Todays News

Chinaplas 2023 has record breaking attendance

The largest ever CHINAPLAS was successfully concluded at the Shenzhen World Exhibition & Convention Center, PR China on April 20. The show results were impressively indicating a great surge with 3,905 exhibitors from 38 countries and regions around the world. The show occupied 380,000sqm and recorded an attendance of 248,222 visitors from 149 countries and regions. 28,429 visitors came from Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan region and overseas, accounting for 11.45% of the total. Compared with the 2019 Guangzhou Exhibition, the total number of visitors increased by 51.99%, and compared with the 2021 Shenzhen Exhibition, it increased by 63.16%

Active Minerals announces price increase

Active Minerals International, LLC (AMI) announced a list price increase for all products effective July 1, 2023. Their portfolio of Air-Float Kaolin, Gellent Attapulgite, and Acti-Gel® 208 rheology modifier products will increase up to 10.0% as contracts allow.

Maxam Tire announces the all-new MS925 LIFTXTRA

MAXAM Tire marks another milestone in the construction industry by delivering an all-new performance solution. Introducing the MS925 LIFTXTRA, developed specifically to deliver the superior strength and stability required for aerial work platforms.

Yokohama Tire partnering with FuelFest for 5th straight year

For the fifth consecutive year, Yokohama Tire is partnering with FuelFest, the traveling international automotive festival that brings together music, culture, celebrities and cars in the name of charity. The tiremaker is the sponsor of the Yokohama Festival Stage. FuelFest’s latest stop is at Irwindale Speedway (near Los Angeles) on Saturday, June 3.

arpm

ARPM 2023 Safety Award winners announced

The Association for Rubber Products Manufacturers (ARPM) announced the 2023 Safety Award Winners, who were honored during the 2023 Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) Summit on May 24-25 in Columbus, Ohio.

Firestone used hard-to-recycle plastic in tires for 107th running of the Indianapolis 500

As the series’ exclusive tire supplier, Bridgestone has incorporated ISCC PLUS certified recycled butadiene, a monomer produced from hard-to-recycle used plastic shopping bags, film, stretch wrap and other flexible polymer packaging, developed in partnership with Shell, in all Firestone Firehawk race tires used at the Indianapolis 500. Bridgestone will manufacture all race tires for the 2023 season at the ISCC PLUS-certified Advanced Tire Production Center (ATPC) in Akron. Additionally, Bridgestone has partnered with Penske and Indianapolis Motor Speedway to transport all race tires to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS) with electric 2023 Freightliner eCascadia from Penske Truck Leasing’s fleet of electric vehicles during the month of May.

Week in Review

Bridgestone invests multi-million-pound upgrades to UK retread facility

Bridgestone’s commitment to its retread tire offering has been emphatically underlined with a multi-million-pound upgrade of its range, which will further expand its manufacturing processes and lead to more ‘hot’ products being produced than ever before from its Lincolnshire factory.

Dow and New Energy Blue to develop renewable plastic materials from corn residue.

Dow and New Energy Blue announced a long-term supply agreement in North America in which New Energy Blue will create bio-based ethylene from renewable agricultural residues. Dow expects to purchase this bio-based ethylene, reducing carbon emissions from plastic production, and using it in recyclable applications across transportation, footwear, and packaging.

Dunlop SP Sport Maxx factory standard on all-new Subaru Impreza

Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd. announced that they have begun supplying the high-performance DUNLOP “SP SPORT MAXX 050” tires to Subaru Corporation for use as factory standard tires on their all-new Subaru Impreza, which debuted on April 2023.

Falken technical support guide now available in multiple languages

The “Technical Support Guide for TBR and Bus Tyres” which Falken Tyre Europe GmbH published in English for its customers throughout Europe last summer is now available in several additional language versions. From now on, the popular guide for registered customers is available to download at both the B2B web shop and the media center in the languages of English, German, Spanish, Polish, Italian and Greek. Additional languages are already in preparation.

Ansell receives the highest recyclability certification from Institut Cyclos-HTP

Ansell has received the highest recyclability certification by Institut Cyclos-HTP (CHI), a globally recognized organization that assess and certifies the recyclability of packaging and goods, confirming a AAA rating for the SMART Pack™ packaging for surgical gloves. This AAA rating further affirms Ansell’s commitment to lead sustainable packaging design through its SMART Pack™ initiative which begun in 2016.

michelin

Michelin divests from its remaining Russian operations

After suspending its industrial activities in Russia on March 15, 2022, following the start of the conflict in the Ukraine, Michelin announced the signature of an agreement with Power International Tires LLC for the purchase of its two local companies, Michelin Russia Tyre Manufacturing Company (MRTMC) LLC and Camso CIS LLC. A known partner of Michelin, Power International Tires is one of the main tire distributors in Russia and has a presence throughout the country.

Pirelli reportedly being probed by Italian government over growing Chinese influence

Reuters reports that the Italian government is concerned about plans to allow top shareholder China’s Sinochem to appoint more board members and potentially choose future CEOs to Italian tire maker Pirelli. Italy’s right-wing government has to approve the scheme under “Golden Power” rules aimed at protecting assets deemed strategic for the country, at a time when relations between China and Western countries have entered a tenser phase.

Levi J. Cottington named vice president, head of supply chain for RDAbbott

R.D. Abbott Co., Inc. (RDAbbott) has named Levi Jim Cottington Vice President, Head of Supply Chain. In this vital role, Cottington is responsible for driving speed and predictable results for RDAbbott’s customers through prioritization, risk mitigation, and complexity management.

Smithers hires Chad Atzemis as new senior consultant

As part of Smithers’ rubber technical consulting team based in Akron, Ohio, Atzemis will lead efforts to expand Smithers’ technical consulting offerings into additional markets and enhance the team’s capabilities.

Bridgestone introduces the VX-R Tractor tire

Bridgestone introduces the premium VX-R TRACTOR tire range with wide-tread traction that lasts. Developed with a particular focus on the total tread width in contact with the soil, the Bridgestone VX-R TRACTOR provides farmers with a high tread-rubber ratio exactly where it is needed for long-lasting performance.

Dupont

DuPont earns great place to work certification

Wilmington, DE – DuPont announced it has been Certified™ by Great Place to Work®, the global authority on workplace culture,

TechnoBiz is organizing 2nd edition of Middle East Rubber & Tyre Expo 2023

TechnoBiz is organizing 2nd Edition of “Middle East Rubber & Tyre Expo 2023” during 21-22 November 2023 at Sharjah Expo Centre in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates. This event is aimed to be a meeting point rubber and tire industries in Middle East Region. This event is formerly called as “Arab Rubber Expo”. It has been renamed as “Middle East Rubber & Tyre Expo 2023”.

Continental sells plant in Russia

Continental has sold its plant in Kaluga, Russia, to Russian company S8 Capital. With this step, Continental has divested the majority of its activities in Russia as part of its announced controlled withdrawal from the Russian market – a decision taken by the technology company in response to the war against Ukraine. The transaction has been approved by the relevant authorities.

Ashland announces 15 percent increase in quarterly dividend, new dividend policy and $100 million share repurchase program

The board of directors of Ashland Inc. (NYSE: ASH) has declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.385 cents per share on the company’s common stock representing a 15 percent increase from the previous quarter. The dividend is payable on June 15, 2023, to stockholders of record at the close of business on June 1, 2023. As of April 30, 2023, there were 52,353,681 shares of Ashland common stock outstanding.

Dow recognized with overall winner, 3 golds, 1 silver at USCX awards

Dow received 5 awards in the annual U.S. Customer Experience Awards for 2023. USCXA™, hosted by Awards International in partnership with the Customer Experience Professionals Association, celebrates America’s most outstanding customer experience initiatives and honors companies who have demonstrated exemplary service and customer-centricity.

Brenntag and ML Polyolefins sign cooperation agreement focusing on stable, high quality recyclates

Brenntag announced a new agreement with ML Polyolefins to serve Scandinavia, Czech Republic, and Slovakia. The cooperation will focus on demanding applications like automotives and appliances, where there is a high awareness of the need to use recyclates while at the same time the need to maintain a high quality.

United States seeks Mexico’s review of alleged denial of workers’ rights at Goodyear plant

United States Trade Representative Katherine Tai announced that the United States has asked Mexico to review whether workers at a facility operated by Goodyear SLP, S. de R.L. de C.V. in the city and state of San Luis Potosí are being denied the rights to freedom of association and collective bargaining. The request, which was made in response to a petition, marks the eighth time the United States has formally invoked the Rapid Response Labor Mechanism (RRM) in the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA).

Bridgestone Turanza EV Grand Touring tire for EVs makes world debut at Electrify Expo

Bridgestone Americas (Bridgestone) held the world debut of its new Turanza EV grand touring tire, the company’s first-ever replacement tire designed specifically for premium electric vehicles and the first to feature Bridgestone ENLITEN technology. Launching immediately at tire retailers nationally, the new Bridgestone Turanza EV grand touring tire was purposefully designed to account for the unique vehicle dynamics of EVs, providing excellent tread life, minimal ride noise and confident wet handling to complement the electric vehicle experience. Designed, developed and manufactured in North America, the initial five sizes include fitments for Tesla Model 3, Model S, Model X, Model Y and Ford Mustang Mach-E, with 13 additional sizes launching in early 2024.

Wacker presents silicone resin for high-temperature resistant molded parts at CWIEME Berlin

At this year’s CWIEME tradeshow for coil winding, insulation and electrical manufacturing, WACKER is presenting a novel material solution to manufacture mechanically durable plastic components that can withstand temperatures of over 200 degrees Celsius for long periods. Thanks to the silicone resin binders SILRES® LR 700 and POWERSIL® Resin 700 and the binder-based silicone molding material POWERSIL® Resin 710, manufacturers can create molded parts via compression molding, pressure gelation or even injection molding technologies.

Apollo Tyres to source 100 percent of its natural rubber from companies committed to new sustainability guidelines

Apollo Tyres is now sourcing 100% of its natural rubber supplies from companies who have committed to sustainability throughout the supply chain, aligning with the code of conduct set out by the Global Platform for Sustainable Natural Rubber (GPSNR). The new initiative, which came into full effect recently, and forms part of Apollo Tyres’ Global Sustainability Strategy, applies to the supply of natural rubber to the company’s two European production facilities in the Netherlands and Hungary.

Yokohama Rubber eliminates counterfeit aluminum wheels in China

Yokohama Rubber filed an administrative complaint and submitted information to the Administration for Market Regulation in Foshan, Guangdong Province, regarding five companies engaged in the distribution of counterfeit sports car aluminum wheels imitating YOKOHAMA’s “ADVAN Racing” wheels. The distributors were selling the counterfeit wheels via internet shopping sites and retail shops outside of the Company’s official distribution channels. Acting on the complaint and information provided by the Company, the Foshan authorities simultaneously raided the five companies and seized the counterfeit aluminum wheels on January 11, 2023. Yokohama Rubber has confirmed that all five distributors have been fined and the counterfeit aluminum wheels have been destroyed.

Dow recognized among the 50 most community-minded companies in the U.S.

For the third consecutive year, Dow (NYSE: DOW) has been named a 2023 honoree and the Materials Sector leader of The Civic 50 by Points of Light, the world’s largest organization committed to inspiring, equipping, and engaging people to take action to change their communities and the world.

Arlanxeo announces the planned construction of a 140 ktpa rubber plant in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

ARLANXEO announced the planned construction of a world-class rubber facility (the “Project”) in Jubail, Saudi Arabia. The 140 kiloton-per-annum (ktpa) plant will produce two high performance elastomers: Ultra High cis Polybutadiene (NdBR) and Lithium Butadiene Rubber (LiBR). The planned construction follows the final investment decision by Aramco and TotalEnergies to build a world scale petrochemical facility in Saudi Arabia (the ‘Amiral’ complex).

RDAbbott to host free webinar on the use of Thermax

In this webinar, Ed Norton, the Technical Service Manager for Cancarb, will explain why Thermax® N990, the largest particle size, lowest structure thermal carbon black on the market, is essential to reaching desired electrical resistivity values in various EPDM compounds.

DRI Rubber awarded – ‘Most Sustainable Rubber Recycling Company 2023 – Netherlands’

DRI Rubber announced that it has been awarded with the prestigious title of ‘Most Sustainable Rubber Recycling Company 2023 – Netherlands’ at the Business Excellence Awards.

ARPM to honor Marsh Bellofram with its 2023 Safety Award

U.S.-based manufacturer Marsh Bellofram is being recognized for its commitment to safety in the workplace. The Association for Rubber Products Manufacturers (ARPM) will honor the company at its 2023 Safety Awards by recognizing Marsh Bellofram in its Best Safety Practice category.

Brian Swanton Named Director, Process Engineering for NovationSi

Novation Solutions, LLC (NovationSi), the manufacturing subsidiary for R.D. Abbott Co., Inc. (RDAbbott), has named Brian Swanton as Director of Process Engineering. Swanton holds a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from Michigan Technology University and has over 28 years of silicone experience, including extensive service with Dow and Dupont. Swanton holds multiple patents and has developed or scaled up at least forty products, which now represent a minimum of $100M in annual sales.

Automation reduces scrap in the tire industry

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.

Falken Tires selected for the all-new 2024 Subaru Crosstrek

Falken Tires, a subsidiary of Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd., announced that Subaru has selected the Falken Ziex ZE001A All-Season as a tire of choice for the all-new 2024 Subaru Crosstrek.

Bridgestone’s Tennessee plant wins safety award for its 6th time

Bridgestone Americas, Inc., (Bridgestone) announced that its commercial truck and bus radial (TBR) tire manufacturing facility in Warren County, Tennessee, has received its sixth Volunteer STAR (Safety Through Accountability and Recognition) award. The Volunteer STAR Award is the state’s highest honor for workplace safety and health and is a nationally recognized program patterned after the OSHA Voluntary Protection Program (VPP).

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