Building Trust S.C

April 22, 2019 The Rubber Industry’s International Newspaper $99 per year. $4.50 per copy Conti expanding Building trust S.C. facility again By Kyle Brown back in 2013. And as you can imag- Rubber & Plastics News Staff ine, we’ve been in a steady state of SUMTER, S.C.—Continental growth since then,” Elmore said. Tire the Americas L.L.C. broke Continental’s first phase at the ground on a new expansion at its Sumter plant brought its capacity growing Sumter facility to bring to about 4 million tires per year, new technology to its North Amer- he said. It picked up its first ican tire production. original equipment customer in The expansion includes a new 2015, and added the second phase building attached to the company’s in 2017 to provide more light existing passenger and light truck truck manufacturing capacity. It tire plant in a significant invest- also brought the location’s total ment, adding a 29,000-sq.-ft. pro- footprint to about 2 million square duction space onto the facility, said feet, with about 1,400 employees, Ashton Elmore, Continental hu- and tire capacity to about 7 million man resources manager. per year. The expansion, which will pro- The new business unit, which vide capabilities to produce Conti- isn’t directly related to either Seal and ContiSilent tires, comes phase, will add about another 50 during the ramp-up of the second jobs by 2020, he said. Continental of two major growth phases at the broke ground on the new facility Sumter facility, Elmore said. in March, and will begin the in- “We actually started Phase 1 See Conti, page 22 Vail Rubber to add

Toyota’s Robert Young at an Original Equipment Suppliers Association event. manufacturing plant Auto makers outline the key to healthy supplier relationships By Chris Sweeney executives who provided insight toward the Rubber & Plastics News Staff OEM/supplier dynamic, along with executives Trust and communication are the founda- at Toyota, General Motors and Ford. Nissan tion of a strong relationship, and the auto declined to comment for this story and execu- maker/supplier dynamic is no different. tives with Fiat-Chrysler were unavailable for Original equipment manufactur- an interview prior to publication. ers that foster clear, open communi- Those six companies are annually cation are rewarded with an ener- evaluated through a major industry gized supply base, and that in turn study—the Working Relations In- leads to success. dex, which seeks to measure the “It’s really important that we rec- strength of their supplier relations. ognize our suppliers as an extension The study was founded by John Vail Rubber is adding a new manufacturing site near its headquarters of Honda,” said Pam Heminger, vice Henke and his company, Planning in St. Joseph, Minn. president at Honda Manufacturing Perspectives Inc., but going forward By Kyle Brown shaped piece of property, and real- Inc. who oversees the Japan-based the study will be implemented by Rubber & Plastics News Staff ly we’re quite land-locked,” Hanley OEM’s North American purchasing Plante Moran, which acquired Plan- ST. JOSEPH, Minn.—Vail Rub- said. “It’s something we’ve been division. Heminger ning Perspectives earlier in 2019. ber Works Inc. is growing its pres- struggling with for a lot of years. “They’re part of our team. These sup- Toyota has finished first in the study ence with a new manufacturing We’ve built out as far as the site plier relationships are more than a manufac- for the last eight years. Honda has been second facility located about five miles up will hold.” turer/supplier relationship. It’s about during that span and the only other OEM to the road from its headquarters. Vail purchased the land for the having a partnership. Having a hold the top position since the study was found- The roll covering manufacturer new facility in 1995, looking Our good partnership will allow us ed in 2001. GM finished third and Ford fourth is investing about $8.3 million in ahead to a time when the compa- special report on to continue to have open and in 2018 with FCA and Nissan a distant fifth the 58,000-sq.-ft. facility, Vail ny would need to expand, he said. Rubber in transparent communication, and sixth, respectively. President Bill Hanley said. “The economy’s been good, and AutomotivePage 10. which is the foundation of our “We love our suppliers,” said Hau Thai- “We’re a 125-year-old company, we just thought this was the time begins on relationship.” Tang, Ford executive vice president of product and the site we’re on in St. Joseph when we needed to take a step Heminger was one of four See Auto, page 21 was purchased by my great-grand- and develop that property,” Han- father in 1924. We’re on a pie- See Vail, page 22 ©Entire contents copyright 2019 by Crain Communications Inc. All rights reserved. KEYNOTE NEWS May 21-22, 2019 Schaumburg IL More details on page 23

RUBBERNEWS.COM/HEALTHCARE www.rubbernews.com Rubber & Plastics News • April 22, 2019 3 ITC makes final ruling on Giti has big plans for U.S. market Thailand rubber band case WASHINGTON—The U.S. International Trade Commission has voted 5-0 to make a final determination of material injury to the domestic rubber band industry because of imports from Thailand. The April 9 vote means that the 5.87 percent antidumping duty order the U.S. Depart- ment of Commerce issued earlier against Thai rubber band imports becomes permanent. The ITC officially will notify Commerce of the affirmative vote April 22. The duties against Thai rubber band importers are considerably less than those found against importers from China. In February 2019, Commerce issued final antidumping duties of 125.77 percent and countervailing duties of 27.27 percent against Chinese importers. Hot Springs, Ark.-based Alliance Rubber Giti’s U.S. manufacturing plant is increasing production to address growing demand in North America. Co. petitioned the ITC for relief against rubber band imports from Thailand, China By Kathy McCarron “Those days are over. The company thousands of Maxtour XL tires ready and Sri Lanka in January 2018. Tire Business has figured out what our go-forward for distribution to North American In March 2018, the agency terminated RICHBURG, S.C.—As the new kid strategy is and it’s time to start con- tire dealerships. its investigation against Sri Lanka, but in the North American manufactur- necting to consumers again and voted to continue its investigation of Chi- ing neighborhood, Giti Tire Manufac- bringing them the message of some Global R&D nese and Thai rubber band imports. turing (USA) Ltd. has ambitious great tires that we’re going to be As part of its strategy, Giti relocat- The ITC report will be available by May 13. plans to make its mark in the region- bringing to market and selling. We’re ed its North American R&D center, al tire market. going to utilize social media in a very responsible for developing products Rough first quarter leads Since the groundbreaking of its 1.7 strong way to make that connection.” specifically for the North American PolyOne to consider job cuts million-sq.-ft. facility in Richburg According to Giti, the new Maxtour market, from Akron to a building four years ago, the subsidiary of Sin- LX is priced lower than its bench- next door to the new tire plant. AVON LAKE, Ohio—Challenging finan- gapore-headquartered Giti Tire marked brand competition: Continen- This center is linked online with cial results are leading PolyOne Corp. to Group began producing tires in late tal, Cooper, Nexen and Hankook. Giti’s other R&D centers in Indone- reduce spending and cut an unspecified 2017, hired more than 700 employees “The reality of the market today is sia, China, Germany and the United number of jobs. and has been increasing production that our brand is not well known. And Kingdom so they can share informa- Based in Avon Lake, PolyOne, one of for new lines of tires. most of these brands have much high- tion and research, Yeen said. North America’s largest compounders, con- “This facility is half of what we er recognition. So we know we have to “So you can say it is local (develop- centrate makers and resin distributors, had want,” said Hank Eisenga, vice presi- rebuild it,” Mayfield said. “And the ment), but it is global. The structure a tough first quarter for 2019, with sales dent of manufacturing. “So our intent way we’re going to do it, we’re going to is global,” he said. flat and profits down almost 20 percent. is to take and double this facility as provide a great value for our dealer “With the R&D here, it is listening PolyOne posted sales of nearly $900 mil- quickly as we can.” customers to be able to make money to the market. The local team, they lion for the first three months of 2019, The plant, Giti’s most state-of-the- selling the tire, and then it’s going to grew up here, they live here, they roughly equal to results from 2018. Compa- art facility, is producing about 8,000 be sold in the marketplace at a great know exactly what is needed,” he ny officials said in a statement that acquisi- tires per day with a capacity for 10 value to the consumer. said. “It will enable the faster deploy- tion-related sales growth of 3.5 percent was million tires per year. “So we get our tires into the mar- ment of the products. canceled out by a 1.5 percent organic sales “Our intention is to get there as ket, consumers experience them and, “So effectively, we have what we decline and a drop of 2 percent from unfa- quickly as we can,” he added. over time, we’ll be able to build the call a global technology platform, vorable exchange rates. The plant began by producing its brand the way we need to. As we with local deployment. And local de- Net income for the three months, however, Dextero-brand passenger car tires for launch our Adventuro HT, as we ployment means local deployment of slipped almost 20 percent to $38.2 million. Walmart Inc. stores and now also is launch other GT Radial products, the design, local industrialization in producing the newly introduced GT new and exciting products, we’ll build the nearest factory in the market.” INSIDE THIS EDITION Radial Maxtour LX for CUVs and cars. this brand the way we believe it can Production capacity is shared among “We have plans over the next five be built,” Mayfield said. Giti’s eight plants in China, the U.S. years to introduce new products every and Indonesia, so capacity is used NTSB seeks to help year out of this plant,” Tim Fulton, Automated production where it makes the most sense, he said. Giti North America CEO, said during The highly automated equipment While the U.S. plant will manufac- The National Transportation Safety a media tour of the plant in March. in Giti’s state-of-the-art plant enables ture a significant amount of tires for Board outlined how it can help companies in “We’ll use the manufacturing capa- improved accuracy in mixing the North America, Giti still will import a bind with their communication efforts at the bilities of this plant as the principal compounds and assembling the com- some product and certain sizes to 35th Clemson University Global Tire Industry source for our U.S. products, comple- ponents, said Phang Wai Yeen, Giti’s meet demand the U.S. plant cannot Conference...... Page 4 mented by the factory in Indonesia to executive director of international fulfill currently and because certain provide the full range of sizes.” research and development centers. facilities are designed to be more effi- Owners battle for data Giti plans to introduce three prod- “At the end of the day, the final part cient in producing certain products With new vehicles generating more data uct lines in 2019 to help it build the of the components, the final part of and sizes, Giti officials said. each year, owners and independent auto re- GT Radial brand: the performance actually comes from “There are not that many tire com- pairers are finding they have very little control • The Maxtour LX focuses on the the accuracy of the components, the panies in the world that have that and access to it, according to a panel at the grand touring segments—passenger accuracy of how we actually put the capability, so we’re trying to compete Washington Auto Show...... Page 6 cars with high-speed ratings and tire through the whole process. ... It is with those global players,” Fulton larger rim diameters, as well as a what we call the enabler of the engi- said. “You’ve got a hundred tire com- Aurora adds Elastocon heavy focus on CUVs. neer’s dream,” Yeen said. “You need a panies but probably 85 or 90 of those • The Adventuro HT will be launched state-of-the-art plant where the tire don’t have that capability.” Aurora Plastics L.L.C. just made its fourth in the summer. The plant has started can actually be replicated exactly the Giti is the 11th largest tire manufac- acquisition in the last two years with the addi- manufacturing some sizes of the LT/ way it was designed.” turer globally, based on Rubber & tion of Elastocon TPE Technologies Inc. in SUV tire, while other sizes will be built Even though the plant is highly Plastics News’ 2018 Global Tire Report. a move that will broaden its compounding in the P.T. Gajah Tunggal plant in In- automated, it still depends on human “We’re amongst that very top tier capacities...... Page 7 donesia. workers to oversee the operations, that has that global footprint, global • The Maxmiler Pro commercial tire according to Yeen. R&D capability, global technology DEPARTMENTS is being delivered to distribution cen- “It’s not so simple, even though it’s platform and distributing and manu- ters under a soft launch. Limited sizes automated,” he said. “(The tire build- facturing in three different countries. of this line will be built in Indonesia to er’s) eyes are always on the tire, It’s a big advantage that you have to Editorials...... 8 cater to what Giti called an under- making sure the machine is actually be able to optimize your global foot- From the web...... 9 served segment of the market. doing exactly what it is supposed to print,” Fulton said. Technical notebook ...... 14 “We are in the early stages of rebuild- do. ... It is a skill. That’s why crafts- The plants in China, the U.S. and Vol. 48, No. 19. April 22, 2019—Rubber & Plastics News ing the GT Radial brand. The last three manship remains the all-important Indonesia are interlinked, which speeds (ISSN 0300-6123) is published bi-weekly by Crain years have impacted us severely in our element in tire manufacturing.” up the processes and troubleshooting of Communications Inc. Periodical postage paid at Akron and at additional mailing offices. Address all subscription ability to supply tires to our dealers,” After the tires are transported any problems that arise, he said. correspondence to: Circulation Department, Rubber & said Jim Mayfield, senior executive vice through the automated building and “This is one of the benefits of why Plastics News, 1155 Gratiot Ave., Detroit, Mich. 48207- president of sales and marketing, refer- curing processes, workers visually in- we feel that this is going to propel the 2912. Postmaster: Send address changes to: Rubber & Plastics News, Circulation Dept., 1155 Gratiot Ave., ring to increased U.S. tariffs and anti- spect them at the end of the line before organization’s penetration and partic- Detroit, Mich. 48207-2912. dumping duties imposed on tires im- they go to the adjacent warehouse. ipation in the U.S. because we are now ported from its China plants. The warehouse is stocked with actually pretty complete,” Fulton said. 4 Rubber & Plastics News • April 22, 2019 www.rubbernews.com

CLEMSON TIRE INDUSTRY CONFERENCE Hilton Head, S.C. NTSB seeks to help companies in tight spots By Miles Moore Rubber & Plastics News Staff “We’re not there to say If your product is involved in a cata- exactly what you should strophic road accident, Peter C. Knud- do, but we can tell you son, public affairs officer at the National Transportation Safety Board, has a piece what’s coming—hearings, of advice for you: “Give us a call.” updates, information to The NTSB’s media relations mission is be released and media to inform the public and coordinate the board’s communications functions, Knud- inquiries.” son told his audience at the 35th Clemson Peter C. Knudson University Global Tire Industry Confer- ence, held April 10-12 at Hilton Head, S.C. “We inform the public and generally just Just as importantly, the NTSB can pro- talk about what we’re doing.” vide communications guidance to tire, The on-scene information flow from auto and airplane manufacturers the NTSB, according to Knud- who are suddenly the subject of son, includes investigation public scrutiny, he said. briefings to families and the “We’re not there to say exact- news media, photo opportuni- ly what you should do, but we ties and one-on-one interviews can tell you what’s coming— for both local and national hearings, updates, information news outlets. RPN photos by Miles Moore to be released and media in- An increasingly crucial func- From left: Joseph M. Ruscak, partner, Roetzel & Andress L.P.A.; Chad Mowery, a quiries,” Knudson said. tion of the NTSB is releasing shareholder with Roetzel & Andress; and Peter C. Knudson, public affairs officer As the chief transportation information on social media, with the NTSB, at the 35th Clemson University Global Tire Industry Conference, investigatory body in the U.S., Knudson said. The board has held April 10-12 at Hilton Head, S.C. the NTSB investigates every a Facebook page, and also re- civil aviation accident that oc- Knudson leases photos on Flickr and dent-related information to news media, merely says that organizations which curs in the U.S.—normally about videos of briefings on YouTube. or their commenting on or analyzing are party to receiving real-time informa- 1,200 annually, according to Knudson. Twitter is perhaps the most important NTSB findings before the board deter- tion about an investigation must not Highway, rail, marine and pipeline social medium for the NTSB, according mines the probable cause of the accident. abuse that information. accidents are a very small percentage of to Knudson. There have been several cases of promi- “If you are party to an NTSB investi- the NTSB’s activities by comparison, “We use Twitter the most,” he said. nent manufacturers being summarily gation, a good rule of thumb is that if you Knudson said. Only those accidents the “We use it on scene and live-tweet during dropped from investigations because they have information you could talk about board deems as “significant”—those that briefings.” violated the agreement, according to the day before the accident, you can talk involve multiple deaths and injuries— The NTSB has two Twitter ac- Knudson. “Caution—Stay in Your Lane” is about it the day after,” he said. are the subject of investigations. counts—@ntsb, an advocacy account, and the operant metaphor, he said. If you are unsure about whether to re- “In highway accidents, that’s about 15 @ntsb_newsroom, an account for accident “No, you are not under a gag order,” lease a certain piece of information, you or 20 investigations out of 7 or 8 million information reports, briefings and up- Knudson said. “The party agreement can always ask the NTSB, he said. accidents annually,” he said. dates. The organization devotes entire web One of the most recent of those investi- pages to major investigations, with reports gations involved an accident that took and links to the docket, Knudson said. place Aug. 30, 2018, on Interstate 40 near In releasing information, the NTSB Thoreau, N.M., according to Knudson. always begins strictly with facts, without In that accident, a 2017 Freightliner analysis—the information that doesn’t tractor attached to a 2017 Utility trailer change, according to Knudson. was traveling down the highway when the “The understanding of information may left front wheel on the tractor suffered a change, but the information itself general- sudden air loss. The driver lost control, ly doesn’t,” he said. crossed the median and crashed into a Later, it might release the content of in- 2016 MCI 50-passenger motorcoach. terviews, information from data recorders, Eight people died in the accident, and measurements and specific times of acci- 16 others were seriously injured, Knud- dent events, and other on-scene findings, son said. according to Knudson. NTSB media relations play an invalu- At all times, the NTSB shares infor- able role during investigations such as the mation freely with all parties to an in- one at Thoreau, according to Knudson. vestigation, Knudson said. But the par- “When there is serious media interest, ties are subject to a party agreement we handle on-scene briefings,” he said. that strictly forbids their releasing acci- James Cuttino (left), director of tire research and development at Link En- gineering Co., talks with Dennis Johnson, Technology Assessment Center Connecting at Clemson director for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Allison Ofenstein (left), global scouting lead for Bridgestone Americas, meets Chris Napier (left), product engineer for ExxonMobil Chemical Co., shares a with Mark Shackleford, a business development manager at Smithers. laugh with Chad Mowery, a shareholder with Roetzel & Andress L.P.A.

6 Rubber & Plastics News • April 22, 2019 www.rubbernews.com

Access to vehicle data an issue for companies By Miles Moore Rubber & Plastics News Staff WASHINGTON—New vehicles are generating unprecedented amounts of data, and vehicle owners and independent auto repairers have very little control over it, much less access to it. This was the message of consumer and auto repair advocates at an April 4 panel discussion and news conference in Washington. The conference was held concurrently with the Mobility Talks International and Industry/Media Day events that preceded the Washington Bill Hanvey, CEO and president of the Jeff Plungis, automotive investigative Sally Greenberg, executive director, Auto Show, which began on April 5. Auto Care Association. reporter, Consumer Reports. National Consumers League. “Across the street is amazing technol- car data,” Plungis said. “Consumer Reports ogy that makes cars safer and allows is not so sure. More and more, we are con- them to communicate with each other,” cerned with the quality of our digital lives.” said Bill Hanvey, president and CEO of Greg Potter, chief technology officer the Auto Care Association, in remarks for the Equipment and Tool Institute, opening the event. said data had become “the new oil” for “However, with that technology those vehicle manufacturers because of its vehicles are generating terabytes of data,” enormous monetary value. By that logic, Hanvey said. “Consumers are very much he said, independent repair shops be- unaware of where that data is being sent came a new profit center. and whether that data is being sold.” “We couldn’t get the data right from Hanvey and the other speakers advo- the vehicle anymore,” Potter said. “You cated for “The Driver Bill of Rights,” have to buy it from them. We want to Greg Potter, chief technology officer, Joseph Jerome, policy counsel, Privacy which among other things demands obtain the data straight from the car, Equipment and Tool Institute. & Data Project, Center for Democracy & transparency of data, the right to choose with no intermediates.” Technology. which data is collected, the right to Joseph Jerome, policy counsel for the her organization supports a comprehen- share repair and maintenance data Privacy & Data Project at the Center for sive privacy bill to protect consumer The panelists cited several recent through direct access, and the right to Democracy & Technology, said the issue data, but added that passage of such a precedents that point the way toward limit or turn off data collection. of data ownership is problematic, be- bill would be “a hard get.” comprehensive data privacy and access “Car manufacturers are creating a cause of the nature of data. Greenberg, a longtime advocate for legislation. data monopoly that is set to decrease “Data is not really the same thing as a auto safety, stressed the need for consum- These included recent guidance from competition and increase costs for con- physical product,” Jerome said. “It’s dif- er and repairer access to vehicle-generat- the Federal Trade Commission; a sweep- sumers,” according to a fact sheet hand- ferentiated from something you bought ed data. At the same time, she said, we ing new data privacy law that just went ed out at the conference. “Drivers de- and drove off the lot. need to differentiate between the data into effect in California; a new data bro- mand our data benefits us.” “We need to acknowledge that data is needed to keep cars running and tires ker registry law in Vermont; and the Jeff Plungis, lead automotive investiga- a shared resource, and that different inflated, and personal data auto makers Massachusetts Right to Repair law, which tive reporter for Consumer Reports and stakeholders have different rights,” he sell for billions of dollars. went into effect with the 2018 model year. moderator of the panel, said cars have es- said. “OEMs are excluding access to “Individual information is not now pro- The Massachusetts legislature is now sentially become smartphones on wheels. data to other stakeholders. Consumers tected, but 86 percent of Americans say considering a bill that would expand “The underlying assumption is that and repair shops have vested interests, they want to control their information, Right to Repair to include telematics and consumers are comfortable with giving and they need to carve out their rights.” and have a delete button to eliminate what connected car data. No hearings have away their smartphone and browsing his- Sally Greenberg, executive director of they don’t want to be made public,” she been scheduled, but the legislation has 55 tories, and that they’ll be the same with the National Consumers League, said said. “In Europe, that figure is 90 percent.” co-sponsors, according to Hanvey. Public education critical for automated vehicles From the By Miles Moore Rubber & Plastics News Staff show floor WASHINGTON—Educating the public about automated vehicles is crucial to de- ploying advanced transportation technology on U.S. roads and highways, according to speakers at Mobility Talks Internation- al, held in Washington April 3-4 at the beginning of the Washington Auto Show. “The goal is to build a world-class transportation system that is multimodal, so cities can be built for people, not cars,” said Lauren Belive, federal government relations manager for the ride-sharing service Lyft. Belive, like the other speakers in the panel titled “Spreading the Word: Building RPN photos by Miles Moore Above: This Subaru Crosstrek was Public Knowledge and Trust of AVs,” was a From left: Lauren Belive, federal government relations manager, Lyft; Robbie Dia- one new model shown off recently representative of a member organization of mond, founder, president and CEO, Securing America’s Future Energy; and Anna Maria at the Washington Auto Show, which Partners for Automated Vehicle Education, Chavez, vice president and chief growth officer, National Coalition on Aging, participate had its Media Day preview April 4 a coalition devoted to promoting public on a panel discussion about mobility at the recent Washington Auto Show. at the Walter E. Washington Con- awareness about the benefits of AVs. vention Center in downtown Wash- Spreading the word quickly and com- AVs would be a boon to senior citizens, as the public on AVs, according to Diamond, ington. Below: The Audi R8 V plus prehensibly about AV technology is key, long as they can be persuaded to trust and will be explaining why AVs are likely to Spyder is one of the hundreds of ve- according to Robbie Diamond, founder, accept the technology, according to Anna be both shared and electric. hicles on display. president and CEO of the organization Maria Chavez, executive vice president and “There are a variety of reasons for this,” Securing America’s Future Energy. chief growth officer for the National Coali- he said. “But let’s allow people to figure out “It’s important that we move with the tion on Aging. how they want to use the technology.” speed of technology, not the speed of peo- “By 2030, one person out of five will be Diamond also said that with AVs it’s ple,” Diamond said. “The debate will be over 65,” Chavez said. “A 10-year-old girl necessary to think beyond the current intense, and we have to gear up for that. today has a 50 percent chance of living to structure of individual vehicles and “With automated vehicles, there are 2 109. mass transit. million disabled people who could get a “Meanwhile, the infrastructure we “Maybe the future of Metro is one-seat job because they could commute to it,” have to deal with elderly people is quite pods, rather than empty buses,” he said. Diamond said. “There are 3,000 people antiquated,” she said. “This is an issue “The only people who want to save Metro who die on the roads every day around we can no longer leave behind.” are the 1 percenters who don’t ride the the world, whose lives would be saved.” One of the biggest challenges in selling Metro.” www.rubbernews.com Rubber & Plastics News • April 22, 2019 7 Aurora acquires Elastocon for fourth deal in two years

By Frank Esposito expansion and renovation of its Pasadena Plastics News plant. The expansion included improve- SPRINGFIELD, Ill.—Materials firm ments in compound blending and auto- Aurora Plastics L.L.C. has made its mation, as well as a new lab and prod- fourth acquisition in the last two years uct-testing capabilities. by purchasing Elas- Aurora was founded tocon TPE Technolo- in 1997 and is a unit of gies Inc. Chicago private equity No purchase price firm Wind Point Part- was included in an ners, which has owned April 15 news release from Streetsboro, Aurora since 2016. In addition to Ohio-based Aurora. Company officials Streetsboro and its acquisition locations, said in the release that the acquisition of the firm also operates a compounding Streetsboro, Ohio-based Aurora Plastics L.L.C. has acquired Elastocon TPE, its Elastocon “continues to expand (Auro- plant in Welcome, N.C. fourth acquisition in two years. ra’s) comprehensive product line, bringing broader TPE compounding capabilities to the company’s portfolio.” Elastocon’s product line “offers an alternative think Processing and to other materials that Dispersing Agents might be higher cost EP 52 and over-engineered.” PERFORMANCE HPS 11 Dave Barkus HT 207 HT 290 “Elastocon brings a broader offering of RP 28 soft-touch and abrasion-resistant mate- TR 251 rials,” Aurora CEO Darrell Hughes said W 34 in a statement. “It also deepens our WB 16 presence and offerings to our valued WB 42 customers in the medical, packaging, consumer, industrial, automotive and WB 212 non-automotive transportation markets.” WB 222 Elastocon’s product line “offers an WS 180 alternative to other materials that WS 280 might be higher cost and over-engineered,” Elastocon President Dave Zinc Salts Barkus added. A 50 “We are proud of our odorless, A 60 phthalate- and latex-free materials and look forward to working alongside CY 50 Aurora Plastics to allow us to strength- EF 44A en our support network for our cus- HT 276 tomers,” he said. JV 46F Barkus founded Elastocon in 1999. WA 48 Based in Springfield, the firm employs about 50 at a 35,000-sq.-ft. site. Elas- ZB 47 tocon does much of its work in SEBS- ZB 49 type stryenic block copolymers, but Chemical Peptizers also does some business in copolyester. Barkus will remain with Aurora after A 80 the deal. A 82 Last year, Elastocon responded to A 86 customer requests by offering materi- A 91F als in order sizes of less than 1 million Think Struktol Quality Additives HT 105A pounds. Officials said Elastocon’s line of overmold grades can be modified for Homogenizing Agents any soft touch requirement and “are 40 MS highly sought-after compounds in HP 55 consumer and industrial markets.” “Coupled with Aurora Plastics’ expe- Strukrez 110 rience in extrusion and co-extrusion Activators/Curatives based TPEs, the merger will allow Activator 73 A customers to more easily procure the materials they need from a single Activator 73 LM source,” the firm said. ZEH Aurora’s current product lineup in- ZEH-DL cludes PVC compounds and alloys, Zimag 29/43A chlorinated polyethylene alloys, low- Zinc Laurate smoke flame-retardant concentrates, purge compounds and TPE compounds. The Elastocon deal is Aurora’s first since it acquired JPI South of Pasadena, Texas, in May. In the second half of 2017, Struktol Quality Additives for Performance Opening a new world of possibilities for increased Aurora had acquired S&E Specialty performance with improved processing and consistency. Polymers of Lunenburg, Mass., and Reiner Plastics of Marieville, Quebec. “Our goal with each acquisition is the same: to continue to be the first choice in polymer solutions,” Hughes Struktol Company of America said. 201 E. Steels Corners Road | P.O. Box 1649 | Stow, OH 44224-0649 Earlier in 2018, Aurora completed an 330-928-5188 | 800-327-8649 | Fax: 330-928-0013 Email: [email protected] www.struktol.com 8 Rubber & Plastics News • April 22, 2019 www.rubbernews.com Opinion

Auto makers must Vol. 48 No. 19 Brennan Lafferty, V.P./group publisher David E. Zielasko, Publisher, vice president (330-836-9180)

EDITORIAL STAFF be partners with Bruce Meyer, Editor (330-865-6124) Chris Sweeney, News editor (330-865-6188) their supply base Miles D. Moore, Senior Washington reporter (703-256-9275) here’s one general truth about the relationships be- Erin Pustay Beaven, Online content editor (330-865-6106) tween auto makers and their suppliers that doesn’t Kyle Brown, Reporter change: The better the two sides work together, the (330-865-6115) T Michael McCrady, Art director more likely both sides will be successful. (330-865-6148) It’s no accident that the vehicle companies suppliers give to the communication and transparency that serves as the John Dick, Technical editor the top rankings to stay pretty consistent, and the ones foundation of the relationships with its suppliers. ([email protected]) trying to play catch-up know they can learn a thing or two That’s not to say those following Toyota and Honda don’t Keith E. Crain, Editorial director from the leaders. know how to treat their suppliers. General Motors, which INTERNET According to the Working Relations Index, one of the ranked third of the six auto makers surveyed in the lat- Mark McCarron, Digital coordinator most trusted sources of how suppliers see their auto maker est report, has made significant strides in its grades since (330-865-6123) customers, it’s pretty clear who gets the top grades each 2015, when it tied for last. The senior vice president of GM’s SALES STAFF year. John Henke and his company, Planning Perspectives Brent Weaver, Sales manager purchasing and supply chain had an idea of which OEMs (330-865-6119) Inc.—now part of Plante Moran—have been publishing treated suppliers well, and wasn’t shy about adopting the Peter McNeil, Display advertising sales repre- this study annually in North America since 2001, and ei- tools he thought would help his firm improve its supplier sentative (330-865-6109) ther Toyota or Honda has topped the ranking every year. Brooke Stender, Classified advertising sales relations. representative (330-865-6117) Toyota has been No. 1 the past eight studies with Honda Ford’s executive vice president of product development and Lori DiFrancesco, Sales and conference coordi- the runner-up each of those years. purchasing said vendors look to do business with customers nator (330-865-6121) Both of those companies give a clear vision of how they Sarah Arnold, Marketing and events manager who give them opportunities for growth, act fairly and honor- (330-865-6169) view the OEM-supplier relationship, which gives a glimpse ably, and are consistent and predictable. Patrick Cannon, Group sales director of why suppliers want to work with them. The Toyota group The OEMs also are clear that they have certain expec- (313-446-1625) vice president of purchasing cites the “three C’s” as key. tations of what they expect from their suppliers, and all RUBBER DIRECTORY & BUYERS GUIDE That’s as in communication, collaboration and consistency. agree that they need to be ready to help out suppliers that Sally Dietz, Assistant events manager/editorial As long as Toyota follows this path, then its suppliers know may be in need. coordinator (330-865-6112) what is expected of them and can plan accordingly. After all, the auto makers know that as valuable as sup- For Honda, it’s all about being in a partnership, accord- pliers can be in helping them succeed, they also realize one IT/PRODUCTION STAFF Scott Merryweather, Media services manager ing to its vice president who oversees its North American mishap can lead to a catastrophic failure in the delicate Anthony DiPonio, Chief information officer purchasing division. She said this type of approach leads balance of an intricate supply chain. AUDIENCE DEVELOPMENT Jennifer Mosley, Group director/Audience devel- VIEWPOINT opment (312-649-5312) EXECUTIVE OFFICES 2291 Riverfront Pkwy, Suite 1000, Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio 44221. Phone: 330-836-9180; Edito- rial fax, 330-836-2831; Sales, administration fax: Help us find the best places to work 330-836-1005 Diana Clance, Office coordinator By Bruce Meyer • Be in business a minimum of one year; and (330-836-9180) • Derive at least 50 percent of revenue from elastomer-re- irtually every rubber industry meeting I attend there lated operations, including thermoplastic elastomers and poly- is discussion about the trouble in recruiting and re- urethanes. Vtaining good employees. A number of issues typically Eligibility is open to companies that make end rubber are cited, including rubber not being a glamorous industry products, as well as suppliers or service providers in the Rubber & Plastics News is published bi-weekly or the pool of talented, available workers currently is tight. rubber industry. The first step in the competition is for a by Crain Communications Inc. Subscriptions: U.S., one year $99; two years, Now if you could have an advantage that may help you business to register for participation, and the deadline for $178. Group rates, $79 each for five or more attract prospective employees, wouldn’t that is May 17. There is no cost to participate, as long as copies. Air mail and first class delivery to U.S., U.S. possessions, Mexico and Canada, $164; the that be something you’d want to utilize? the surveys are completed online. To view full participa- Middle East and Europe, $219; all other regions, Well, Rubber & Plastics News may just have tion details, visit www.rubbernews.com/bestplaces. $293. For surface delivery to Canada, $138 that little something you’re looking for. Our (including GST); Mexico and all other foreign After registration, the competition includes two surveys countries, $140. Single copy, $4.50. publication is working with Best Companies to gather detailed data about each participating company. Rubber Directory & Buyers Guide, $89 per copy Group to identify the Rubber & Plastics News The first survey is an Employer Benefits & Policies Ques- plus $6 for first class postage and handling in the U.S. and Canada. Four weeks’ notice required for Best Places to Work. We are inviting U.S. and tionnaire and the second is the Employee Engagement & change of address. GST #136760444. Canadian companies doing business in any Satisfaction Survey. Printed in the U.S. aspect of the rubber industry to register by For new subscriptions and change of address, BCG conducts the surveys, analyzes the data and deter- write: Audience Development Department, May 17 to participate in the program. mines the winners and rankings. Companies that meet Rubber & Plastics News, 1155 Gratiot Ave., Best Publications Group is an indepen- BCG’s benchmarks are named a Best Places to Work, while Detroit, Mich. 48207-2912; call 1-877-320- 1726 or e-mail customerservice-rpn@crain. dent research firm that specializes in iden- those not meeting the criteria are not named. A final rank- com for customer service. For subscription tifying and recognizing great places to work. It’s simple to ings of those named Best Places to Work will be published information and delivery concerns please email [email protected] or call 877-320- enter. In order to participate, the business must: this fall in an RPN special report. 1726 (in the U.S. and Canada) or 313-446-0450 • Be a public or private company with a facility in the (all other locations) U.S. and/or Canada; Meyer is editor of Rubber & Plastics News. He can be reached Reprints: Lauren Melesio, 212-210-0707; e-mail, [email protected]. • Have a minimum of 15 employees; at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @bmeyerRPN. Website: http://www.rubbernews.com

CRAIN COMMUNICATIONS INC WEB POLL RESULTS QUOTE OF THE WEEK Keith E. Crain Mary Kay Crain Chairman Vice chairman “Any time we see a supplier might KC Crain Chris Crain President Senior executive be needing assistance, we don’t vice president Lexie Crain question our involvement. We are Armstrong Robert Recchia Secretary Chief financial officer involved.” G.D. Crain Jr. Gertrude R. Crain Founder (1885-1973) Chairman (1911-1996) —Pam Heminger, vice president at Honda Manu- facturing Inc. who oversees North American purchasing, on how the firm helps struggling suppliers. www.rubbernews.com Rubber & Plastics News • April 22, 2019 9 From The Web Goodyear to expand tire production site in Europe Saint-Gobain, Vermont reach PFOA settlement MUNICH—Goodyear has disclosed plans to invest $36 million in its factory By Steve Toloken Together, the two agreements cover about 470 homes in Plastics News in Colmar-Berg, Luxembourg, to in- North Bennington and Bennington, with a total cost of crease production of off-the-road tires Saint-Gobain Performance Plastics will pay a “signifi- more than $40 million. and make process improvements. cant” portion of a $40 million-plus settlement with the state A state news release said the second phase of the agreement, Goodyear announced the investment of Vermont to clean up groundwater pollution from a factory announced April 10, would cost $20 million to $25 million, on during the Bauma construction industry it operated in North Bennington, the state’s top of the $20 million for the first phase. Saint- trade fair in Munich, where it exhibited. Gov. Phil Scott said April 10. To keep up with the Gobain also paid for waterline extensions in the The firm did not quantify the impact In a news conference surrounded by state offi- daily pulse of the first phase. on the plant’s capacity or work force. The cials, Scott said the agreement calls for Saint- industry, visit www. The release said the state would pay $4.7 plant, which opened in 1951, makes me- Gobain to pay to extend municipal water lines to rubbernews.com. million for the second phase and that Saint- dium truck tires in addition to OTR tires. 245 homes to address concerns over water pollu- Gobain would pay a “significant” portion of the The company is building a second tion of wells from perfluooctanoic acid, or PFOA, waterline extensions and be responsible for costs plant in Luxembourg, close to the exist- which had been used to make fluoropolymers. for homes that remain on well water, including drilling of ing Colmar-Berg factory, for the produc- As part of the agreement, state officials said Saint-Gobain deeper replacement wells and the long-term maintenance of tion of premium passenger tires. The is withdrawing its legal challenge to Vermont’s 20 parts per home treatment systems. plant is set to come online in 2019. trillion standard for PFOA in drinking water. Saint-Gobain did not respond to a request for comment. The company is investing $77 million The state was one of the first to set a low PFOA stan- According to a settlement agreement with the state, PFOA in the facility, which will produce about dard—much less than the 70 ppt federal advisory standard. was contained in certain polytetrafluoroethylene fabric coatings 500,000 tires annually and create about The April 10 agreement builds on a 2017 deal between used in the North Bennington plant, which closed in 2002. The 70 full-time positions. Vermont and Saint-Gobain to extend water service to more facility previously had been owned by Chemical Fabrics Corp., than 200 homes with drinking water wells with PFOA levels and both companies used the PTFE coatings, according to the Vibracoustic forms auto above the state’s standard. settlement agreement. Saint-Gobain bought Chemfab in 2000. NVH JV with Benteler The plant will significantly increase Abstracts must be received by May 6. The firm said one of its customers, DARMSTDT, Germany—Vibracoustic Trelleborg’s production capabilities for Accepted technical papers and written Skoda Auto, achieved weight savings of GmbH and chassis company Benteler In- the rail industry, according to a compa- manuscript presentations will be due 6.5 percent by using the new grade for ternational A.G. have created a joint ven- ny news release. Sept. 9. A variety of topics will be consid- lower dashboard, glove box and center ture to develop noise, vibration and ride Set up in an area of about 67,000 square ered for presentation. console applications. harshness optimized chassis systems for feet, the unit will work closely with local Additionally, the Rubber Division is Scheduled for official inauguration on electric vehicles. The partners hope to be OEMs as India continues to invest in its encouraging students to prepare posters May 16, the plant already has supplied able to provide front and rear-axle sys- rail infrastructure, the company said. and oral presentations for this year’s samples to potential customers, which tems that meet the needs of OEMs. Trelleborg expects to create 100 jobs Student Colloquium planned for Oct. 9. include OEMs and Tier 1 companies in The JV partners said the new collabora- and plans to develop an engineering The spotlight this year will be on gradu- North America. tion is designed to help customers with the center at the facility to support technical ate and undergraduate research and development times by simplifying produc- requirements. co-op or internship experiences. tion. Shorter time to market and products Without giving further details, the For more information about abstract On the move that easily can be modified for a wide range Swedish group said that the plant “rep- submission, contact Chuck Brady at 330- Arlanxeo—Named Donald Chen its of chassis will help with those goals. resents a significant investment for Trel- 595-5543 or email [email protected]. new CEO, succeeding Jorge Nogueira, Vibracoustic added that its microcel- leborg.” The company said it plans to ex- who is retiring after a career spanning luar polyurethane NVH components pand the facility to occupy a total of about Borealis starts up TPO nearly 40 years in the chemical and will be included in the chassis systems 88,000 square feet within three years. compounding plant in N.C. pharmaceutical industry. developed as part of the joint venture. Gelest Inc.—Appointed Jim Whitlock to Rubber Division extends TAYLORSVILLE, N.C.—Borealis A.G. the newly-created position of chief operating Trelleborg to open plant for expo abstract deadline has started up a compounding plant in officer. The firm said the position was creat- anti-vibration parts in India Taylorsville. ed to deepen its senior leadership team in FAIRLAWN—The ACS Rubber Division The new facility will produce thermo- conjunction with its continuing growth. BENGALURU, India—Trelleborg’s an- has extended the deadline to submit ab- plastic polyolefin and short glass fiber Henniges Automotive Inc.—Named Lar- ti-vibration solutions operation is set to stracts for its 196th Technical Meeting, compounds with capacity of 30,000 metric ry Williams CEO. He also will continue to open a production facility in the southern which runs Oct. 8-10 as part of the Interna- tons per year, the Vienna-based polymer serve as a board member and president, a Indian city of Bengaluru later in April. tional Elastomer Conference in Cleveland. maker said in a news release. position he’s held since March 2016. Chemistry With A Conscience

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One idea is to Rubber & Plastics News Staff customers at least one electrified version take batteries from automotive and use NOVI, Mich.—Change is always on the of every model across the company by them in the housing market. horizon, but it seems the automotive in- 2030; and Range anxiety is another hurdle for dustry’s horizon is quickly approaching. • Toyota will electrify its entire lineup consumers as right now there are not Electric vehicles, ride sharing apps by 2025, either hybrid or full electric, enough charging stations to reliably and government regulations are driving with 10 purely battery-powered vehicles make a long trip in a battery-operated automotive original equipment manu- after 2020. electric vehicle. Macpherson said if facturers to make sizable bets on E-mo- “The OEMs have been making some charging stations are added, that will put bility, and that in turn is causing mas- really big statements and changes to a burden on an already strained electric sive ripple effects throughout the supply their organizations,” Macpherson said. grid, which in turn will need to be up- chain, according to one speaker at the “It seems every week we see a new head- graded to handle the additional usage. Plastics and Rubber in Automotive con- line or some pronouncement about the “Because of all these barriers, the use ference held recently in Novi. number of electric vehicles they’re going of battery-operated vehicles is believed “There are an overwhelming number of to be producing in the future.” to be somewhat moderated moving for- changes coming through the pipe into our ward,” Macpherson said. “The forecast- industry driven in many parts by E-mo- Emissions driving change ers are certainly tempering their enthu- bility,” Ian Macpherson, Afton Chemical Fuel economy is the major factor driv- siasm, whereas the hybrid vehicle is Corp.’s North America driveline marketing these investments, Macpherson said, certainly one that a lot of folks are united ing director, said during his presentation. as governments look to regulate green- in believing is going to be the larger “The winds really are changing in our house gas emissions—some drastically volume type of vehicle moving forward.” RPN photos by Chris Sweeney Ian Macpherson, North American drive- industry. From a technology perspective, attempting to do away with the internal line marketing director at Afton Chem- there are all kinds of initiatives.” combustion engine within the next 20-25 ICE freeze-out overstated ical Corp., addresses rubber product OEMs already have disclosed big plans, years. Macpherson said the internal combus- manufacturers at the recent Plastics which include: But there are major hurdles to these tion engine will remain a significant and Rubber in Automotive conference • GM said it will introduce a new electric platforms, one being the infra- factor for the foreseeable future, and in Novi, Mich. all-electric vehicle platform and 20 all-elec- structure. Macpherson said the number most likely beyond. tric models by 2023; of charging stations, the amount of time The technological advancements in He added that while governments • Ford is investing $11 billion to intro- it takes to charge vehicles and the avail- current ICE and diesel models have been have made some bold statements, he is duce 40 new electrified vehicles, includ- able lithium all are significant consider- significant—turbocharged engines are not putting too much stock in them being 16 battery electric vehicles by 2022; ations that need to be accounted for be- becoming standard, efficiencies are get- cause most have yet to show a feasible • FCA claims 50 percent of its lineup fore electric vehicles can gain mass ting better and transmissions more effi- plan of how they’re going to ban the sale will feature some form of electrification consumer appeal. cient, according to Macpherson. of gasoline and diesel vehicles. by 2022; Disposal of lithium-ion batteries must He said by 2045 roughly three quar- However, he said one place where elec- • Volvo plans to sell 1 million electri- also be factored into the equation. ters will have electronic engines, but trification makes a little more sense is in fied cars by 2025 and offer some form of Macpherson said this will pose a signif- three quarters also will have internal cities where the air quality is a concern, electrification by 2021, including three icant challenge for the industry, citing combustion engines because about half such as in Shanghai and other parts of all new battery electric models; statistics that show for every $1 spent of the vehicles on the road will be hy- China. Macpherson added that the Chi- • VW plans to bring 80 new electrified companies would get about 30 cents brids, which Macpherson said has the nese government can take that kind of potential to grow significantly during drastic action and put the infrastructure the next 25 years. in place in a relatively short time. “There have been many forecasts in China also controls a large portion of terms of what the world is going to look the world’s lithium supply, and accord- Renoil Process Oil puts like in the future,” Macpherson said. ing to Macpherson that makes the “While the number of total vehicles will country a key player as electric vehicles grow dramatically, electric vehicles are begin to take more market share. just a part of that growth. 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Niels van der Aar (left), director of business development for Arlanxeo’s EPDM/NBR 1 (800) 423-6457 or [email protected] product lines, takes questions from moderator Joe Walker of Freudenberg-NOK at the recent Plastics and Rubber in Automotive conference in Novi, Mich. www.rubbernews.com Rubber & Plastics News • April 22, 2019 11 SPECIAL REPORT Rubber in Automotive Lord to expand Germany plant

By Chris Sweeney reliability and cost of electric batteries— Rubber & Plastics News Staff all important factors for consumers. HUECKELHOVEN, Germany—Lord Vehicle architectures also have design Corp. continues to invest in future auto- and assembly challenges, which Lorenz motive technologies. said causes the need for new materials The firm plans to expand operations and new methods of assembly. at its facility in Hueckelhoven in re- “It’s not unique to Europe and Germa- sponse to what it sees as a fast-growing ny,” Lorenz said. “But every OEM in Eu- electric vehicle market in Germany. The rope, and a lot of those are centered in firm will invest about $15.8 million to Germany, is investing in hybrid technolo- build a 35,000-sq.-ft. addition adjacent gy or full battery electric vehicles and to the current facility. The project will platforms. A lot of countries have been Doug Lorenz and Dirk Schroeder of Lord Corp.; Ed Auslander, Lord CEO and pres- create more than 20 additional jobs and committing to either partially or fully ident; Hueckelhoven Mayor Bernd Jansen; Lord Chairman General Jim Amos; and is expected to be operating by mid-2020. moving away from the internal combus- Herbert Artz and Vincent Javerzac of Lord Corp. hold a time capsule to commemo- Construction began in March. tion engine in the next 20 to 25 years. rate the groundbreaking of its new addition in Hueckelhoven, Germany. Lord employs 70 at the site, which spans We’re seeing the acceptance of electric ve- about 70,000 square feet on about 119,000 hicles are happening quicker than expect- square feet of land and has been in oper- ed. Some of that is because the perfor- ation since 1897. mance, range and cost are coming more “Historically Lord’s been successful at into line with what the market needs.” growing our core business in elastomer Once Lord adds the CoolTherm line at bonding and coatings for quieter vehi- Hueckelhoven, it will produce those prod- cles or structural adhesives for bonding,” ucts in all three major regions—already said Doug Lorenz, president of Lord’s producing them in the Americas and global performance materials business. Asia-Pacific. The line would be a new se- “The pull from our customers and the ries of products for the German site. It success we’ve been having is what’s currently produces the firm’s Chem- driving these investments around the lok-brand rubber-to-substrate bonding ad- world. Germany is kind of the center of hesives and coatings for weatherstrip and the automotive electric vehicle revolu- glass applications. tion in Europe and is certainly a region “We pride ourselves in having best-in- with a strong history of engineering and class solutions and localized production Members of Lord Corp. and local officials break ground on the firm’s new addition automotive innovation.” with supply chains that are close to our in Hueckelhoven, Germany. Lord said the space will be used to add customers,” Lorenz said. “We want to miti- production for gap fillers, potting and en- gate risks, be more responsive and ulti- will add 75,000 square feet to the building, about and as a company we’re pretty opti- capsulants, and thermal adhesives sold mately help the customers that we serve.” which sits on a 67-acre plot and employs 235. mistic about where things are going,” Lo- under its CoolTherm brand. The products The investment is Lord’s latest in a se- That site produces Chemlok in addi- renz said. “We’ve got a track record of fall under Lord’s Thermal Management ries of activities designed to position itself tion to specialty intermediate chemicals success and continue to outpace market business and are formulated to help re- to capitalize on E-mobility trends within and coatings products that are supplied growth. We have an amazing sales pipe- duce heat build-up in electronic compo- the automotive industry. In May 2018, to customers around the world. line in some of these new areas with some nents. According to the company’s website, the firm disclosed plans to invest $80 The firm also in 2018 repurposed space very strong technology portfolios. Put that CoolTherm products can be customized million to expand and upgrade opera- at its site in Indianapolis to add more all together, and we’re seeing significant for epoxies, silicones, urethanes and tions at its 250,000-sq.-ft. plant in Sae- production. demand from our customers and some acrylics, depending on performance needs gertown. During the next five years, Lord “This is an area we’re pretty excited significant opportunities in the market.” and cost targets, and are primarily used in battery packs, chargers, inductors, motors and power electronics. Lorenz said a critical component of electric vehicles is the lithium ion battery pack, which in turn is causing a great need within the industry for thermal management solutions. Those products Thinking Zinc Oxide? have an impact on performance, range, Think Zochem!

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Doug Lorenz (left), president of Lord’s US: 615.375.5058 • Canada: 800.324.1806 global performance materials busi- [email protected] ness, and Vincent Javerzac, vice president of Lord’s EMEA region, pose with www.zochem.com the time capsule.

Pantone 569C 12 Rubber & Plastics News • April 22, 2019 www.rubbernews.com SPECIAL REPORT Rubber in Automotive U.S. auto sales off to slow start in 2019 By David Phillips Among major auto makers, only Amer- ter but with spring finally starting to GM said its first-quarter U.S. sales Automotive News ican Honda, Hyundai-Kia, Volkswagen show its face and continued strong eco- dropped 7 percent, with volume down DETROIT—The auto industry headed Group and Subaru managed an increase nomic indicators, such as a boost in 7.8 percent at Chevrolet, 4.4 percent at into the key spring selling season on a last month, helped largely by continuing housing sales, lower lending rates and a GMC, 8.7 percent at Buick and 2 percent down note, with U.S. sales falling 3.1 strong demand for light trucks. strong labor market, we are confident at Cadillac. The company no longer re- percent in March. It was the third decline for the industry that new vehicle sales demand will leases monthly U.S. sales results. GM But there was a bright spot in the in as many months this year. Auto mak- strengthen going forward,” said Reid said its first-quarter U.S. car sales month—the seasonally adjusted, annu- ers are struggling to maintain a record Bigland, head of U.S. sales for FCA US. skidded 21 percent, with crossovers, alized rate of sales came in at 17.42 mil- pace that has seen annual sales totals top SUVs and pickups accounting for more lion, well above the forecast of 16.8 mil- 17 million in every year since 2014. Company results than 80 percent of the mix. lion, and up sharply from February’s U.S. sales have now dropped 3.2 per- Sales at FCA US fell 7.3 percent, its In addition to Fiat, brands with prod- 16.61 million rate and even the 17.33 cent for the first quarter of 2019. second straight monthly decline after 11 uct lineups dominated by cars continued million pace set in March 2018. “The industry had a tough first quar- consecutive gains. Toyota Motor Corp. ex- to struggle: March sales dropped 17 tended its monthly losing streak to five. percent at Mini and 18 percent at Smart. General Motors, down an estimated 8.3 Among other luxury brands, sales rose percent, still is looking for its first gain of 2.9 percent at BMW, 1.1 percent at Audi, 20 2019. Volume dropped 5.2 percent at Ford 16 percent at Volvo, 0.5 percent at Porsche, Motor Co., with car sales skidding 27 per- 13 percent at Jaguar and 4.6 percent at cent, according to the Automotive News Genesis, the second straight monthly gain 15 Data Center. Nissan Motor Co. slid 7.2 for Hyundai Motor’s luxury arm. Volume percent and Mazda dropped 19 percent. dropped 2.7 percent at Mercedes-Benz Automotive News is a sister publica- and 14 percent at Land Rover. 10 tion of Rubber & Plastics News. FCA was dragged down by another Forecasting the year weak month for Jeep, cars and minivans, Most analysts forecast industry sales even as pickup volume remained strong. this year will slip below 17 million for 5 Sales rose 15 percent at Ram, aided by the first time since 2014. a new Ram pickup and rich incentives. Higher interest rates and rising new Deliveries fell 11 percent at Jeep, 5.7 vehicle prices are undermining consumer 0 percent at Dodge, 38 percent at Chrysler demand on the retail side, with the benefits and 45 percent at Fiat, the company of 2018’s tax cuts waning and the overall said. Jeep, FCA’s top-selling brand and a U.S. economy losing some momentum. key source of company profits, has now “Things just keep getting tougher for posted three straight monthly declines. new-car shoppers,” said Jessica Cald- Volume dropped 5.5 percent at the well, executive director of industry Ford division but rose 1.9 percent at analysis at Edmunds. “Interest rates Lincoln last month. have crept up every month so far this At Toyota, March sales were off 3.5 year, and new vehicle prices continue to Superior technology for percent on a 13 percent decline in cars hover near record highs. We’re on the and a 3.3 rise in light trucks. Sales fell cusp of what could be a pretty dramatic 5.1 percent at the Toyota division and shift in the market, simply because a big all rubber processing. rose 8.2 percent at Lexus. chunk of buyers are getting priced out.” Nissan saw declines in both car and LMC last month trimmed its forecast truck sales. Deliveries fell 5.3 percent for 2019 U.S. light-vehicle sales by With Chem-Trend’s at the Nissan brand and 23 percent at 75,000 units to 16.9 million units, a de- advanced technology Infiniti. cline of 2.2 percent from 2018. The com- In bucking the industry trend, Ameri- pany cited lower tax refunds, mixed and deep industry can Honda said it posted record March economic data and the possibility of tar- knowledge, ® car and light-truck deliveries at the Hon- iff hikes on imports. And Cox Automo- Mono-Coat da division. Overall, sales rose 4.1 percent tive analysts expect fleet shipments, mold protectants and at Honda and 6.4 percent at Acura. which boosted the market in 2018, will Sales also rose 1.7 percent at Hyund- drop by 200,000 units this year. release agents have ai, 10 percent at Kia and 6 percent at While volume is falling, new-vehicle been specially Subaru, all helped by expanded light- prices continue to rise, helping pad truck lineups. profits at many auto makers. formulated to help Volkswagen boasted a 14 percent gain Kelley Blue Book estimates the aver- rubber processors on the strength of a 20 percent increase in age transaction price for a light vehicle crossover deliveries, driven by Tiguan and in the U.S. was $36,733 in March, up 2.3 improve quality, Atlas sales. The brand’s car volume rose 8 percent year-over-year, lifted by demand percent as Jetta demand increased 65 for pricey full-size pickups. But when reduce costs percent. higher interest rates and tighter incen- and optimize Mitsubishi recorded its best sales of tives are factored in, pushing average any month since March 2004, as deliver- monthly payments up about $30 from a productivity. ies of the Outlander, Outlander Sport year earlier, price escalation “is likely and Eclipse Cross crossovers propelled it contributing to the slower sales pace in to a 37 percent gain. the first quarter,” Kelley Blue Book said.

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ChemTrend.com Jeep sales experienced another weak month in March. www.rubbernews.com Rubber & Plastics News • April 22, 2019 13 SPECIAL REPORT Rubber in Automotive DuPont staying ‘ahead’ of auto trends

By Audrey LaForest getting heat out, metal for shielding Plastics News electromagnetic signals. We’re working NOVI, Mich.—If there is one aspect of toward developing polymers that al- the automotive industry that is consis- ready have some of that functionality tent, it is that “change is unavoidable.” built into them,” Naamani-Goldman That’s what Eugenio Toccalino, global said. “We can use a plastic, and it auto- marketing director of transportation and matically will get some of the heat out.” advanced polymers at global chemical The firm’s strategy is to group these giant DowDuPont Inc., said during a challenges and look at the kinds of materi- presentation at the recent Plastics and als that are required to solve them. That Rubber in Automotive conference. means the emergence of new materials “We read about the big announce- with improved heat resistance and that are ments from OEMs in terms of huge in- electrically friendly, have good noise-damp- vestments to retool themselves and be- ening capabilities, are long-lasting and come an (autonomous vehicle) or a hybrid easy to clean, and can be used as a substi- (electric vehicle) provider,” he said. tution for heavier materials. Follow that up with news about technol- “All of this challenging change in hy- ogy companies like Google affiliate Way- brid, electric, autonomous driving, shared mo L.L.C. that have made substantial in- mobility, is not going to happen without vestments to be a top player in self-driving collaboration across different value vehicles and new business models for chains,” Toccalino said, highlighting key shared mobility as well as bold statements players such as the OEM, Tier 1, Tier 2 like “the internal combustion engine is Plastics News photo by Michael A. Marcotte and aftermarket suppliers, as well as Eugenio Toccalino, global marketing director of transportation and advanced poly- dead,” Toccalino explained. other companies in the plastics and mers at global chemical giant DowDuPont Inc., discusses how DuPont’s ‘Ahead’ And it’s these sort of news head- electronics industries. initiative will help it address automotive E-mobility trends at the Plastics and lines—“change is coming whether you are “Essentially, what (DuPont) brings to Rubber in Automotive Conference, held recently in Novi, Mich. ready or not, so you better have a strate- bear is a set of capabilities that touch gy”—that are compelling plastics compa- In addition, lightweighting, which has tional materials that will continue to different points of the value chain,” he nies, specifically materials suppliers like long helped the industry meet require- grow in the long term. said. “The key point is developing new DowDuPont, or the soon-to-be new Du- ments for fuel efficiency and carbon di- “Right now, there’s a lot of metal that’s materials and developing them much Pont, to prepare for these big changes by oxide emissions, will become more im- used in a lot of these housings: metal for faster.” developing products that provide answers portant to get extended range, lower to OEMs and their suppliers. vehicle weight and reduce cost overall. “Growth doesn’t come for free,” Toc- Connectivity, he said, will require the calino said of the approaching challeng- creation of more jobs on the electronics es and disruption for automotive and side in automotive and for the necessary materials. infrastructure. In terms of shared mobility, durability Keeping ahead will become more important as different Later this year, Toccalino will contin- passengers hop in and out more fre- ue to work in the transportation and quently and the vehicles will be running advanced polymers business unit for the for longer periods of time, Toccalino said new DuPont, as DowDuPont prepares to perhaps as much as 23 hours a day. separate into three independent companies. The “new DuPont,” as he referred Changing components to it, announced in September 2018 how At the North American International it would tackle the growing market for Auto Show in Detroit in January, chem- electric and hybrid-electric vehicles with ical company BASF Corp. also was the launch of its Ahead initiative. looking ahead at challenges facing ma- Ahead, or Accelerating Hybrid-Elec- terials in an electric and autonomous tric Autonomous Driving, targets the vehicle future. use of adhesives, high-performance elas- Dalia Naamani-Goldman, BASF’s mar- tomers, engineered thermoplastics, flu- ket segment manager for transportation ids or specialty lubricants and electronic and performance materials, said she is materials for lightweighting, battery seeing more and more “electrification of pack components and assembly, thermal functions” in vehicles, where certain op- management and safety, electric motors, erations like a parking brake that were powertrains and chassis, electrical ap- once mechanical functions are now elec- plications and support infrastructure tric. such as charging stations. “Any time you’re moving to electronic “When we think about the car of the components, you need materials that future, there is going to be a totally new can withstand voltage, that can with- set of challenges on the material lab or stand—in the case of electrification— on the engineering department for an high-voltage for the potential of flam- OEM, Tier 1 or us,” he said, later de- mability,” she said during an interview scribing this car of tomorrow as a “smart at the auto show, adding that future phone on wheels.” models of electric vehicles are expected Thermal management is going to to have 1,000 volts. “You need special emerge as a main requirement for mate- materials that can enable each of these rials as the auto industry moves toward components.” battery electric vehicles, he said. This With autonomous driving and the intro- means fire safety, too, when you have a duction of more electric vehicles, compo- 600-volt battery that makes up the floor nents will be smaller and there will be of the vehicle. much more of them, said Mark Szendro, Noise, vibration and harshness proper- BASF’s marketing director for transporta- ties are another key area for materials, tion and performance materials. Toccalino said, as the car of the future “You will have more radar, lidar and transitions from a driving environment sensors in the vehicle that will definitely to a working or lounging environment. support the growth of plastics in each “The tolerance for any sort of squeak, vehicle,” he explained. rattle or noise is much lower,” he said. Naamani-Goldman said she also is “You don’t have the engine to mask that.” seeing an increased need for multifunc- 14 Rubber & Plastics News • April 22, 2019 www.rubbernews.com SPECIAL REPORT Rubber in Automotive New technologies for demanding auto applications By Samuel Harber Zeon Chemicals L.P. The author Acrylic type elastomers (polyacrylates) Executive summary are thermoset polymers derived from Expectations regarding the performance of thermoset rubber in engine sealing Samuel Harber is a scientist in acrylic acid esters that also contain re- and air management hose applications have continued to increase, at times expo- the application development area active cure sites. Their characteristic nentially. For example, one need only to consider the impact that environmental for the HyTemp/ACM elastomers highly saturated architecture enables regulations targeting reduced emissions have had as they are incorporated into business unit within Zeon Chemi- them to provide excellent service in very under-the-hood, higher efficiency designs. Zeon continues to introduce new HT- cals L.P. He has severe environments. ACM grades that function with little to no interference from exposure to higher been with Zeon As a group, polyacrylate elastomers temperatures and aggressive media found in new engine and drive-train designs. for 19 years, and are classified as oil-resistant, high-tem- This paper will present a review of polyacrylic rubber technology that culminates his previous as- perature specialty rubbers. Specific clas- in a presentation of several high-performance HT-ACM solutions. Studies are signments have sifications in both ASTM and SAE sys- shown where elastomeric solutions in both the high-temperature sealing and hose been in the ar- tems can be found under the acronym application areas have excellent long-term resistance to hot lubricants, transmis- eas of Hydrin/ “ACM,” which stands for acrylic monomer. sion fluids and caustic engine vapors. Two new elastomers are introduced, one for ECO; Zetpol/ Both ASTM and SAE have designa- HT-ACM seal and gasket applications and another for HT-ACM air management HNBR; and gen- tions (D2000/J200) for compounds based hose applications. eral technical service. Harber TECHNICAL NOTEBOOK pared utilizing a two-pass mix proce- HT-ACM seal and hose elastomers Harber is a sec- Edited by John Dick dure. This consisted of a masterbatch Each grade of polymer is designed ond-generation rubber compounder pass mixed in a 1.5 liter internal mixer around certain characteristics. While and has 41 years of experience in on ACM. These systems show ACM with an intermeshing rotor configura- all consist of focused architectures (mono- the rubber industry, having worked classed in oil-resistant elastomer tables tion. Per standard Zeon recommended mer type/ratio and cure site), which en- in numerous key technical and as both 150°C and 175°C capable. Nearly procedures, all polyacrylate rubber able high performance in aggressive production roles for Brad Ragan 80 percent of all applications utilizing masters are mixed upside-down, which under-the-hood environments, they also Inc. (a former subsidiary of Good- polyacrylate rubber are automotive re- gives optimum dispersion. On drop and have been designed with other key fea- year), Patch Rubber Co. and lated and as such many other specifica- after refining, the stocks were sheeted tures in mind. For example, the choice of Freudenberg-NOK. tions for ACM have been written by off where they cooled and rested on the a sealing grade would not necessarily He has written and presented most global OEM automobile producers. laboratory counter for 24 hours. The translate into an extrusion process. numerous technical papers on In fact, the lion’s share of these newer sheeted masters were then completed on Conversely a seal or injection molding compounding, processing and ap- OEM specifications demonstrate that a 20.3 cm x 20.3 cm x 40.7 cm laboratory grade likely would not extrude accept- plication design, utilizing Zeon’s ACM is much more capable than indi- mill with a roll speed ratio of 1.28:1. ably. The nuances of each grade studied broad elastomer offerings. Addi- cated by the shorter-term basic ASTM/ After rheology testing on an MDR to are shown in Table 1. tionally, he is author of the Van- SAE classification systems. verify initial cure state, tensile sheets Of note in this study are two grades, derbilt Rubber Handbook chapter As a key global innovator and suppli- were molded into the standard ASTM H570 and DP5244. These are next-gen- on ECO elastomers. er, Zeon provides state-of-the-art poly- 15.2 cm x 15.2 cm configuration using a eration HT-ACM seal and hose (extru- Harber received a bachelor’s de- acrylic elastomer technology through 60.9 cm x 60.9 cm, 100-ton electric press. sion) grades respectively. H570 is unique gree in chemistry from Radford the HyTemp-brand ACM product line. The stocks were molded using cure times, in that while it retains excellent high University. Within the ACM grade slate, all 175°C which are specified in each section of this temperature performance, it also re- capable types are designated as HT- paper. Buttons were of the 13 mm x 6.3 mains very flexible at temperatures ap- HT-ACM sealing elastomers ACM and, as a family, are rated for ser- mm ISO-815-1 (small) and ASTM D395 proaching -40°C. This characteristic is As noted in Table 1, there are three key vice from -40°C to 175°C continuous. 29.0 mm x 12.5 mm (large) types. very unusual and has led to a lot of in- HT-ACM sealing grades selected for study. Most grades can remain serviceable even A post-cure, or tempering, step was terest in the polymer. These are AR12B, which is a fast-curing after excursions to 200°C. These type included for all samples, which was for 4 The DP5244 (developmental name) injection or transfer molding grade; AR14, materials are currently used and con- hours at 175°C. The stocks were then polymer also is very recent and designed an ultra-low-temperature seal grade tinue to be specified on a global basis by aged in the laboratory 24 hours before to cure faster (autoclave cycle time cost- (-40°C) which also can be used in blends to all major OEMs. cutting test specimens. Unless otherwise down) and to have higher mechanical adjust low-temperature properties of other specified, all test methodology is based strength (tensile) than other similar hose HT-ACM stocks; and H570, which is a new Experimental on ASTM standards. Specific aging rou- elastomers. It also maintains this higher grade that has a broadened temperature Compounds in this study were pre- tines are discussed in each section. tensile after long-term heat aging. range of service, with upper-end service at 175°C but also low-temperature flexibility Table 1: Characteristics and nuances of HT-ACM grades studied. in the -40°C range. In Table 2, key original properties of these three compounds are shown. For-

Table 2: Formulary and key properties sealing grades.

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Rubber. Plastic. Latex. • Compound Development • ASTM D2000 • Physical Testing • SAE Speciﬁ cations • Chemical Analysis • ISO and OEM Speciﬁ cations • Dynamic Testing • Fuel/Fluid Immersion • Microscopy • Mixing and Molding • Accelerated Aging • Abrasion Resistance • Engineering Services • Fuel Permeation • FEA Support Testing • Tire Testing • Compression Stress Relaxation • SRE Materials • Wiper Blade Testing • Reverse Engineering Akron Rubber Development Laboratory, Inc. • TR-10 Low Temperature Testing • Viscosity Visit www.ardl.com for our wide range of problem-solving capabilities. • Belt Testing • Adhesion Testing Toll Free (866) 780-ARDL • Worldwide (330) 794-6600 • Hose Testing Contact Us Today at [email protected] • Custom Test Development www.rubbernews.com Rubber & Plastics News • April 22, 2019 15 SPECIAL REPORT Rubber in Automotive mularies are typical factory application quired to design or specify polyacrylate Fig. 4: Mobil 1 0W20 oil aging. recipes, and are not uniquely created for compounds. Very often there are trade-offs. laboratory study. Cure times of 6 and 8 For example, a polymer with ultra-low oil- minutes at 190°C were used for slabs swells by nature will have a much higher and buttons (ASTM), respectively. ISO Tg. Conversely one having an ultra-low Tg or CSR buttons were cured for 6 minutes will have much greater swells in oil. at 190°C. A post-cure of 4 hours at 175°C This understanding is critical in the was done on all specimens. selection and compounding of polyacry- In reviewing the data, curemeter rhe- late elastomers. This required compro- ology demonstrates a key area of note. mise has been addressed in the design of AR12B is designed for fast, efficient H570, as will be shown in this section cure cycles as can be seen with the Tc90 where both high- and low-temperature value of 4 minutes. This is contrasted properties are reviewed. with the other two stocks where the cure As mentioned in introductory remarks, rate is more moderate. a key characteristic with HT-ACM elas- Of interest also is H570 and the good tomers is the capability to remain ser- balance between cure rate and Ts2 viceable for long-term periods at up- scorch, 7.8 minutes and 1.4 minutes re- wards of 175°C. Fig. 2 shows a plot of spectively. Another observation about Shore A hardness change and stress- H570 is the improved Trouser Tear (5.6 strain property retention after 1,008 N/mm) versus AR12B (3.7 N/mm). This hours at 175°C. When looking at hard- is even with similar elongation at break. ness change, the obvious benefit with Compounds based on AR14 even with AR12B is seen, where the increase in the same level of HMDC always will hardness is minimal as compared with cure much tighter than the other grades. AR14 and H570. This is characteristic of the grade and This can be contrasted with elonga- no attempt is made to adjust that for tion at break retained values: 26 percent this study, as it is also not typically ad- for AR14 and 51 percent for H570. This justed in service recipes. shows a major benefit found in H570; excellent low- and upper-temperature ser- Temperature range performance viceability. As shown in Fig. 3, H570 has a A very good starting point in the de- Gehman T100 value approaching -40°C, velopment of polyacrylate compounds is which is very close to the ultra-low-tem- Fig. 5: SF105 reference oil aging. to consider any low-temperature re- perature grade of AR14. (In ACM com- quirement. Understanding the relation- pounds, the T100 relative modulus val- ship between low- and high-temperature ue—in degrees centigrade—of the as well as oil resistance is critical. Gehman test always will approximate Tg.) Fig. 1 illustrates the balancing often re- See Auto, page 16 Fig. 1: Monomer key property relationships.

Fig. 2: Long-term air oven aged properties.

Fig. 6: IRM903 reference oil aging.

Fig. 3: Low-temperature property summary. 16 Rubber & Plastics News • April 22, 2019 www.rubbernews.com SPECIAL REPORT Rubber in Automotive

ing applications is compression stress a minor hardness loss (-4 points) after to 135 percent (H570). relaxation. CSR was measured using 1,008 hours, while AR12B and AR14 Excellent tensile strength retention Auto the Dyneon Method. As most anyone in- gained up to 10 points. also is found, ranging from 83 percent Continued from page 15 volved in automotive parts fabrication After 1,008 hours, the retained tensile (AR14) to 99 percent for H570. Once The brittleness points also are very and supply are aware, these tests are and elongations are around 90 percent again overall excellent force retention is close at about -38°C. Referring again to being specified more frequently by OEM for H570. AR12B and AR14 have re- observed with the H570 having 60 per- Fig. 2, it is important to note the re- engineers. While they have not complete- tained elongations in the upper 60 percent retained force after 1,008 hours. tained elongation of H570 is far superior ly replaced compression set, CSR results cent range. Shown below this data is the Compound performance in reference to AR14, even approaching that of often are considered quite telling. Again, CSR plot. To interpret this and subse- oil IRM903 is presented in Fig. 6. This AR12B. This is the key example of an fluid changes were made after the 504- quent CSR results, keep in mind that media is observed to perform in the ex- attractive feature of H570. hour time point. Each fixtured button most OEMs typically will require about pected way. Volume changes after 1,008 (duplicates were tested per compound) 20 percent force retention after 1,008 hours are about 29 percent with H570 Sealing force retention was placed in oil in a clean heavy-duty hours. As noted, all stocks more than and only 9 percent with AR14 (ultra-low- To evaluate the thermal-hydrocarbon paint can with the lid loosely fitted. The meet this, with the newer H570 having a temp grade). Hardness delta values end resistance of the compounds, long-term cans were then placed in a Blue M hot- retained force of 47 percent. up with minimal change, mostly single testing in key automotive fluids at 150°C air oven controlled to test-temperature. In Fig. 5, data in reference oil SF105G digits, after 1,008 hours. was studied. Fluids included were Mobil 1 Beginning at Fig. 4, the oil-related is illustrated. Of note once again are the Retained tensile strength is very good 0W20 fully synthetic motor oil, reference tests are shown. Each property chart is stable hardness, tensile and volume del- in all stocks, with no loss at all in AR12B. oils SF105G (SAE), Lubrizol OS206304 followed by its related CSR test results. tas. There is more scatter in the retained Retained elongations show minimal (EU), IRM903 (ASTM), and Dexron VI Key performance indicators considered elongation data, but nonetheless both change. Actual remaining elongations automatic transmission fluid. are Shore A hardness change in points, low-temperature grades of AR14 and range from 123 percent in AR14 to 224 Aging was run for 1,008 hours, which is retained tensile and elongation at break H570 retain high levels. The actual percent in AR12B. H570 retained 95 per- much longer than many standard evalua- (delta in percent), and volume change, elongations show excellent pliability cent elongation. Also observed with this tion requirements. Fluid changes were also given in percent. with ranges from 131 percent (AR12B) fluid is CSR force retention in the 50 per- made after the 504-hour test point. Tests In Fig. 4, testing in Mobil 1 0W20 Fig. 9: Volume change and force retention. were run in glass test tubes that were fully-synthetic motor oil is shown. Prop- sealed except for a glass vent rod in the erties of all stocks were found to be sta- cork of each one. The tubes were in tem- ble with minimal deltas, especially perature-controlled immersion blocks. when looking at tensile and volume An important characteristic in seal- changes. In Shore A hardness, H570 had

Fig. 7: Lubrizol OS206304 reference oil aging.

Fig. 10: Tensile strength after oil aging.

Fig. 11: Comparison of ISO and ASTM methods.

Fig. 8: Dexron VI ATF fluid aging.

Fig. 12: ISO-815-1 methodology. www.rubbernews.com Rubber & Plastics News • April 22, 2019 17 SPECIAL REPORT Rubber in Automotive cent to 60 percent range, far exceeding cally, two questions: Is the sealing force falling out of favor in some OEM engi- pressure. After cooling to room tempera- typical OEM requirements. AR14 and related to swelling and, if so, is the neering circles. However, the relevance ture (period is said to be 30 to 120 min- H570 are virtual overlays. polymer/compound degraded to the and indeed importance of compression utes), the samples are released and al- Another reference oil that is specified point of compromise? Looking at Fig. 9, set testing should not be minimized. lowed to rest another 30 minutes, then quite extensively in Europe is Lubrizol which is a plot of force retention and Many specifications still quantify per- the readings are taken. OS206304. In Fig. 7 the key data points volume change, one can immediately see formance with this testing. In this sec- This procedure, when taken with the are presented. Groupings appear tighter that force retention is not dependent on tion, compression set tests are presented small geometry “CSR” type button, can for each property as compared with the swelling in HT-ACM polymers. Com- to establish another key indication of be more aggressive than conventional SF105G SAE reference fluid and pound integrity is illustrated by the ac- outstanding thermal resistance in HT- tests, where specimens are removed from IRM903 ASTM reference fluid. tual tensile at break of the compounds ACM. These were run in the very severe the fixtures and the thickness taken after Minimal swelling and hardness change after 1,008 hours oil aging. condition of hot air (175°C) for 504 hours. 30 minutes. is observed. As shown in Fig. 19, there is no issue Both ASTM and ISO methodology are In the first compression set chart (Fig. Overall, retained tensile is quite high, with integrity (tensile strength). utilized in the evaluations. 11), plots are compared of ISO Method A 87 percent to 104 percent (H570) and re- Recently, more and more specifica- and ASTM Method B (hot release) as tained elongation percentages also are Compression set resistance tions are calling for ISO-815-1 Method well as their respective geometries. The very good. H570 has a retained elongation As mentioned in the discussion re- B, which specifies allowing the fixtured much more aggressive nature of the ISO of 94 percent after 1,008 hours. Also, as in garding CSR, compression set testing is specimens to cool inside the jig under See Auto, page 18 the other media, actual elongation values are quite good with a minimum of 133 percent (AR14) to an upper level of 228 percent (H570). The force retention values are equally as good, mostly in the upper 50 percent ranges. The World’s No. 1 Trade Fair Dexron VI ATF fluid is evaluated next. In Fig. 8, it can be observed in for Plastics and Rubber both low-temp grades (AR14 and H570) the hardness change after 1,008 hours is minimal at only 2-3 points. The elongation retention also is highest for those two grades. Conversely, the volume change is greatest in the H570 at 15 percent, albeit still quite low. Actual elongations are slightly lower in this media, with a range of 139 percent (AR14) to 209 percent (H570), still at a very good level. The force retention values after 1,008 hours with Dyneon CSR are lower, but still above 20 percent minimums typically specified. The actual retained force ranges between 33 percent and 41 percent. An application note about AR14 is that it is being used in transmission static seals and also axle and drive train dynamic sealing. Of course, the main attractive feature is that these applications require -40 or below flex. Additionally, as shown here, AR14 features very minimal property change Thinking. Rethinking. after the severe test of 1,008 hours in 150°C transmission fluid. This includes minimal swelling and excellent elonga- Lateral thinking. tion retention. Again, it is important to note this performance with respect to the severity of this testing at 150°C. One area of interest when force reten- Think differently. tion plots are reviewed is the question of dynamics in the sealing force. Specifi- K 2019 Table 3: Formulary and key properties VW TL 526.34 testing.

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For show information: Messe Düsseldorf North America Tel. (312) 781-5180 _ [email protected] www.mdna.com For hotel and travel arrangements: TTI Travel, Inc. Tel. (866) 674-3476 _ [email protected] 18 Rubber & Plastics News • April 22, 2019 www.rubbernews.com SPECIAL REPORT Rubber in Automotive

similar in result. For example, H570 has ment is presented in Figs. 13 and 14. HT-ACM hose elastomers a 54 percent result in hot-released These stocks, which are identical to the As noted in the introductory sections, Auto Method A and a 57 percent result in previous iterations, illustrate the excel- this study evaluated two hose grade HT- Continued from page 17 cold-release Method B. lent resistance to both types of media ACM elastomers. method and geometry is clear. For exam- as well as condensate mixtures de- AR212XP has been a mainstay in major ple, H570 has a set of 54 percent with Acidic and basic media signed to simulate inner-engine ag- OEM air management hose applications. ISO and 31 percent with ASTM. None- As engine and ancillary system de- gressive mists. Zeon participates on a global basis in tur- theless the HT-ACM compounds still signs are revised to comply with ever Comparison is made between the two- bo diesel (TDi) and charge air cooler (CAC) show excellent performance in the stricter emission laws, the generation key sealing grades of AR12B and the applications. These typically require ther- 175°C, 504-hour condition and ISO con- of acidic and basic residual media be- latest grade, H570. To understand the mal stability in the range of 160°C to figuration. comes more and more a consideration robustness of these elastomers, one 180°C. Additionally, these applications re- In Fig. 12, a direct comparison is in establishing performance criteria should note the scales of both graphs. quire resistance to caustic mists and con- made between the two ISO methods. It that elastomeric materials must be This certainly emphasizes the fact that densates. These are generated because of is interesting to note that regardless of able to counter. As examples of the ro- these elastomers are highly resistant to designed-in operative characteristics of hot or cold release, all the HT-ACM bustness built into the design of HT- this type of aggressive mixture. In fact, newer high performance engines. stocks performed very well and are quite ACM grades, data from another experi- secondary proof of this can be seen AR212XP provides excellent extrudate clearly in Fig. 14, where not only the quality and efficiency in manufacturing Fig. 13: Acidic and basic media aging. “as-tested” minimal deltas can be ob- as well as superior resistance to heat and served, but also in the dry-outs where caustics. An additional characteristic is the stocks and hence polymers return to its functional performance meeting dy- nearly their original states. namic-pulse type requirements. Fig. 17: Compression set.

Fig. 14: Blow-by-gas condensate.

Table 4: Oil and biodiesel.

Fig. 15: Tensile strength comparison.

Fig. 18: High-temperature air oven aging.

Fig. 16: Trouser Tear comparison.

Fig. 19: Actual tensiles after hot air aging. www.rubbernews.com Rubber & Plastics News • April 22, 2019 19 SPECIAL REPORT Rubber in Automotive

However, recent feedback from the illustrated. After 94 hours at 175°C, Lu- Shore A hardness, has an actual tensile mize environmental impact. market has requested an update. To this brizol oil, both compounds had excellent at break of 12.1 MPa, an elongation at GMW14726 has an aggressive re- end, Zeon has designed and recently pro- tensile strength, AR212XP at 11.4 MPa break of 229 percent, and a volume quirement where compounds are aged in duced production scale quantities of a and DP5244 at 11.9 MPa. change of only 3 percent. an acidic condensate. The protocol runs new developmental hose polymer. This In Fig. 16, Trouser Tear resistance is for 1,008 hours at 60°C and includes a product (currently designated DP5244) is shown. While the original tear result is Evaluation to GMW14726 spec dry-out test for 22 hours at 80°C. focused on replicating the excellent inher- slightly below target, results at several An evaluation was completed to check Shown beginning in Fig. 20, DP5244 ent properties of AR212XP but with added very aggressive test points such as 504 compliance with a key General Motors out-performs what is very good perfor- benefits. First, customers routinely have hours at 175°C and 94 hours at 190°C hose specification, GMW14726 Type W. mance of the AR212XP. The hardness requested a faster curing elastomer to are impressive. Original Trouser Tear This covers materials for “Charge—Air change is a minor loss of 8 points, tensile improve cycle times and thereby alleviate easily can be met by a very slight adjust- Cooler, Turbo Charger.” loss of 13 percent, elongation loss of 16 bottlenecks and improve costs associated ment in HMDC. In subsequent work, a In Table 5, compounds again based percent and a volume change of 19 percent. with autoclave curing operations. Second- decrease of 0.10 phr in HMDC yielded on AR212XP (standard HT-ACM hose/ In Fig. 21, the dry-out results are noted. ly, customers also have expressed a need an original Trouser Tear value of 6.4 N/ extrusion grade) and DP5244 (develop- Dry-out is an important parameter be- for improved stress-strain properties, mm to a spec requirement of 5.0 N/mm mental “next gen” hose/extrusion grade) cause if the compound essentially returns such as tensile at break, both original and minimum. are shown. These stocks are vulcanized to where it was originally, or the deltas are after thermal aging. Compression set resistance in hose using a BAPP (2,2’-bis[(4-aminophe- nil. This indicates the robustness of the compound design also is important, al- noxy) phenyl] propane)/HMDC system. elastomer system. Indeed, this is the case Evaluation to Volkswagen spec though the values needed are typically Again, these stocks are not special nor with both AR212XP and DP5244. In Table 3, the base formulary and somewhat higher than in seal stocks. designed solely for laboratory evalua- key original properties are shown. These Many specifications do include this to tion; they are common factory formulary. Conclusions stocks are not special nor designed only assure fitting retention is maintained. ASTM sheets, were cured for 20 minutes Performance of current and new key for laboratory analysis. They are repre- Volkswagen has its own specialized at 170°C and post-cured for 4 hours at seal and hose HT-ACM elastomers were sentative of successfully produced, fac- compression set test protocol, which is 175°C. As in the TL 526.34 evaluations, studied. It was observed that current tory hose compounds. Of note in Table 3 both very aggressive and requires fo- one can observe the adjustment in prop- grades such as AR12B, AR14 and is the faster curing rheology profile of cused attention by technicians to erties achieved in the design of DP5244. AR212XP provide excellent resistance to DP5244 versus AR212XP, nearly 2 min- achieve repeatable and accurate results. Especially evident are the slightly faster degradation in aggressive service environ- utes faster. Fig. 17 relates several compression rate of cure as well as the significantly ments as set forth in OEM requirements. In addition, the targeted increase in set test results, beginning with VW set higher tensile strength, 12.3 MPa. Requirements such as remaining ser- original tensile also is shown where method. In both the AR212XP and Review of Fig. 18 shows the impres- viceable long term at temperatures of DP5244 has a tensile at break of 11.6 MPa DP5244 stocks, the excellent compliance sive stability of properties found in 175°C and short term at temperatures of versus 10.8 MPa for AR212XP. Compound with VW set is observed. For example, hardness, tensile and elongations after 200°C are shown to be no issue for these ASTM plaques were cured at 190°C for 6 after 22 hours at 175°C the AR212XP even the most severe conditions. After materials. Excellent hydrocarbon oil re- minutes. ASTM (large) buttons were stock shows a set resistance of 64 per- 504 hours at 175°C, there was a tensile sistance and CSR force retention prop- cured for 8 minutes. A tempering step of 4 cent against a minimum of 85 percent. loss of only 15 percent in the DP5244 erties also are demonstrated. It also was hours at 175°C was also done. The resistance to set by DP5244 also is and a very minor elongation loss of 9 shown that these materials are very re- This part of the study was run using notable at 62 percent. Also illustrated in percent. Spike or excursion tests after sistant to acidic and basic condensates. the requirements of VW TL 526.34 as a this chart is ASTM Method B protocol 72 hours at 200°C indicated equally mi- Finally, two new polymers are intro- basis, which is a common TDi hose spec- results. Again, both compounds show nor deltas; hardness build of 13 points, duced that are shown to have excellent ification. Beginning with Fig. 15, sever- excellent resistance to set even after 504 tensile loss of 17 percent, and elongation performance in all the areas mentioned al key property comparisons are re- hours at 175°C, about 42 percent. loss of only 11 percent. above, but also having improved features. viewed. In Fig. 15, the actual tensile The last series of testing covered in In Fig. 19, the actual tensile strength of The H570 seal elastomer is shown to strength of both compounds at various the TL 526.34 testing is resistance to each stock after the previously mentioned possess an unusually broad temperature points in testing is shown. In each case Lubrizol OS206304 (European Refer- thermal agings, are shown. In each case range with low-temperature flexibility while AR212XP meets the require- ence Oil) and a Diesel/RME (95/5) blend. DP5244 shows excellent mechanical approaching -40°C and yet remaining ments, DP5244 exceeds AR212XP in The results are shown in Table 4. Of strength with over 10 MPa tensile. very serviceable at 175°C. compliance. Key areas of improvement note in each case is the excellent compli- As discussed previously, an additional The new DP5244 hose/extrusion elas- are tensile at break after 504 hours at ance of both stocks to any significant requirement that is becoming even more tomer has faster vulcanization proper- 175°C (8.3 MPa) and excursion testing impact of these media. This is especially prevalent lately is the need for elastomeric ties to improve factory autoclave cycles. after 94 hours at 190°C (10.1 MPa). noteworthy when looking at the aggres- materials to have resistance to various It also has much improved mechanical Several test points not part of TL sive aging condition of 504 hours at condensates. These are subject to be found strength with levels of tensile (both orig- 526.34 are included as well. Long-term 160°C in the Lubrizol oil. The DP5244 in new engine designs where exhausts are inal and aged) that exceed current HT- air oven after 1,008 hours at 175°C and stock only shows a five-point increase in re-processed within the engine to mini- ACM grades. a spike or excursion test of 70 hours at 200°C show the improvement of DP5244 Fig. 20: GMW14726 condensate testing. (8.3 MPa and 10.1 MPa respectively). Resistance to reduction in mechanical strength due to Lubrizol OS206304 oil and a Diesel/RME (95/5) blend also are

Table 5: Formulary and key properties GMW14726 testing.

Fig. 21: Dry-outs. 20 Rubber & Plastics News • April 22, 2019 www.rubbernews.com

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Keys to success Suppliers represent anywhere from 60-75 percent of an OEM’s cost structure and about 50 percent of the vehicle’s innovation. All OEMs interviewed said it’s impossible for them to meet their customer expectations without strong supplier contribution. “The supplier business is very complex and challenging,” said Robert Young, Toyota group vice president of purchasing, supplier engineering development and cost planning. “We have very high expectations of our partners. But as long General Motors’ Steve Kiefer at an Original Equipment Suppliers Association event. as we can communicate, collaborate and be consistent in our approach, our part- and safety. Thai-Tang said he’s found Ford also has a supplier technical as- volvement. We are involved, and we ners understand what our expectations that suppliers want to do business with sistance team whose job is to help sup- want to help them through any kind of are and can align their processes and re- a partner that exemplifies three main pliers when they struggle, be it opera- challenging situation they have.” sources to meet them.” characteristics: Someone who will give tionally, with quality or in launching a Steve Kiefer, senior vice president of them opportunities for business growth, new technology. When needed, Thai- Balancing act GM’s global purchasing and supply chain, who acts fair and honorably, and is con- Tang said that team is deployed into The automotive industry is facing sig- has made strengthening supplier relations sistent and predictable. suppliers’ plants to help, most often in nificant disruption—increased fuel effi- a priority since he “We always look at how we can improve the case of major launches where suppli- ciency standards, a shift to electric en- took over the post in our business and our relationship with ers are pushed to meet requirements. gines and the dream of fully autonomous 2015. At the time, the our suppliers,” Thai-Tang said. “Some of it He added that Ford also has helped vehicles. Some of these are closer to fru- auto maker was tied really correlates back to those three financially distressed suppliers secure ition than others, but all are driving with FCA for the low- things. Ford was struggling in some re- financing or provid- significant investments and new part- est score in the Work- gions outside of North America in terms of ed temporary relief nerships. ing Relations Index. profitability (in 2018) and that impacted on payments to keep “Innovation is critical to our long-term That has changed our suppliers and their business.” them solvent. And success,” Heminger said. “We don’t have rapidly—improving Communication was at the top of Toy- smaller-scale suppli- any kind of contractual requirements, by 66 points to 290, a ota’s list. Young added that strong col- ers with less resourc- but it’s our desire that suppliers have B-minus, in 2017 and laboration and consistency were two es can take advantage innovation and continuous improvement taking just a slight Kiefer other tenants the OEM looks for in sup- of Ford’s joint technol- as part of their business culture. We hit in 2018 to 287. pliers, and in turn tries to exemplify. ogy program, which want them to bring these ideas to the His team made establishing open and “Our suppliers are Thai-Tang said allows table and we’re always looking for sup- transparent communication with suppliers engaged with multi- those companies ac- pliers who can help us take on these new a main priority, then worked on broadcast- ple functions of our cess to some of the Thai-Tang technologies.” ing a consistent message throughout the plants day in and day OEM’s patents, en- The earlier suppliers are engaged, the company. He found that not only were out,” Young said. “We abling them to ride up the technology curve. more efficiencies they can put into the suppliers getting different feedback from try to have a level of Toyota’s supplier support steering vehicle design, but there is a balancing different parts of the organization—pur- consistency with how committee provides feedback to suppli- act. Integrating driver assisted technol- chasing compared to engineering—but in we treat our supplier ers regarding quality and delivery per- ogy will have a very different approach different regions of GM’s global footprint. partners. Based on formance. Like GM, it also uses a grad- than deciding between floor mats, and “I had a perspective of which OEMs their importance to ing system and Toyota helps struggling the gambit of other categories fall some- treated suppliers well and which ones our overall business, suppliers in a variety of ways. where between that spectrum. did not,” Kiefer said. “I also had my own we must treat them Young Young said if it’s a systemic issue, Toyo- Kiefer said it recently brought in a ranking and benchmarking of what tools with respect and we ta will engage at the corporate level. If it’s seat supplier very early on one of GM’s they used that I thought were effective must work with them to solve problems.” more focused on one plant, a line or a spe- truck and SUV platforms because it had and helpful in the supplier relationship. Heminger said Honda expects its sup- cific part, Toyota take a different approach. an innovative second row seat design, When I joined GM, I was pretty openly pliers to be proactive, focusing on creating And if a supplier is trending unfavorable one that ultimately drove the design for critical with our global purchasing and successful opportunities while also imple- in Toyota’s rankings, the firm will give the the rest of the vehicle’s cabin. supply team on some of the things I saw menting innovative business practices supplier a self-assessment and engage to “In some of those areas we’re being with other OEMs that I thought could that can contribute to loss of waste and try to avoid the company from tipping into forced to work with new suppliers,” Thai- improve the relationships we had with modernizing the supply chain. that ranking. Tang said. “Software is a great example. our suppliers.” While she just took over her current “If a supplier fails, we fail,” Young said. Traditionally many of these suppliers post on April 1, Heminger has been with “It’s our responsibility to ensure the suc- would be in the sub-tier. In a traditional Talk it out Honda for 23 years, beginning in pur- cess of our suppliers. That doesn’t mean model, we’d go to a Tier 1 supplier and Communication is a two-way street. chasing. She’s found the main reason that every supplier at the end of the day they’d select the sub-tier suppliers. We’re OEMs must be clear and consistent in Honda has consistently posted high can meet our expectations, but for the finding that in many of these areas we their expectations and suppliers need to supplier relations marks is because the most part we have a level of understanding have to deal with these sub-tier suppliers feel that their concerns are taken seriously. firm treats its supply base as an exten- and patience with our supplier partners. directly because in many cases they’re on Kiefer said GM put in place a strategic sion of its manufacturing lines. When performance starts to deteriorate, the critical path in terms of what we can supplier engagement process, a score- “We want to be that company that we collaborate fully with them to help im- deliver in feature and function.” card that allows the firm to make it very suppliers want to work with,” she said. prove their overall performance. Nobody Young said Toyota seeks to get suppli- clear to suppliers what business and be- “We want our suppliers to want to have can be perfect, we understand that.” ers involved as early as possible, any- havior attributes the firm is looking for. a relationship with us. Working proac- Heminger said when issues arise, where from 12-24 months prior to con- The firm uses the same scorecard tively with them is something we’re Honda seeks to understand the suppli- cept of an upcoming vehicle program to throughout its operations. committed to every day, from me to our er’s conditions and then work through best avoid putting in unnecessary con- “It allows us to be very clear on what the junior associates.” the situation. Some are more extreme straints on suppliers. expectations are on the GM side, but it than others, citing Hurricane Florence Thai-Tang said when a part is changed, also allows us to be very clear on how the Supplier development as one recent example of a major event the firm begins with the incumbent sup- supplier is doing, how they’re progressing When dealing with about 1,000 differ- that impacted its suppliers in North and plier to help it understand the manufac- toward our metrics,” Kiefer said. ent suppliers globally, there are bound South Carolina. turing process—what capital equipment “As we’ve been earning that right to to be mistakes, and OEMs go to great She said when these things happen, will be needed and how it can re-design have a better relationship, we’re finding lengths to develop suppliers. Honda deploys its associates to those the part to provide the best value. all kinds of incredible opportunities to “When we have problems—and we do, regions to make sure suppliers have the There are always going to be trade take cost out of the product by not just nothing’s ever perfect—we have a fairly capability to stabilize their situation as offs in the industry, but Kiefer said early dropping price, but by finding elements large organization within purchasing quickly as possible. involvement is the best way to get into in the value stream and eliminating the and supply chain that will come in to “When your family needs help, you production quickly and for suppliers to waste. The supplier and General Motors help,” Kiefer said. “We’ve brought in go,” Heminger said. “That’s what you do. produce a cost-effective part. can be more profitable.” some of our own to help the suppliers, We don’t think twice about it. That is the “We may have very high expectations, Toyota, Honda and Ford have similar and then we have a group of external culture and the nature of Honda. Any but our approach and willingness to expectations with regards to quality, consultants we rely on quite heavily to time we see a supplier might be needing work with our partners is consistent delivery, cost, technology, improvement help manage difficult launches.” assistance, we don’t question our in- globally,” Young said. 22 Rubber & Plastics News • April 22, 2019 www.rubbernews.com

Auto makers Conti “Phase 1 and Phase 2 are areas where we are Continued from page 1 producing tires, and this new expansion is one continue to stallation of equipment in September. where we are going to add value to the tires.” Production of the technology-added tires is on target for starting May 2020. Invest- Ahmed Boualam invest in U.S. ment figures weren’t disclosed. By Lindsay Chappell The facility won’t add to the overall tire Automotive News capacity total, but bring in new processes On one hand, U.S. auto sales are for tires already made there, Plant Man- falling and anxieties are rising. ager Ahmed Boualam said. On the other hand, the industry is “Phase 1 and Phase 2 are areas where feeling a fresh wind of bullishness. we are producing tires, and this new ex- Auto makers have announced a se- pansion is one where we are going to add ries of major investments to expand, value to the tires,” Boualam said. restart or retool existing plants and hire more workers to boost production. New technologies The projects are welcome news for ContiSilent can reduce interior noise Responding to demand might not be a negative thing for Conti- suppliers and economic development from road surfaces up to 9 decibels Continental is seeing an increase in nental’s tire business regardless, accord- officials. They include: through an interior polyurethane foam, demand for tires with these types of ing to a company spokeswoman. As people • Ford Motor Co. will spend $1 bil- attached with an adhesive. ContiSeal technologies, especially as electric vehi- keep their cars longer, that oftentimes lion at its operations in Chicago, con- technology, developed by Continental, cles become more popular, Boualam means an increase in tire sales. As an au- structing new body and paint shops seals damaged tire tread and allows said. Bringing that capability stateside tomotive supplier with a tire element to its at Chicago Assembly and redesigning tires to take foreign objects up to 5 mil- was important for Continental to be able business, Continental can balance out a its final assembly to prepare for three limeters without the need for an imme- to manage that demand more quickly. down market more effectively. new SUVs. The project will include diate roadside fix, Elmore said. “This is related to the electrical cars, “It’s important to know overall that new lines at Chicago Stamping, and “Basically, what happens is the holes and the demand is really following the in- Continental’s tire business, the Continen- the hiring of 500 workers. Ford also remain sealed even if the puncturing ob- crease related to this market in the U.S.,” tal brand and General brand in the U.S. said it will invest $900 million to ject becomes dislodged,” he said. Boualam said. “We know some brands, has been growing fairly steadily because prepare for electric and self-driving The additional technologies are able to like Tesla for instance, it’s easy for you to we built up our plants,” the spokeswoman vehicle production in Michigan. That be added to finished tires without nega- see how fast they’re growing. This technol- said. “We’ve added capacity to Mount Ver- plan includes the construction of one tively affecting mileage, Boualam said. ogy is really made for that kind of car.” non (Illinois) over the years. Sumter is a plant and the expansion of capacity “Basically you have the capacity to re- The development also brings an overall greenfield site, which is not too old and is at the Flat Rock assembly plant. duce the noise and also to protect your tire value-add to Continental tires in the U.S., getting up to speed. We’re able to produce • Fiat Chrysler Automobiles has against any puncture,” Boualam said. he said. Besides answering market de- more tires in the market.” earmarked $4.5 billion for a multiplant “But at the same time, you do not impact mand, it helps make Continental more at- On top of hiring for the new ContiSeal capital campaign around Michigan negatively any other driving experience.” tractive compared to competitors. They did and ContiSilent unit, the Sumter facility that will result in 6,500 additional jobs. Managing the application for the tech- not comment on potential price changes also is still hiring in the ramp up for the The FCA plans include converting two nologies running through an extension to with the new technologies going forward. second phase of expansion, Elmore said. old Detroit plants into a new assembly the company’s finished goods warehouse As overall automotive market sales Through 2019, the total employee count plant to produce the next-generation keeps the production process very linear, numbers have dropped slightly compared will pass 1,450, with continued hires ex- Jeep Grand Cherokee. Elmore said. “We’re just taking a finished to previous years, Continental has been pected across the board from entry level • General Motors caused concern article and then basically introducing this fortunate not to see any negative impact positions to more senior roles. in December when it revealed it will technology to one of our finished tires which to production as it continues to ramp up The facility also has partnered with idle plants in Ohio, Michigan, Ontar- was produced here in this facility,” he said. toward full capacity, Elmore said. the city to prepare the future work force, io and Baltimore. But last month, The technologies also mean the intro- “For us locally, we’re excited to have the with youth apprenticeship programs GM said it will invest $300 million in duction of some new equipment at the investments we have, then get this new and associate degree apprenticeships, its Orion Township., Mich., assembly Sumter facility, Elmore said. While piece of technology for our facility, and Elmore said. It also has engineering co- plant to launch a Chevrolet electric Continental has facilities in Portugal make us even more competitive as far as operative learning opportunities through car, requiring 400 new jobs. GM is and the Czech Republic that can produce our manufacturing location,” Elmore said. Clemson University. also investing to add engine produc- ContiSeal and ContiSilent tires, this Investing in the plant is “believing in “Our stakeholders in South Carolina tion at its Spring Hill, Tenn., plant, will be the first North American location the future,” as the new technologies are have been really instrumental in help- where it is completing a $300 million to have the capabilities. incorporated with Continental tires in the ing us get started and helping us meet project to add Cadillac production. “We’re excited to have this business next year, Boualam said. “I think we have those targets and make sure we’ve got a GM also said in February that it will come to Sumter, and a way for us to to move forward all the time. You do not prepared work force,” Elmore said. hire 1,000 new workers at its Flint, continue building trust in our facility, stop the growth of a plant because the “That’s one of the things I would say has Mich., pickup plant. and support the U.S. market and our market is slowing down a little bit today.” really been a key factor in our startups growth from here,” Elmore said. A downturn in the automotive industry and our continued growth in Sumter.”

away from our current facility, so it’ll be easy to transfer work from one facility to Vail the other.” Company Name Web address/Email Phone# Page Vail also is purchasing some new Continued from page 1 equipment for the new building, but AirBoss Rubber www.airbossofamerica.com 800-294-5723 5 ley said. “This is planning for the long Hanley did not disclose details. Compounding [email protected] term. We think that this will be helpful The firm worked with Cornerstone Al- for us now and in the future.” liance, a regional economic development Akron Rubber www.ardl.com 866-778-ARDL 14 The new manufacturing facility will organization; the Michigan Economic Development Lab [email protected] come in a little smaller than the current Development Corp.; and Royalton Town- Chem-Trend www.chemtrend.com 12 facility, but it will be more efficient and ship officials to realize a 12-year tax provide extra space for future growth, abatement for the facility, Hanley said. [email protected] Hanley said. Roughly all of the space of “It was very easy, very much appreci- Ergon, Inc. www.ergonnsa.com 601-933-3148 24 the new facility will be used for manu- ated,” he said. “It should be good for Vail [email protected] facturing. Construction is planned to Rubber and good for Royalton Township begin in April 2019, with a goal of com- in the long term.” Finite Fiber www.finitefiber.com 330-773-6654 9 pletion by March 2020. The abatement comes with a job cre- [email protected] The project will expand potential ca- ation requirement, Hanley said. pacity and improve flow in Vail’s exist- “It’s something to help develop areas Harwick Standard www.harwick.com 330-798-9300 2 ing facility, Hanley said. The original and encourages manufacturers to in- Distribution Corporation [email protected] 800-899-4412 facility, which has been the company’s vest. I think in 12 years, it’ll be a signif- home for more than 100 years, was de- icant help, and then things should be Renkert Oil, LLC www.renkertoil.com 415-408-3706 10 veloped over time, “so the flow isn’t al- rolling well for everybody,” he said. [email protected] ways a straight-line shot,” he said. Vail also has a smaller manufacturing Struktol Company of www.struktol.com 330-928-5188 7 Hanley expects to bring in about 10 facility in Mobile, Ala., mostly to service jobs with the new manufacturing facili- local steel customers, Hanley said. America [email protected] ty, he said. The company has about 110 The new manufacturing space will Tokai Carbon CB www.tokaicarboncb.com 817-338-2616 13 employees. open up future opportunities for Vail, [email protected] “It’s really hard to say, we’ve been do- Hanley added. ing some gearing up over time,” he said. “As tight as our existing facility is, Zochem Inc. www.zochem.com 11 “That would be initially. We think even- there’s only so much we can do within [email protected] tually it would grow beyond that. that footprint,” he said. “It means a lot to “We’re moving some over from the us. I think it’s really setting Vail Rubber A reader service from to Rubber Industry Advertisers current facility too. It’s only five miles up for what the future has to offer.” May 21-22, 2019 Renaissance Schaumburg Convention Center Hotel Schaumburg IL

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