimcorp’s robotic technology in terms of energy use is tangible, as the company’s gantry robots feature low energy consumption. With the structure of each gantry robot formed from aluminum, they are lightweight yet robust. As the robots are not heavy, they accelerate and move fast, optimizing all the potential handling capacity for products moved in the distribution center.

Three years in, the pandemic has altered the commercial truck industry, including the tire segment. In this Q&A, Dan Funkhouser, Yokohama Tire vice president of commercial tire sales, looks at the ways the industry has adapted to the changes and what to expect moving forward.