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GRI has reached a significant milestone with its successful entry into the South American market, marking a new chapter of growth and innovation for the company in this vibrant region. This expansion highlights GRI’s commitment to global growth in the Specialty Tires sector, supported by a strong sales team and a customer-centric approach.

The tires being supplied as OE for MAZDA CX-70 were developed by utilizing specialized tuning to match their tread pattern, profile, and tire structure to the vehicle characteristics, while also using Yokohama Rubber’s proprietary HAICoLab, an AI-based development framework that aims to foster new discoveries and digital innovation by merging human inspiration and creativity with AI’s enormous data processing capability. To achieve the highly quiet ride, an optimal pitch sequence was obtained using evolutionary computation (genetic algorithms), one of the technologies incorporated in HAICoLab. The innovative technologies applied in development of the tires are based on new knowledge obtained by collecting actual data and virtual data generated by simulations and then using AI’s predict, analyze and search functions.

To fortify the authenticity of Linatex® premium rubber, and protect its customers from subpar imitations, a significant branding enhancement has been implemented. All Linatex® premium rubber is now branded with four rows of black Linatex® logos, strategically placed along the length of the rubber roll. This distinctive branding will provide a clear and unmistakable identifier of the genuine Linatex® premium rubber. Extensive testing has confirmed that the black ink does not affect the unbeaten abrasion-resistant properties of the rubber that has been the industry’s first line of defense against abrasion for a century.

In the Rubber Solutions segment, net sales for Q1 2024 decreased by 3.1% to $65,469, from $67,556 in Q1 2023. Volume was up 2.3% with increases in several sectors due to increased momentum in the mining and industrial sectors especially towards the end of the quarter. Tolling volume was down 23.2% while non-tolling volume was up 3.6%.  Gross profit at Rubber Solutions for Q1 2024 increased by 27.9% to $11,033, from $8,625 in Q1 2023. The increase in gross profit was primarily the result of volume increases and product mix in addition to managing controllable overhead costs including additional overhead reductions and continuous improvement initiatives.

Artigo will produce their next-generation flooring collections from 2025 with UPM BioMotion™ Renewable Functional Fillers (RFF). By incorporating UPM Biochemicals’ RFF, Artigo has achieved CO2 footprint savings of up to 0.5 kg CO2e/sq. meter and managed to reduce the weight by up to 5% per square meter flooring.

In a significant leap forward for the rubber testing industry, Qualitest and Gibitre announce the launch of the latest innovation, the Digital Shore Durometer Hardness Tester – DRIVE Series, available in Shore A, D, DO and OO scales. This state-of-the-art testing equipment sets a new standard for precision, reliability, and user-friendliness in measuring the hardness of rubber materials.

A crystal wedding anniversary for Falken and Fiege: Falken Tyre Europe GmbH has been working together with logistics services provider Fiege for 15 years. Falken currently stores its tires at four Fiege locations in Europe on logistics space of approximately 100,000 square meters. In addition to the storage of the tires, Fiege is also responsible for their distribution.

Premium tires from Continental stand out with their exceptional safety and utmost dependability – as AFS Aviation Fuel Services GmbH can confirm. The aircraft refueling services and airport tank storage facility management specialist is a loyal Continental customer, placing its trust in the Conti360° tire and service contract and the company’s renowned quality for many years now.

The International Institute of Synthetic Rubber Producers, Inc. (IISRP) elected Mr. Zhuang Yi as its President International for the year 2024 – 2025 at the association’s 64th Annual General Meeting on May 8, 2024. In his new role, he replaces Mr. Kazuyoshi Matsuura of Zeon Elastomers Corporation, who became the Institute’s Past-President International.

KraussMaffei Automation (KMA) has a new address: After 38 years at the Schwaig site (Germany), more than 150 KraussMaffei Automation employees left their previous location in the first quarter of 2024 and moved to the KraussMaffei headquarters in Parsdorf.

All office and shop-floor jobs were relocated, along with all items of stock. The KMA technical center was also integrated into the injection molding technical center at the same location. In just a few weeks, the entire production, warehouse and office workstations were successfully relocated to KraussMaffei’s Parsdorf headquarters, thanks to the great efforts of all the departments involved.