Year of Sustainability Driver for Growth of Tire & Rubber Industry in 2019

TM TTE exhibition and conference preview ››

Seals: Proliferation and electriﬁ cation ›› ERJ Testing times for silicone ›› EUROPEAN RUBBER JOURNAL•Reporting on the global rubber industry since 1884 rubber industry

Year of sustainability Driver for growth of tire & rubber industry in 2019

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2019 www.european-rubber-journal.com a crain publication

0001 ERJ Cover.indd 1 11/01/2019 13:37 Untitled-2 1 09/01/2019 08:32 CONTENTS ERJTM 9 EUROPEAN RUBBER JOURNAL•Reporting on the global rubber industry since 1884

International Newsfront 4 Comment: When the going gets tough 6 A comprehensive report on all the latest news about the rubber industry from around the world

Features 13 16 Tire Tech Expo review: Expo listing and event highlights 23 Step onto the platform: VMI exec urges tire ﬁ rms to rethink investment approach 24 Automotive seals: Suppliers respond to emerging industry trends 27 Seals Q&A: Interview with Trelleborg Sealing Solutions president 24 Photo: 28 Testing times for silicones as regulations,

costs and shortages impact the market Cover image source: Continental 31 Sustainability report: Breakthrough in NR platform dispute; Rejig in rCB companies; Road and pitch; Dandelion rubber project 36 Business focus: Tire share prices, partnership call

Regulars 38 Industry data page 32 39 Postscript: Year of the ‘S’ word as sustainability efforts gather momentum in industry

SPECIAL REPORT Sustainability: Developments in tire industry platform, recycled carbon black, new applications and dandelion rubber

January/February 2019 • EUROPEAN RUBBER JOURNAL 3

0003 ERJ Contents.indd 1 11/01/2019 14:59 comment ERJTM EUROPEAN RUBBER JOURNAL•Reporting on the global rubber industry since 1884 Our 135th year Vol. 201, no.1 – ISSn 0266-151 Published bi-monthly by Crain Communications Ltd, a division of Crain Communications Inc. european rubber Journal Crain Communications Ltd Registered Office: 100 New Bridge Street, London EC4V 6JA United Kingdom. Registered No. 1576350 England. V.A.T. No. GB 577 6905 84 Website www.european-rubber-journal.com edItorIal Vice president / Group publisher Brennan Lafferty Tel: +1 313 446 6768 Email: [email protected] Vice president / publisher David Zielasko Tel: +1 330 865 6131 Email: [email protected] When the going editor Patrick Raleigh Tel: +44 (0)7714 137182 Email: [email protected] reporter Shahrzad Pourriahi Tel: +43 (0)664 8707581 Email: [email protected] gets tough art director John Woodhatch Tel: +44 (0)7778 964300 Email: [email protected] media Services manager ERJ editor patrick raleigh reflects on current industry trends Patrick Alfes Tel: +1 313 446 0387 Email: [email protected] chairman Keith E Crain ost economic indi- could prove wildly optimistic, Vice chairman Mary Kay Crain cators and analysts some European automotive in- president K C Crain Senior executive Vice president Chris Crain suggest that 2019 dustry analysts suggest. This is uSa bureau especially if Brexit really starts Bruce Meyer Tel: +1 330 865 6124 will be much more Fax: +1 330 836 1005 Email: [email protected] challenging than to bite. adVertISInG lastm year for businesses in the On the other hand, some Group Sales manager Patrick Cannon Tel: +1 313 446 1625 European tire & rubber sector. of the main factors impacting Email: [email protected] A slowdown in the Chi- the market – among them the Sales manager Pete McNeil, 1725 Merriman Road, Suite 300 nese economy and faltering US-China trade war, Brexit and Akron, Ohio 44313, USA Tel: +1 330 865 6109, Cell: +1 234 380 3031 growth in Western coun- emissions-test bottlenecks in the Email: [email protected] tries are already starting EU – could be quickly resolved or european sales agent Arthur Schavemaker, Spoorstraat 21, 7471 BV Goor, to take a toll on sales and mitigated in the coming months. PO Box 130, 7470 AC Goor, The Netherlands employment in key mar- And, however sustained the Tel: +31 (0) 547 275005, Fax: +31 (0) 547 271831 Email: [email protected] kets, including the auto- economic issues are in 2019, an- Italian sales agent Roberto Gallino, Mediapoint & Communications srl, motive industry. other positive is that such com- Corte Lambruschini, Corso Buenos Aires 8, As ERJ went to press mercial pressures tend to drive V°piano-interno 9, 16129 Genova, Italy. Tel: +39 010 570 4948, Fax: +39 010 553 0088. Jaguar Land Rover and up the pace of innovation and Email: [email protected] Ford announced thou- adoption of smarter, more effi- taiwanese sales agent Erin King, Worldwide Services Co., 11F-2, No. 540, sands of job cuts in cient products and technologies. Wen Hsin Road, Section 1, Taichung, 408, Taiwan. Tel: +886 4 2325 1784, Fax: +886 4 2325 2967 Europe, while car sales So, while not particularly wel- Email: [email protected] in the region were re- come, this year’s changing and chinese sales agent Leod Lee, Beijing Excelle Rubber Technology Co., Ltd, ported to have fallen uncertain market conditions Rm 2010, Bldg. C, ULO Park, Futongdong Street, by 8.5% in December. could eventually play out to the Wangjing, Chaoyang Dist., Beijing 100102, China. Tel: +86-10-84787236, Cell: +86 135 0122 6720 Last month, vehicle registra- benefit of the world’s most inno- Email: [email protected] SubScrIptIon detaIlS: tions in the key European mar- vative industrial companies. £20/E25.50 single copy; £98/E125. Subscription kets of Germany, France and the These, of course, include Eu- includes surface mail postage; air mail rates available on request. Four weeks’ notice required for change UK fell by 7%, 15% and 6% year- ropean tire and rubber product of address. Note: Subscription payments may be made using major credit cards. To use this facility on-year respectively. manufacturers as well as suppli- simply quote your card type and number and sign And looking ahead, even ers of materials and equipment the subscriptions form. Subscription cost includes personal access to on-line editions. Subscriptions forecast growth of 1% for 2019 to the sector. correspondence to: Circulation Dept, European Rubber Journal, Unit K, Venture House, Bone Lane, Newbury, Berkshire RG14 5SH, UK Subscriptions (abonnement) enquiries: tel: +44 (0)1635 879382 Fax: +44 (0)1635 868594 email: [email protected] Printed by: Blackmore, Shaftesbury, Dorset, UK © 2019 Crain Communications Ltd. A member of

GLOBAL POLYMER GROUP No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without the permission of Audited by the publisher. All rights reserved. Average net circulation per issue for the period January 2017 to December 2017: 7,244 copies

4 EUROPEAN RUBBER JOURNAL • January/February 2019

0004.indd 1 11/01/2019 15:00 Untitled-2 1 09/01/2019 08:33 supplier news Green shoots start to appear in natural rubber markets signs of life in nr trading centres despite concerns over China and the global economy

LONdON: Natural rubber pric- NR supply has fired up buyers Exchange (SHFE) last week, es are starting to show signs of in Tokyo, where benchmark the most heavily traded rub- stability and even revival in the prices reached a two-month ber future RU1905 increased main trading centres of the Far high at the start of this year. to Yuan11,675 on 4 Jan – 1% East. Back month prices for RSS3 higher than two months ago. The fledgling recovery is be- on the Tocom exchange con- Elsewhere, average week- ing linked to talks among the tinued a steady climb, from ly prices for RSS4 in Kottay- main producer countries – In- aroundYen162/kg on 1 Nov to am, India were recorded at donesia, Malaysia, Thailand – reach levels as high as Yen181/ $178.38/100kg in early Jan- to take renewed steps to shore kg in early January. uary – 2.4% higher than two up prices. Back month contract pric- months ago. Also encouraging were As- es for the recently introduced Stability was more the or- sociation of Natural Rubber benchmark TSR20 grade in- der of the day in Kuala Lum- Producing Countries (ANRPC) creased 3.4% between 1 Nov pur, where SMR20 reached figures showing a 5.2% year- 2018 and 8 Jan to reach a value $132.55/100kg on 4 Jan, about on-year rise in global NR de- economy and inventory levels of Yen152/kg. level with the average week mand to 11.7 million tonnes in China. On the Shanghai Futures prices seen last November. for the first 10 months of “Commodities markets, 2018. such as oil and rubber markets, In its latest market review, is- have been volatile and bearish sued 24 Dec, ANRPC reported during October 2018,” AN- Rubber rising that NR production increased RPC secretary-general Nguyen New International Rubber NR demand rose 4.9% to 5.5% to 11.5 million tonnes Ngoc Bich said. Study Group data, based on 13.87m tonnes in 2018 and during the period, leading to In the ANRPC review, the IMF and other scenarios, fore- is set to increase further by a shortfall of 228,000 tonnes. rubber association’s leader casts that after a 3.2% rise 2.6%, to 14.23m tonnes in But the champagne – like linked the weakened market to 29.30m tonnes in 2018, 2019. SR demand rose 1.7% the many large stocks of NR – situation to international trade global rubber consumption to 15.43m tonnes in 2018 looks set to remain in storage tensions of the past six months. will increase 2.5% to 30.03m and, this year, is forecast to for some time to come, amid On the other hand, the tonnes this year. World rise 2.4% to 15.80m tonnes. concerns about the global threat of new restrictions on Evonik company to build silica plant in Turkey

TURkEy: The European Bank lending the money to Egesil next to its existing manufactur- help save up to 67,000 tonnes

for Reconstruction and Devel- Kimya Sanayi ve Ticaret AS, a ing facility. The new plant will of CO2 emissions per year. opment (EBRD) is lending €15 chemicals supplier founded in increase the company’s annual Demand for highly dispers- million to a Turkish chemicals 2002 and majority-owned by production capacity of precipi- ible silica is strong and grow- company to increase its pro- German speciality chemicals tated silica by 40,000 tonnes. ing in the global tire industry duction of precipitated silica company Evonik Industries AG. Production at the plant is to replace carbon black, the for green tires. As part of the project, Egesil scheduled for 2020. traditional filler material in The European bank an- Kimya is building a new pro- According to the EBRD, the tire manufacturing, the EBRD nounced 8 Nov that it was duction unit in Sakarya, Turkey, silica produced at the plant can added.

Saudi Aramco becomes sole owner of Arlanxeo GERmANy: Lanxess has €1.4 billion to take over the gust 2018. in 2017 and employs about completed the sale of its re- German partner’s holding in Arlanxeo, headquartered in 3,800 people at 20 produc- maining 50% stake in syn- the joint venture, according to Maastricht, Netherlands, was tion sites in nine countries. thetic rubber venture Arlanx- a statement from Lanxess. founded on 1 April, 2016, as a Arlanxeo produces synthet- eo to Saudi Aramco on 31 All relevant antitrust authori- JV between Lanxess and Saudi ic rubber materials for use Dec, the companies have ties, it noted, had granted the Aramco. mainly in the automotive, announced. necessary approvals for the The company generated tire, construction and oil & Saudi Aramco paid around transaction announced in Au- sales of around €3.2 billion gas industries.

6 EUROPEAN RUBBER JOURNAL • January/February 2019

0006 7 8 & 9.indd 1 11/01/2019 15:38 supplier NeWs italian machinery market slows exports decline contrasts with incentives-led growth in imports

ItALy: Italian plastics & rubber boost the domestic economy. only minor recoveries along 6.5% growth, helped by Mex- machinery exports fell 0.6% The growth in imports, how- the way. ico’s good performance, while year-on-year in the first nine ever, cooled significantly from In terms of export regions, Central and South America re- months of the year 2018, ac- the +26% achieved in the first the figures show a “major corded a decline of nearly 13%. cording to the industry’s main quarter and the +23% in the shift” in Asia with the Far East – Here, Brazil remained flat while trade association Amaplast. second quarter, noted a 19 led by Indian and South Korea Argentina posted negative re- The decline, though slight, Dec Amaplast review. – registering growth of 9.7%. sults amid growth worries. is in marked contrast to the Machinery exports remain a In the Middle East, sales fell by Lacklustre exports in Europe 11.4% growth in imports seen bigger concern: sales volumes 37.1%, with demand cooling led to a 1.2% overall decline during this same period – linked dipped into negative territory particularly in Saudi Arabia, in sales, with the CIS coun- to Italian government invest- toward the end of the nine- Iran, the UAE, and Israel. tries reporting a 12% drop in ment incentives intended to month period, while exhibiting NAFTA countries posted a demand. The latter trend was linked mainly to “stalled sales” in Russia. “The flat trend in sales Rodolfo bucks the trend abroad comes as no great sur- prise given an overall econom- Rodolfo Comerio has bucked ic context that is losing vigour, negative trends, noted else- both in Italy and in Europe where in the Italian rubber & generally,” stated Amaplast plastics machinery sector, to president Alessandro Grassi. register an increased sales According to Grassi, German and exports in both market companies have also faced an areas. abrupt drop in exports, which, Higher overseas sales although “still in the double helped the Solbiate Olo- digits this past March and na-based Rodolfo to deliver June,” had fallen to +4.5% in a 3% year-on-year increase September. the total sales volumes in 2018, said a 2 Jan company statement. iN BrieF “Even if 2018 started a bit slow... the end of the year Expectations for 2019 are 2018 has been an impor- tyre Retreading Machin- has undergone a significant “very optimistic,” added Ro- tant year dedicated to the ery (tRM), part of Marangoni surge,” said the company dolfo, noting the addition of study and implementation of Meccanica SpA, has supplied what it describes as ‘the first which specialises in the de- new technologies and autom- specific production require- automated production cell’ for sign and manufacture of cal- atation systems to its calender- ments expressed by tire man- retreading materials. The unit endering lines. ing lines for the tire sector. ufacturers worldwide. employs a robotic arm from Fanuc to handle retreading material through the production process – removing the need for operator-intervention Desma investing after “most successful” year throughout the process. VMI’s parent group TKH has GERMANy: Rubber moulding reported year-on-year increases machinery major Desma has in third-quarter sales and earn- announced a €15-million in- ings across its operations. The vestment package, starting in tire & rubber machinery maker 2019, at various facilities is part of TKH’s Industrial Solu- worldwide. tions segment, which grew sales 5.9% to €175m. The unit The spend will help im- posted a Q3 order-intake of prove product development, €70m for tire-making systems. increase productivity, expand Rubber & plastics machinery training and improve opera- manufacturer KraussMaffei tional systems, the company on 7 Dec reported that it was stated. still fighting a cyber attack Desma intends to build on which hit the company two progress made in 2018, which weeks earlier. KM added that its locations in Näfels (Netstal), despite global socio-political locations around the globe and to address megatrends around Florence; US (Krauss-Maffei unrest was “the most success- amongst our employees is at new mobility change and de- Corp.) and Hanover (Krauss- ful year in our company’s his- an all-time high,” the company mographics as well as issues Maffei Berstorff) were not im- tory.” added. such as resource-efficiency, au- pacted. “Interaction between Desma Going forward, Desma aims tomation and digitisation.

January/February 2019 • EUROPEAN RUBBER JOURNAL 7

0006 7 8 & 9.indd 2 11/01/2019 15:38 supplier news Halcyon digital platform for sustainable nr trading SiNgAPORE: Halcyon Agri nect will be the exclusive tire makers. Corp. has partnered with Sin- platform for the sale of Hev- Producers and consumers gapore-based DBS Bank in its eapro- certified TSR – Halcy- will be able to track pricing & bid to set up a digital trading on’s range of sustainably pro- supply information and trans- platform for natural rubber cessed rubber. act directly on the platform, (NR), Halcyon announced 17 In a written statement to said a Halcyon statement. This Dec. ERJ, Halcyon executive director feature will provide “price The HeveaConnect joint ven- and CEO Robert Meyer said transparency” within the mar- ture is 90.1% owned by Halcy- the company had “injected” ket, claims Halcyon. on and will tap into the digital Heveapro into the platform to According to Meyer, Hal- expertise of DBS to build an make the standard “open to robert Meyer cyon is first adopter as an NR “industry ecosystem.” other producers to adopt, im- producer and is also in talks Under the partnership agree- plement and join”. “are open to other industry with its tire customers to come ment, the HeveaConnect dig- “As such, the HeveaPRO partners joining.” onboard. ital platform will be launched methodology [is] no longer The platform is intended to There are also, he said, on- in the first quarter of 2019 to proprietary to Halcyon, but is offer an “all-inclusive” venue going discussions with other trade “sustainably-processed” the joining condition for Hev- to connect natural rubber NR producers, consumers and NR. eaConnect,” explained Mey- stakeholders, including farm- partners regarding participa- As part of this, HeveaCon- er – adding that the founders ers, rubber producers and tion in the marketplace. India determines ‘injury’ from Chinese FKM imports iNdiA: The Indian ministry of to $7.31/kg (€0.068/kg to nese sources to Chinese sourc- tions into dumping activities of commerce has determined €6.43/kg) on FKM originating es [are] clearly driven out of Chinese FKM importers in Au- that the domestic industry has from China. significant price difference be- gust, acting on a complaint by suffered “material injury and According to the DGTR, the tween Chinese and non-Chi- India’s sole FKM supplier Guja- material retardation” from the prices of Chinese suppliers nese suppliers,” said the Indian rat Fluorochemicals Ltd. import of fluoroelastomers have been lower than non-Chi- authority. (FKM) from China. nese suppliers, by on average The document also cited a In a 27 Dec ruling, the di- Rs908/kg (€11.4/kg) in the pe- recent determination by the in brief rectorate general of trade rem- riod of investigation (POI) only. US authorities, which found a Zeon Corp. is increasing the edies (DGTR) – the ministry’s The market share of Chi- dumping margin of 84.75% price for its hydrogenated ni- investigation arm – said it had nese suppliers has also risen on Chinese FKM suppliers, as trile rubber (HNBR) globally, established that dumping was from 32% in 2014-15 to 43% further evidence of dumping. effective as of 1 Feb. The Japa- taking place. in the POI, while the share of The Indian finance ministry nese material supplier will be The directorate recom- non-Chinese supplies fell from will now take a final decision increasing the price by $1.65/ mended anti-dumping du- 68% to 44%. whether to impose the duties. kg, according to a 17 Dec statement. Zeon markets its ties ranging from $0.078/kg “These shifts from non-Chi- DGTR launched its investiga- HNBR elastomers under the brand name Zetpol. China has imposed anti-dumping duties on nitrile Kuraray to establish butadiene rubber imports from Japan and Korea. Tariff rates, effective 9 Nov for a period of five derivatives JV in Thailand years, are set as follows: Korea - Kumho Petrochemical, 12%; JAPAN: Kuraray Co. Ltd, PTT Kuraray GC Advanced Ma- Construction work on the fa- LG Chem, 15%; all other Ko- Global Chemical PCL of Bang- terials will be based within cilities is expected to be com- rean companies, 37.3%. Ja- kok and Sumitomo Corp. are the petrochemicals area of the pleted by around the end of pan - Zeon Corp., 28.1%; JSR to invest in a project for the WHA Eastern Industrial Estate, 2021. Corp, 16%; all other Japanese manufacture and supply of Map Ta Phut, Rayong province. Kuraray said it will invest companies, 56.4%. butadiene derivatives in Thai- The JV will establish capaci- Yen40 billion in the three pro- imerys Performance Addi- land, Kuraray announced 27 ties of 16,000 tonnes/year (t/ jects. tives Division is introducing a Dec. yr) for hydrogenated stryenic Working via intermediate “substantial” price increase on its talc, mica and wollas- The decision to proceed with block copolymers, and 13,000 holding companies, Kuraray tonite-based materials. Prod- the project, through a three- t/yr for polyamide 9T. will have a 53.3% stake in the ucts affected by the price-rise, way joint venture company In addition, Kuraray said it JV. PTT Global Chemical will effective from January 2019 or called Kuraray GC Advanced will solely construct a 5,000 t/ have a 33.4% stake and Sum- as contracts allow, include Materials Co. Ltd, follows a yr plant for the production of itomo Corp. 13.3%, the latter those sold to the rubber in- two-year feasibility study into 5KTA 3-methyl-1,5-pentanedio again through an intermediate dustry, a company spokes- woman confirmed. the proje. (MPD) adjacent to the JV plant. holding company.

8 EUROPEAN RUBBER JOURNAL • January/February 2019

0006 7 8 & 9.indd 3 11/01/2019 15:37 supplier news supplier news Halcyon digital platform for Trinseo issues inventory sustainable nr trading warning ahead of Brexit SiNgAPORE: Halcyon Agri nect will be the exclusive tire makers. Corp. has partnered with Sin- platform for the sale of Hev- Producers and consumers US: Trinseo SA is advising its make definitive predictions on gapore-based DBS Bank in its eapro- certified TSR – Halcy- will be able to track pricing & customers to increase invento- the exact implications of the bid to set up a digital trading on’s range of sustainably pro- supply information and trans- ry in advance of the UK’s with- Brexit transition on our cus- platform for natural rubber cessed rubber. act directly on the platform, drawal from the European Un- tomers’ business processes, we (NR), Halcyon announced 17 In a written statement to said a Halcyon statement. This ion – Brexit – set for 29 March. are ready to work together to Dec. ERJ, Halcyon executive director feature will provide “price In a statement issued 10 mitigate risks of disruption,” it The HeveaConnect joint ven- and CEO Robert Meyer said transparency” within the mar- Dec, the company said it stated. ture is 90.1% owned by Halcy- the company had “injected” ket, claims Halcyon. was working with customers Trinseo said all its manu- on and will tap into the digital Heveapro into the platform to According to Meyer, Hal- and suppliers to prepare for facturing operations in Eu- expertise of DBS to build an make the standard “open to robert Meyer cyon is first adopter as an NR the potential implications of rope are expected to operate “industry ecosystem.” other producers to adopt, im- producer and is also in talks Brexit. as normal during the Brexit Under the partnership agree- plement and join”. “are open to other industry with its tire customers to come The supplier also recom- transition period – it does not ment, the HeveaConnect dig- “As such, the HeveaPRO partners joining.” onboard. mended that customers place own any UK manufacturing ital platform will be launched methodology [is] no longer The platform is intended to There are also, he said, on- their orders “in time” to allow operations. in the first quarter of 2019 to proprietary to Halcyon, but is offer an “all-inclusive” venue going discussions with other for planning of production ca- According to the company, trade “sustainably-processed” the joining condition for Hev- to connect natural rubber NR producers, consumers and pacity and supply chain sup- it had assessed its supplier base NR. eaConnect,” explained Mey- stakeholders, including farm- partners regarding participa- port. for raw materials originating As part of this, HeveaCon- er – adding that the founders ers, rubber producers and tion in the marketplace. Citing news reports, Trinseo tial regulatory changes could the planned Brexit transition from the UK and was imple- said shipping and transport, be factors disrupting normal date. menting plans to “minimise” customs clearance and poten- business, particularly around “While we are unable to any risk of disruption. India determines ‘injury’ from Chinese FKM imports iNdiA: The Indian ministry of to $7.31/kg (€0.068/kg to nese sources to Chinese sourc- tions into dumping activities of commerce has determined €6.43/kg) on FKM originating es [are] clearly driven out of Chinese FKM importers in Au- Denka rubber unit eyes prices, market supply that the domestic industry has from China. significant price difference be- gust, acting on a complaint by suffered “material injury and According to the DGTR, the tween Chinese and non-Chi- India’s sole FKM supplier Guja- JAPAN: Denka Performance financial statement. thetic rubber maker. growth in our supply capacity material retardation” from the prices of Chinese suppliers nese suppliers,” said the Indian rat Fluorochemicals Ltd. Elastomer (DPE) is looking for The target is “to upwardly Denka, meanwhile, expects and force us to operate amid a import of fluoroelastomers have been lower than non-Chi- authority. price-increases to offset rising revise product prices and re- to see a major expansion of CR tight supply-demand balance,” (FKM) from China. nese suppliers, by on average The document also cited a costs for crude oil-derived claim profitability,” said the production capacity by a com- added Denka. In a 27 Dec ruling, the di- Rs908/kg (€11.4/kg) in the pe- recent determination by the in brief feedstock costs, according to group, adding that costs of petitor producer. rectorate general of trade rem- riod of investigation (POI) only. US authorities, which found a Japanese parent group Denka raw materials for its acety- “For fiscal 2019, we expect Zeon Corp. is increasing the Co. Ltd. lene-based chloroprene rubber the completion of expanded CR edies (DGTR) – the ministry’s The market share of Chi- dumping margin of 84.75% price for its hydrogenated ni- in BrieF investigation arm – said it had nese suppliers has also risen on Chinese FKM suppliers, as In particular, DPE aims to (CR) were rising. production facilities in Germany trile rubber (HNBR) globally, Hainan Rubber Group has established that dumping was from 32% in 2014-15 to 43% further evidence of dumping. effective as of 1 Feb. The Japa- counter a “surge in prices” for “Taking this into account, to yield a 7,000 tonne increase set up a facility to research taking place. in the POI, while the share of The Indian finance ministry nese material supplier will be butadiene, in ongoing negotia- we have decided not to down- in overall annual production ca- graphene/natural rubber com- The directorate recom- non-Chinese supplies fell from will now take a final decision increasing the price by $1.65/ tions with clients signed up to wardly revise product prices pacity,” the group stated. posites in partnership with mended anti-dumping du- 68% to 44%. whether to impose the duties. kg, according to a 17 Dec long-term price formula con- despite a fall in butadiene price “We believe that burgeoning Aero Engine Corp. of the Bei- statement. Zeon markets its ties ranging from $0.078/kg “These shifts from non-Chi- DGTR launched its investiga- tracts, Denka said in a 7 Nov since October,” said the syn- demand will soon catch up to jing Institute of Aeronautical HNBR elastomers under the Materials – China’s largest aer- brand name Zetpol. ospace materials engineering China has imposed an- institute. The parties also aim ti-dumping duties on nitrile to build production facilities Kuraray to establish butadiene rubber imports from Japan Michelin-Chandra Asri inaugurates for the developed materials. and Korea. Tariff rates, effec- Covestro AG has raised its derivatives JV in Thailand tive 9 Nov for a period of five Indonesia rubber plant stake in the Japanese thermo- years, are set as follows: Korea plastic polyurethane (TPU) - Kumho Petrochemical, 12%; JAPAN: Kuraray Co. Ltd, PTT Kuraray GC Advanced Ma- Construction work on the fa- INdONESIA: PT Synthetic cluding butadiene for the SR ed $435 million in the collab- joint venture DIC Covestro Pol- LG Chem, 15%; all other Ko- ymer Ltd (DCP), from 50 to oration, which has received Global Chemical PCL of Bang- terials will be based within cilities is expected to be com- rean companies, 37.3%. Ja- Rubber Indonesia (PTSRI) has plant which is based on Miche- 80%. The deal follows Coves- kok and Sumitomo Corp. are the petrochemicals area of the pleted by around the end of pan - Zeon Corp., 28.1%; JSR officially inaugurated its plant lin technology. tax-break incentives from the tro’s recent capacity expan- to invest in a project for the WHA Eastern Industrial Estate, 2021. Corp, 16%; all other Japanese for the production of butadi- The French group’s third Indonesian government. sions of TPU sites in New Mar- manufacture and supply of Map Ta Phut, Rayong province. Kuraray said it will invest companies, 56.4%. ene rubber (BR) and solution synthetic rubber plant – after Indonesia aims to further de- tinsville, the US, and Changhua, butadiene derivatives in Thai- The JV will establish capaci- Yen40 billion in the three pro- imerys Performance Addi- styrene butadiene rubber units in France and the US – velop SR production in the coun- Taiwan, which raise annual ca- land, Kuraray announced 27 ties of 16,000 tonnes/year (t/ jects. tives Division is introducing a (SSBR) on 29 Nov. the Cilegon plant is targeted try to support domestic manu- pacities by 25% at each site. Dec. yr) for hydrogenated stryenic Working via intermediate “substantial” price increase on Established in June, 2013, to reach a production capacity facture of tires, conveyor belts, Synthomer has opened a its talc, mica and wollas- The decision to proceed with block copolymers, and 13,000 holding companies, Kuraray PTSRI is a JV between Michelin of 120 kilotonnes per annum rubber components, footwear, 90kt expansion to its nitrile la- tonite-based materials. Prod- tex production facility in Pasir the project, through a three- t/yr for polyamide 9T. will have a 53.3% stake in the ucts affected by the price-rise, and PT Chandra Asri Petrochem- (ktpa) for BR and SSBR. and insulated electric cable. Gudang, Malaysia. The €56m way joint venture company In addition, Kuraray said it JV. PTT Global Chemical will effective from January 2019 or ical Tbk, with a share-ownership The facility is said to be the While domestic demand for investment is the first of a two- called Kuraray GC Advanced will solely construct a 5,000 t/ have a 33.4% stake and Sum- as contracts allow, include of 55% and 45% respectively. first plant of its kind in Indo- SR in Indonesia is currently run- phase project to support grow- Materials Co. Ltd, follows a yr plant for the production of itomo Corp. 13.3%, the latter those sold to the rubber in- Indonesia’s largest petro- nesia to produce BR with neo- ning at 230ktpa, production ing demand for latex gloves. two-year feasibility study into 5KTA 3-methyl-1,5-pentanedio again through an intermediate dustry, a company spokes- chemical company, Chandra dymium catalyst and SSBR. capacity is just 75ktpa, govern- Another 60kt of capacity will woman confirmed. the proje. (MPD) adjacent to the JV plant. holding company. Asri, is supplying feedstock in- PTSRI’s partners have investment figures show. be added at the site by 2020.

8 EUROPEAN RUBBER JOURNAL • January/February 2019 January/February 2019 • EUROPEAN RUBBER JOURNAL 9

0006 7 8 & 9.indd 3 11/01/2019 15:37 0006 7 8 & 9.indd 4 11/01/2019 15:37 tire news tire makers stay in expansion mode investment continues apace as tire makers remain robust amid market uncertainty

UK: Despite signs of slowing said local press. demand, the final three Magna Tyres Group is to months of 2018 saw a number further expand its recently of new expansion projects opened and expended OTR among tire manufacturers. tire plant in Hardenberg, The In Kranj, Slovenia, Good- Netherlands. The new pro- year is to expand capacity at ject will increase capacity in its Dunlop Sava Tires plant by the 17.5R25, 20.5R25 and about 25% by 2022 with the 23.5R25 ranges to 7,000 units addition of building equip- a year. ment for larger rim-diameter tires. Global trend The €94-million project is In North America, Bridgestone intended to add 58,000 square has unveiled an €87-million in- feet to the factory and raise an- vestment plan. This includes an Capacity of Dunlop sava plant to rise by 25% nual capacity at the facility by upgrade of its car and light 1.8 million units. truck tire plant in Cuernavaca, black in India. cember to produce tires for In Turkey, Prometeon Tyre Mexico: enhancing its ability to Some €63 million will go to two-wheelers. TWS will own Group, the former Pirelli in- make runflats and other higher replacing its 30-year-old tire 24% of the venture, which dustrial tires unit, is investing value-added tires. plant in Waluj, Maharashtra, aims to start production at a €110.7 million in its Izmit Bridgestone is also invest- with a greenfield facility near- site in western India in 2020. plant. The project will raise ing €35 million in its Warren by. Capacity will remain at 30 Elsewhere, Prinx Chengshan production capacity by 75% in County, Tennessee factory to kt/year but the unit will have has announced plans to build a 2022. increase truck/bus tire capacity its own co-generation power greenfield tire plant in Thailand. And, Michelin has reported- by 8% – to about 9,400 tires/ plant and warehousing. And Cooper Tire and Sailun Vi- ly launched a €40-million ex- day – by late 2020. A similar sum will go to add- etnam have agreed to set up a pansion and modernisation of In November, OTR maker ing 5kt of annual capacity at JV to build a radial truck/bus tire its Olsztyn, Poland plant. This BKT announced a €176-mil- BKT’s five-year-old tire plant in plant in Vietnam rated at more will raise premium tire capacity lion upgrade and expansion of Bhuj, Gujarat. than 2 million units annually. there by 5 million units/year, capacity for tires and carbon Also in India, Trelleborg Cooper will own 35% of the Wheel Systems (TWS) signed proposed €190-million ven- a JV agreement with Yogesh ture, which will be located near Agencies & Investment in De- Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.

in brief

Toyo Tire & Rubber co. has Bridgestone was selected for changed name Toyo Tire Corp. 120 new OE fitments in the at the turn of the year – reflect- EMEA region in 2018 – 30% ing a corporate plan to divest higher than in the prior year. major portions of its industrial The company’s “best OEM re- products business, reinforce its sults” saw fitments across 40 headquarters function and different models from 15 differ- strengthen technological capa- ent brands, including Toyota, bilities. Mercedes and Porsche. The tire South Korea’s Hankook Tire maker said it remained “prima- co. said in December that it ry supplier” for Audi, SEAT, was revamping its global cor- Skoda and had gained a strong Michelin buys Camso porate structure as of 2019. position with BMW, while 85% The plan includes creating an of fitments were for 17” or FRANcE: Groupe Michelin significant opportunities to in- IT strategy department and a larger tires. has completed the acquisition crease sales and reduce costs “car life business” HQ and a Yokohama Rubber co is of Magog, Quebec-based off- at Camso: unlocking up to $55 new regional sales office for the supplying its ADVAN Sport Asia-Pacific, Africa and Middle V105 tire as OE fitment on the road tire maker Camso for million in synergies by 2021. East region. about €1.2 billion, the French Camso has been described M Performance BMW X5, the Nokian Tyres has changed its tire maker 9 Jan. The new X5 tiremaker has announced. by Michelin as “market lead- European operation’s structure model was launched globally The acquisition, said Miche- er” in rubber tracks for farm to create two separate units for in November last year and is lin, makes it a leader in OTR equipment and snowmobiles, its central Europe and ‘Nor- equipped with 275/40R21 ‘mobility solutions’, with 26 and in solid and bias tires for dics’ regions. The Finnish tire- 107Y size front tires and plants, around 12,000 em- material handling equipment. maker recently unveiled tar- 315/35R21 111Y rear tires. Yo- ployees and annual sales ex- Michelin’s latest acquisition gets to grow sales by 100% in kohama and BMW jointly de- North America and by 50% in veloped the tires, which fea- ceeding $2 billion. is also said to rank among the central Europe within five ture Silentfoam polyurethane In a 19 Dec statement, top three tire suppliers in the years. sound-insulation on the inside. Michelin said it had identified construction market.

10 EUROPEAN RUBBER JOURNAL • January/February 2019

0010 11 & 12.indd 1 11/01/2019 15:24 TIRE NEWS Doublestar readies 4.0 tire plant, forms new JV

CHINA: Doublestar will bring million unit/year facility, locat- the tire sector. its ‘Industry 4.0 high perfor- ed at Doublestar’s site in Qing- Separately, Doublestar has mance green passenger car dao, started in 2016. formed a joint venture with tire’ plant on stream shortly, the The passenger car tire plant is two Chinese partners, machin- company announced 21 Dec. expected to generate €19 mil- ery maker Inner Mongolia First The tire maker declined to lion annual proﬁ t on €275 mil- Machinery Group and invest- provide further details – in- lion sales when in full operation, ment ﬁ rm Huatong Group. cluding about the start-up according to Doublestar. Called Qingdao Kaishi Spe- date – but indicated that it Doublestar signed an agree- cialty Rubber, the JV is to build had completed trialling and ment with Siemens in May a manufacturing site targeting optimisation phases on the 2015 to jointly set up an Indus- military applications such as €105 million (826.7 million try 4.0 innovation centre at its aircraft and other tires, tracks yuan) project. new tire manufacturing site in of “template” smart manufac- and sealants, said a Double- Construction work on the 6 Qingdao, for the development turing solutions replicable for star’s announcement. Kesoram set to spin off Birla tire business INDIA: Kesoram Industries is The move is part of Keso- entities that are “market-driv- day of tires at its production spinning off its tire business to ram’s ongoing restructuring, en” in their approach. plant in Balasore, Orissa, create a separate Birla Tyres Ltd which it has undertaken in the For BTL, the spin-off is ex- eastern India. (BTL) entity, the company an- past few months. pected to attract new invest- In its most recent finan- nounced 4 Dec. Kesoram, part of the Basant ment to revitalise the existing cial statement, Kesoram re- The “demerger” process was Kumar Birla group of compa- product portfolio range and ported a pre-tax operating set for 1 Jan 2019, subject to nies, owns three businesses of extend the reach into new seg- losses of $42 million (€37 the approval of authorities, tires, cement and rayon. ments and markets. million) for Birla Tyres for following which BTL would be Through the restructuring, According to the ERJ Global the six months ended 30 listed on the Kolkata Stock Ex- the company said it aimed to Tire Report 2018, Birla Tyres Sept, respectively, on sales change. transform each business into manufactures 143 tonnes per of $107.5 million.

COME AND VISIT US AT THE TIRE TECH EXPO IN HANNOVER ON 5-7 MARCH 19

January/February 2019 • EUROPEAN RUBBER JOURNAL 11

0010 11 & 12.indd 2 11/01/2019 15:24 tire news Marangoni, DMACK in talks amid rovereto revamp plan ITALy: Marangoni SpA is in ni, Sannicolò went on to em- Yongtai Chemical Group. talks with DMACK Tyres about phasise. However, the Chinese partner a proposal that would see the “[The] bulk of what we do went into administration in UK sports tire company pro- here is retreading for truck and July 2018. duce racing tires at its site in off-the-road tires, and this will The company also manufac- Rovereto, Italy. remain like that,” the spokes- tures a small amount of tires The proposed deal is part man also emphasised. in the UK, at Cooper Tire’s fac- of a wider Marangoni plan to DMACK entered motorsport tory in Melksham, Wiltshire, create “a rubber technological in 2011, producing tires in which is also facing an uncer- hub and create new synergies partnership with Shandong tain future. with other partners,” Ma- rangoni spokesman Federico ties for growth with other par- Marangoni SpA and Vipal SA of involve a first phase of activities Sannicolò told ERJ. ties who can offer and benefit Brazil have signed a “partner- in the Americas, said the Italian Such partnerships could cov- from industrial synergies and ship agreement” which they company – without elaborat- er many aspects of tire produc- new business models based on say will create “the largest in- ing further. The deal “is the tion as well as other new initi- the application of the sharing dependent tire-retreading op- first result of the new strategic atives related to tires, the PR & economy to manufacturing,” erator.” Covering industrial lines of development we re- communications specialist said he added. and commercial operations at cently adopted,” said Vittorio in a telephone interview. Retreading will continue to both groups, the link-up will Marangoni, chairman. “We’re looking at opportuni- be a core activity for Marango- Brisa starts smart tire factory in central Turkey

TURkEy: Brisa Bridgestone Sa- conglomerate Hacı Ömer Sa- tures 11 million units/year. Alemdar, will help the com- bancı Lastik Sanayi ve Ticaret bancı Holding and Bridgestone The company described the pany produce “zero defect” AS has started up a $300-mil- said 30 Nov. new facility as the beginning a products and double inventory lion greenfield tire production Brisa’s second plant in Tur- new smart factory “era” in Tur- turnover compared to a “tradi- plant in Askaray, central Turkey. key can manufacture 4.2 mil- key, using technologies such as tional” manufacturing plant. The plant is “highly auto- lion units/year of passenger car robotic applications, data ana- Moreover, Brisa claims that mated and based on Industry and light vehicle tires under the lytics, and digitalisation within the new plant is 30% more en- 4.0 and smart factory princi- brands Bridgestone and Lassa – the plant. ergy-efficient than traditional ples,” the JV between Turkish its first plant in Izmit manufac- This, said Brisa CEO Cevdet plants.

US expects 2.7% increase in BrieF Pirelli has beaten off a rival bid Triangle expects to start up a from Hankook to remain as new 4 million unit/year produc- in tire shipments global tire partner of the FIA tion facility for passenger car US: Tire shipments within the Formula One world champion- tires at its existing Huayang US are expected to total 325.2 ship. To secure the 2020 -2023 plant in Weihai, Shandong million units in 2018, up 2.7% contract, Pirelli agreed to work province, China by the yearend, from the 316.7 million units re- towards new FIA technical reg- the company told ERJ. corded in 2017, according to ulations expected for 2021, in- Finixx has signed a contract to cluding the 18-inch tire. projections from the US Tire build a plant with capacity to Manufacturers Association. Nokian Tyres is building an produce 5 million self-sealing R&D centre dedicated to heavy tires a year in Baoji, Shaanxi prov- The biggest gains will be in commercial tires at its HQ facili- ince, China. Located at the city’s passenger tires, said the UST- total shipments at 352m ty in Nokia. The facility is being Jinhe Industrial Park, the project MA in a 6 Dec statement. Orig- built as part of an ongoing has €126 million investment ear- inal equipment passenger ship- down 0.2%, to 5.2 million, €72-million investment in marked with 667,000 sqm total ments are likely to increase by while replacement light truck heavy commercial tire produc- area, according to reporting by 1 million, to 46.2 million, and shipments will rise 0.2% to tion at the Nokia factory. local broadcaster Baoji Radio. replacement passenger ship- 31.4. Continental AG is to pur- Non-pneumatic tire maker ments are set to rise 5.2 million Medium truck tire ship- chase Reifen John GmbH & Co. kingTitan Technology broke KG, a family-owned tire dealer- ground on its 2.5 million unit/ from 209.7 million. ments will enjoy robust gains, ship with 32 outlets throughout year facilities in Yulin, Guangxi, Light truck tire shipments, the association said. OE truck southern Germany and Austria. China in November. The com- by contrast, are expected to be shipments will rise 15.8%, to Financial terms of the deal, pany will invest €51 million to nearly flat at the end of 2018, 6.3 million, while replacement which still is subject to govern- build a 21,600 sqm plant with according to the USTMA. OE truck shipments will increase ment oversight, were not dis- five lines slated to come on light truck shipments will edge 7.8% to 21.2 million. closed. stream by August 2019.

12 EUROPEAN RUBBER JOURNAL • January/February 2019

0010 11 & 12.indd 3 11/01/2019 15:24 rubber news semperit on recovery track restructuring moves start to pay dividends for Austrian rubber products group

AUstRiA: Semperit AG has results, the chairman noted. reported improved results for Semperit has also made the first nine months of 2018, ‘considerable’ changes in its with earnings (EBITDA adjust- personnel, restructuring the ed for negative one-off effects), first and second management up 39.1% year-on-year at levels in its Sempertrans seg- €45.8 million. ment, Fuellenbach added. Revenues were stable During the nine-month peri- at €670 million, the Vien- od, the industrial sector report- na-based company added in a ed 5.6% higher sales at €432.7 21 Nov financial statement. million. Segment earnings “We see clear progress, soared 79.9% to €55.8 million. which manifests itself particu- The industrial division com- not disclosed. to produce high-performance larly in the industrial sector,” prises the group’s Sempertrans The sale of the Semperflex products in high volumes, said said chairman Martin Fuel- (conveyor belts), Semperform facility, which produces indus- Fuellenbach. lenbach, who linked this to (construction materials) and trial hoses for specialised appli- Semperflex will now focus on a restructuring programme Semperflex (hoses) businesses. cations, follows the expansion the Odry facility and two large launched a year ago. Last November, Semperit of Semperit’s Odry, Czech Re- Asian facilities, as well as its head- The company has identified announced the sale of its Sem- public site. quarters in Wimpassing, Austria. “more than 600 initiatives”, perflex hose production site Under a €27-million invest- Semperit claims to be the which could contribute signif- in Rovigo, Italy, to the Matec ment, the Czech operation world no. 3 for its hydraulic icantly to improving operating Group. Terms of the deal were has recently been ‘optimised’ hoes, and no. 2 within Europe. Datwyler considering China medical-parts foray switzERLANd: Datwyler is The ‘first line’ standard is ment manufactures medical evaluating entry into the Chi- based on advanced clean- and pharmaceutical parts, nese healthcare market via room technology, automated including rubber vial and sy- “acquisition or a greenfield production, camera inspec- ringe components. approach,” according to the tion and special cleaning pro- company. cesses. A focus is on components Overall, the spokesman In brIeF for injectable drugs, which said, Datwyler aims to in- Mitsubishi Electric subsidiary are currently imported into crease ‘first line’ production tokan Co. issued falsified China, a Datwyler spokesman by 50% by 2020. Its current data on some its manufactured said in a 20 Nov written state- its plant in Pune, India to ‘first total production – including rubber products, the parent ment to ERJ. line’ standards and opening its first line, advanced and es- group acknowledged in a 26 Datwyler’s healthcare busi- of a US plant in Middletown, sential ranges – stands at 17 Nov statement. Tokan makes ness is undergoing expan- Delaware, for which customer billion pieces a year. rubber products for industrial use, including handrails and sion, including an upgrade to validation is ongoing. Datwyler’s healthcare seg- rubber rollers for escalators. trelleborg sealing solutions has completed the pur- TPE protection for hexagonal body guard chase of Sil-Pro LLC, a US- based contract manufacturer GERmANy: French company of silicone and plastics com- Hexaflex has developed a ponents on 3 Jan. Privately shock-absorbing padding ba- owned Sil-Pro, which specialises in applications for medical sed on hexagonal-pyramidal technology OEMs, will broad- shapes made from thermoplas- en Trelleborg’s current offer- tic elastomer. ing in the healthcare & medi- Kraiburg TPE’s Thermolast K cal industry. compound provides flexibility, toyoda Gosei Co. Ltd is es- light-weight and articulation tablishing a corporate ven- characteristics for the modu- ture capital department to lar system, the German com- help it invest in new technologies and startups, the com- pounder said 14 Nov. and motorcyclists. shock-absorption. pany said 9 Nov. The depart- In a first application, the According to Kraiburg, The TPE also minimises re- ment will have an operating technology is used for a pro- the articulated padding acts bound when the padding is budget of €23m, and will in- tection product covered with like “a second skin,” with in- flexed and meets requirements vest in robotics, semiconduc- high-strength aromatic poly- terlocking shapes to follow for strength and durability over tors, next-gen automotive amide stretch fabric for bikers body motion for optimum a wide range of temperatures. parts and materials.

January/February 2019 • EUROPEAN RUBBER JOURNAL 13

0013 & 14 rubber.indd 1 11/01/2019 15:14 rubber news

In brIeF Avon rubber eyes Freudenberg Group’s medical division will build a manufacturing facility for medical devices and components in acquisitions in 2019 Beverly, Massachusetts that also will serve as its global HQ. UK: Avon Rubber plc is explor- sales grew 8.7% and earnings The group will invest €2.7m in ing acquisition opportunities rose 5.1% compared to the the site, with a view to further in the current fiscal year (start- previous year, the UK rubber expansions. Operations are expected to begin later this year ed 1 Oct) to expand its Avon group added. with about 70 employees. Protection and dairy equip- Avon noted strong sales of its Synthomer has opened a ment divisions. M50 mask systems and spares 90-kilotonne expansion to its “We intend to complement to the US Department of De- nitrile latex production facility the organic growth strategy… fense (DOD), with an opening in Pasir Gudang, Malaysia. The with carefully selected val- order book of £37.8 million €56m investment is the first of ue-enhancing acquisitions,” providing “excellent visibility” a two-phase project to support said chief executive Paul Mc- into 2019. growing global demand for latex gloves. Another 60kt of ca- Donald. The company also an- pacity will be added at the site Any acquisitions would com- nounced 7 Jan, a multi-year by 2020. The UK group is also plement and extend the reach contract to supply the DoD investing €7.4m to build an of the company’s existing busi- with the recently-developed innovation centre in Malaysia’s nesses, McDonald emphasised M69 aircrew mask. southern Johor district. in a 14 Nov annual results The deal, with maximum Ansell Ltd. will close three statement. value of $92.7 million (€81 production facilities, two lo- According to McDonald, the million), also covers related ac- cated in Juarez, Mexico, and one in Janggye, South Korea. company is willing to extend cessories and engineering sup- The closings come as part of leverage up to two times its port for the aircrew masks, to Ansell’s transformation pro- earnings (EBITDA) to pursue For its fiscal year ended 30 be used by “strategic aircraft”. gram, first put into action in potential acquisitions. Sept, Avon Rubber reported Avon is also in discussions July 2017. The plan is on track The company’s balance sheet a 1.2% year-on-year dip in with the DOD to put in place to realise a targeted €26.3 showed net cash of £46.5 mil- earnings (adjusted EBITDA), a follow-on contract for the million in cost savings by fiscal year 2020, according to an lion (€52 million), together to £35.3 million, on sales 4% M50 mask system following Ansell news release. with undrawn bank facilities of higher at £165.5 million. the conclusion of the initial 10- $40 million (€35 million). At constant currency rates, year contract in July. Trelleborg to EU conveyor belt majors advance merge to form Ammega tunnel seals ThE NEThERLANdS: Dutch with Chinese conveyor belt systems manufacturer Ammeraal Beltech partner and Italian belt systems suppli- ChiNA: Trelleborg AB has er Megadyne Group have agreed a sealing systems part- merged to create a new cor- nership with Fourth Harbor En- porate entity Ammega. gineering, an infrastructure The companies agreed to construction services company merge in September and, as and subsidiary of the state- part of the integration, an- owned China Communications nounced the name-change Construction Co. last December. Under a memorandum of The merger, the two com- understanding , the partners panies claim, will create a new will set up collaborative R&D “belting champion,” specialis- la, the companies are to com- Channel-to-market strate- of polymer sealing systems to ing in industrial power-trans- bine their knowhow, R&D ac- gies behind both brands are, support China’s tunnelling pro- mission belting and light- tivities, business systems and likewise, to stay the same jects, said a Trelleborg state- weight conveyor belting. human resources to enhance within the merged business, ment. The merged entity has customer-service and technol- the joint statement added. The agreement will also po- around 5,000 employees, over ogy. “Ensuring continuity, espe- tentially see the supply of Trel- 25 manufacturing facilities However, Ammega will cially in the way we serve our leborg’s tunnel sealing systems and more than 100 commer- maintain the Ammeraal valued customers, is a top pri- to future Fourth Harbor tunnel cial and sales centres world- Beltech and Megadyne brands ority” said Marc Maisonneuve, projects, including the Shen- wide. as they are “well-established” Ammega’s corporate market- Zhong Link and the Dalian Bay Under the Ammega umbrel- in their respective markets. ing director. Immersed Tunnel.

14 EUROPEAN RUBBER JOURNAL • January/February 2019

0013 & 14 rubber.indd 2 11/01/2019 15:14 people moves

sumitomo Rubber names new Ceo Sumitomo Rubber Indus- when they elected and ap- March. tries has launched a man- pointed a company director Also, as part of the board- agement reshuffle which Satoru Yamamoto as the room reshuffle, current CEO will see the appointment of next CEO. Ikuji Ikeda, will assume a new chief executive direc- Yamamoto’s appointment the position of chairman of tor in March. will need to be approved the board of directors after The company’s board of during the next SRI annual the shareholders’ meeting in directors met on 27 Dec, general meeting, set for 26 Yamamoto March.

European Rubber leadership transition. and tire cord maker. Hans-Jürgen Journal’s round-up Pappas started his Vromant has been Drechsler, the long- of the latest career at the Dow with Bekaert since 1979 time managing director rubber industry Chemical Co., and and has held several of the German tire trade appointments and joined DuPont Dow financial and IT man- association BRV is retir- departures Elastomers LLC in agement positions. He ing in 2020, to be suc- 1996. He joined Nova joined the group’s exec- ceeded by Michael Chemicals Corp. in utives in 2013. Schwaemmlein, the In a recent round of re- 2000, where he held a Lucchese (above) is Muntañola joined BRV announced 29 Nov. structuring, Hankook range of top roles be- the marketing manager Bekaert as CFO in July Tire Co. has appointed fore becoming presi- for tire, styrenics modi- 2016 and was an ex- three senior vice president and CEO in 2009. fication, & latex within ecutive member of the dents. the elastomers business Bekaert Group and a Effective as of 1 Jan, unit at Versalis Spa, pet- member of the board of Jeongrock Yoon is SVP rochemical branch of directors of Bridon-Be- for production efficiency Italy’s Eni group. kaert Ropes Group. of the Daejeon plant in In his 30 years ca- South Korea; Hyunjun reer, Lucchese has Dutch cleantech compa- Cho is SVP for global been involved in both ny Black Bear has ap- marketing, including tire technical services and pointed Geert Glim- Schwaemmlein business for internation- product management merveen as its new (above) will take up his al OEMs; and Seong- Pappas was named processes. chief financial officer for duties within the associa- hak Hwang, who also to lead Trinseo (former- the next phase of its tion as of September next is the manager of the ly known as Styron) in growth. year, the BRV added. Rácalmás, Hungary, March 2010, and as- Glimmerveen has He is currently work- plant, is SVP in charge of sumed the role upon more than 30 years of ing as technical advisor maximising the synergy the sale of Trinseo from experience in senior at the European Retread- between R&D and man- Dow to Bain Capital finance and executive ing Association BIPAVER. ufacturing. Partners later that year. positions and has previ- Hankook also hired ously worked with McK- Michael Triguboff has Seyoul Ryu to be head The International insey & Co., truck man- been appointed as the of its newly-formed IT Rubber Study Group Kurata (above) is ex- ufacturer DAF Trucks, new CEO of recovered strategy department, (IRSG) has elected En- ecutive director of the energy company Eneco carbon black company overseeing the group’s rico Lucchese of Ver- JATMA. He has exten- and private equity firm Pyrolyx, to replace digital innovation ef- salis as the chairperson sive government experi- Egeria. Bernhard Meder, the for- forts. He comes to of the group’s industry ence having worked for mer interim chief execu- Hankook from Hyundai advisory panel (IAP) many years in the min- The board of Datwyler tive of the company. AutoEver ICT business for the period 2019- istry of economy, trade Holding AG has nomi- The appointment of and also has worked 2021. and industry (METI). nated Jens Breu for Triguboff comes amid for SAP Korea. He is de- Additionally, Kenji election as a new direc- a major restructuring at scribed as an ERP spe- Kurata of Japan Au- Bekaert’s executive tor at the company’s Pyrloyx, which has seen cialist. tomobile Tyre Manu- vice president and chief next annual general the removal of its chief facturers Association financial officer (CFO) meeting on 12 March financial officer and the Trinseo SA president – JATMA – has been Beatríz García-Cos 2019. relocation of its head- and chief executive of- elected vice chairper- Muntañola has left the Since early 2016, quarters from Germany ficer Christopher Pap- son, IRSG said in a 4 company, Bekaert has Breu has been the CEO to the US. pas is to retire in 2019. Dec release. announced. of the listed SFS Group, The company has also Trinseo said its board The IAP consists of 30 Frank Vromant, ex- which manufactures appointed Andy Stech- of directors is now en- industry representatives ecutive vice-president precision moulded parts er as chief financial gaged in “succession and provides views and Bekaert Americas, has and mechanical fasten- officer of Pyrolyx USA planning” and intends recommendations to been appointed as the ing systems for the au- Inc. Stecher has over 25 to name a new boss be implemented in the interim CFO, added a tomotive, electronics, years of experience as a soon. Pappas, it added, IRSG’s secretariat work 15 Nov statement from construction, and med- senior manager of global will help to facilitate the programme. the Belgian steel wire ical industries. companies.

January/February 2019 • EUROPEAN RUBBER JOURNAL 15

0015 people.indd 1 11/01/2019 15:06 TIRE TECH PREVIEW Showing progress ERJ previews the annual Tire Technology Expo trade fair and conference, taking place 5-7 March at the Deutsche Messe in Hanover, Germany

ith exhibitors from manufacture and supply as well as ready in operation. across the tire ma- new automotive technologies and HF’s new curing press is designed chinery, materials ever-tightening regulation. to offer a fl exible and compact and services sectors Progress can be tracked by as- footprint: enabling tire makers to ERJ and a comprehensive sessing the technologies on dis- replace older, smaller presses, and EUROPEAN RUBBER JOURNAL•Reporting on the global rubber industry since 1884 Wconference programme, the an- play in the Deutsche Messe as well ultimately save space or fi t more at nual Tire Technology Expo (TTE) as from the conference presenta- presses per existing trench. regularly highlights developments tions by tire makers, suppliers, ac- “Therefore customers are able to and trends of signifi cance to the ademics and analysts. increase production without ex- industry. Among the machinery innova- panding their footprint,” accord- EXPO 2019 In particular, this year’s event of- tions on display in Hanover, will ing to a press statement from the fers an opportunity to assess how be the HF Curemaster TBR for the German machinery major. the industry is adapting to digi- manufacture of truck tires – of talisation of tire design, testing, which the fi rst machines are al- ➡ Continued on page 18

Company Stand Company Stand Company Stand Company Stand 4JET Technologies GmbH ...... 8040 Calemard ...... 9034 Elkem Silicones ...... C610 Gudel AG ...... 7028 A-T ekniikka Oy ...... 2001 Carl Zeiss Optotechnik GmbH ...... 2002 Emerson Automation Solutions ...... 5024 GVD Corporation ...... 5026 A&D Europe GmbH ...... 3022 Carter Bros (Rochdale) Ltd ...... 2010 Ems-Chemie AG ...... C546 Habasit Polska Sp. z o.o...... 3038 AB Svenskt Konstsilke ...... C618 Cassioli Srl ...... 7042 Engineering Equipment & Tread Mold Hangzhou Dikai Industrial Fabrics Aerox BV ...... 2034 Center for Tire Research (CenTiRe) . C302 Design sas ...... 6028 Co. Ltd ...... C632 AIRTEC Controls GmbH ...... 2000 Chem Trend (Deutschland) GmbH .3010 Erhardt & Leimer GmbH ...... 9030 Hangzhou Fuyang Hengshan Akaan Työvälinepalvelu Oy ...... 4028 China United Rubber Corporation Euroimpianti SpA ...... 2036 Composite Materials Co. Ltd ...... 5030 Akron Special Machinery ...... 8010 (CURC) ...... 10082 European Rubber Journal ...... 1008 Hansen & Rosenthal KG ...... C636 Akron Steel Fabricators ...... 8010 Cimcorp Oy ...... 9026 Evonik Resource Efﬁ ciency GmbH .. C240 Hansung Sysco Co. Ltd ...... 9048 Albeniz ...... 5000 Citexpo Show Management ...... 7074 ExxonMobil Chemical Co...... Sponsor Harburg Freudenberger Maschinenbau Alfamation ...... 5028 CMV Hoven GmbH ...... 6030 EZ Metrology ...... 8065 GmbH ...... 9052 All India Rubber Industries Cold Jet Europe bvba...... 5006 Facts Inc ...... 10028 Harburg Freudenberger Maschinenbau Association ...... 7082 Color Service ...... 9038 Fenghai (Panjin) Rice Biotech- GmbH ...... 10080 Alligator Ventilfabrik GmbH ...... 9028 Comerio Ercole SPA ...... 8006 nology Ltd ...... C506 Herbert Maschinenbau GmbH & Allnex Belgium SA ...... C645 Commercial Timesharing Inc...... 8010 Ferm RFID Solutions ...... 8064 Co. KG ...... 8048 Alpha Technologies ...... 9054 Computype ...... 4004 Ferrostaal Projects GmbH ...... C403 Hexion GmbH ...... C308 Altracon SA ...... 5004 Continental Reifen Deutschland Festo AG & Co KG...... 5012 Himadri Speciality Chemical Ltd .... C318 Ammeraal Beltech ...... 10008 GmbH ...... 4008 Fineline Technologies ...... 8064 Himile Mechanical Science and AP2 ...... 7066 ContiTech Elastomer-Beschich- fka GmbH ...... C238 Technology Co. Ltd ...... 4036 Applus IDIADA ...... 2012 tungen GmbH ...... 4008 Fraunhofer EZRT ...... 5014 Hofmann Maschinen-und Anlagenbau Arlanxeo Deutschland GmbH ...... C216 Cordenka GmbH & Co.KG ...... C646 Fujian Sanming Doublewheel Chemical GmbH ...... 4024 Asahi Kasei Europe GmbH ...... C420 Crain Communications ...... 1008 Machinery Co. Ltd ...... 8030 IHI Logistics & Machinery ASM-Hasbach ...... 8010 Cray Valley (Total) ...... C440 GAK ...... 8086 Corporation ...... 7034 Barbe GmbH ...... C432 Custom Control Sensors LLC ...... 6016 Gama Consulting doo ...... 10074 Indian/International Rubber Journal 8084 Bartell Machinery Ltd ...... 8014 CyXplus ...... 8062 Gamesa Gearbox ...... 7070 Industriefabrik Schneider GmbH .....8078 Bartell Machinery Systems ...... 8014 D-Company Ltd ...... 5020 GCAPS-NTRC/SoVaMotion/VDIL ....9003 inmess GmbH ...... 2030 Bastian Solutions...... 9068 Daehwa Eng. & Machinery Co. Ltd 7078 General Equipment Technology INTEREUROPEAN Srl ...... 7045 BD Testing Inc...... 8014 Dahmen GmbH...... 8040 Development Ltd (GETD)...... 7060 Intertie GmbH ...... C434 Beckhoff Automation GmbH Dalian Baofeng Machinery Getriebebau NORD GmbH & Intralox LLC Europe ...... 9020 & Co. KG ...... 3030 Manufaturing Co. Ltd...... 7076 Co. KG ...... 8094 IPFDD ...... C400 Behn Meyer Europe GmbH ...... C505 Data2 Corporation ...... 8064 GF Machining Solutions Manage- ITW Graphics ...... 6032 Benninger Zell GmbH ...... C418 Dawnsun Exim Corporation ...... 10028 ment SA ...... 2038 Kara Gostar ...... 7040 Berrmak ...... 9076 DIK ...... C405 GfA De Pryck & Co. mbH ...... 7038 Kardex Mlog Division ...... 4018 Birla Carbon ...... C508 Dr. Gupta Verlag ...... 8086 Gibitre Instruments srl ...... 7090 Karl Eugen Fischer GmbH ...... 7064 Bizerba Tekno Label ...... 5002 DRT ...... C214 Giordana ...... 10042 Kelviplast GmbH & Co. KG ...... 7032 Black Donuts Engineering Inc...... 8038 Dufournier ...... 6024 Gislotica ...... 9006 Kistler Instrumente GmbH ...... 2022 Bogmiac NV SA ...... 5007 Eastman Chemical BV...... C340 GL Messtechnik GmbH ...... 1014 Kobelco Stewart Bolling Inc...... 3036 Bosch Rexroth AG ...... 10050 Ecopower Chemical Co. Ltd ...... C640 Glanzstoff Industries ...... C634 Koenig & Bauer Coding GmbH ...... 2016 BST eltromat International GmbH ...7072 EDTS spol s.r.o...... 10038 Glebus Alloys Europe Sro ...... 4034 Konstrukta Tiretech as ...... 9058 Buss AG...... 9040 EGE Kimya Sanayi ve Ticaret AS ..... C436 Gottschol Alcuilux CZ ...... 4030 Kordsa ...... C422 Buzuluk Komarov AS ...... 9066 Ektron Tek Co. Ltd ...... 4006 GRM ...... 8030 Kraton Polymers LLC ...... C230 C&D Robotics Inc...... 8082 Electronic Systems SpA ...... 8006 Gruniverpal Srl ...... 7033 Kraussmaffei Berstorff GmbH ...... 8030 Cabot Corporation ...... C520 Elisto GmbH ...... 9067 GSM GmbH ...... 3040 Kuraray Europe GmbH ...... C438

16 EUROPEAN RUBBER JOURNAL • January/February 2019

0016 18 20 21 & 22.indd 1 11/01/2019 14:54 Untitled-2 1 09/01/2019 08:34 TIRE TECH PREVIEW

➡ Continued from page 16 by a strong presence of leading can be realised,” the company vendors such as Siemens, Rockwell added. The curing press accommodates and Beckhoff at TTE. Using simulation software, Ma- moulds from 62-67”, HF adding An automated, fi rst-stage rangoni added that it can carry out that its “modular design concept tire-building machinery that Ma- accurate and customised bladder responds to the latest market re- rangoni has been developing will designs to benefi t the quality of quirements while allowing for cus- be the focus of the company’s the turn-up process. tomisation to individual customer stand at Tire Technology Expo. Italian tire-machinery mak- specifi cations.” The design is said to deliver qual- er Matteuzzi will present a new The design is also said to ensure ity, repeatability and productivity ‘smart’ machine concept, which an optimum tire uniformity and via different levels of automation, includes grinding, trimming and ERJ long mould-life due to an even which can be implemented to deal white sidewall buffi ng machines. EUROPEAN RUBBER JOURNAL•Reporting on the global rubber industry since 1884 distribution of pressure. with demanding cycle-time and These all feature laser profi lome- at HF added that the machine is process specifi cations. ters and cameras for continuous designed to provide the “low- According to Marangoni, end acquisition of tire data. est energy consumption” and users can achieve “fi ne-grained According to Matteuzzi, the meet the “highest requirements control of the process, without equipment enables automatic defi - EXPO 2019 for availability, performance and compromising on the complexi- nition of processing parameters quality.” ty of the tire designs that can be and fully automated recipe-con- manufactured. trolled tire processing cycles. Automation trends An automatic fi nger ply-down The result, it said, is that tire-spe- The ever-growing infl uence of and bead setting with pneumatic cifi c features and critical aspects automation technologies on tire or mechatronic controls, means manufacture will be highlighted “even the most complex designs ➡ Continued on page 20

Company Stand Company Stand Company Stand Company Stand Kurschat GmbH ...... 8006 NV Bekaert SA ...... C644 Rostan Tiremolds Srl ...... 6026 Tekscan Inc...... 6030 Lang GmbH & Co. KG ...... 3008 Nynas AB ...... C312 Rubber Consultants ...... C500 Test World Oy ...... 2004 Lanxess Deutschland GmbH ...... 4014 Open Mind Technologies AG ...... 5016 Rütgers Germany GmbH...... C642 The Poling Group ...... 8010 LAP GmbH Laser Applikationen ...... 1018 Orgkhim ...... C326 Saehwa IMC EU/EMT Puchov ...... 9062 TianJin Reager Technology Co. Ltd .9022 Larsen & Toubro Ltd...... 9008 Orion Engineered Carbons GmbH . C310 Safe-Run Machinery (Suzhon) Tianjin Saixiang Technology Co. Ltd 8072 Lawer SpA ...... 7046 Oryzasil Silicas Naturais Ltda ...... C403 Co. Ltd ...... 8000 Tinna Rubber and Infrastructure Ltd C236 Lehmann & Voss & Co.KG ...... C544 Ozmetal Makina Imalati ve Kalip SAR Elektronic GmbH ...... 4018 TKM GmbH ...... 8080 Leonardo ...... 5018 Sanayi Tic Ltd Sti ...... 4038 Saurer Technologies GmbH & Co., KG TMSI ...... 8076 Link-Asia ...... 10032 Parker Hanniﬁ n GmbH ...... 10060 Twisting Solutions...... 4000 Transfer Gomma Srl ...... 7046 LMI Technologies GmbH ...... 10026 Paul AUER GmbH ...... C514 Schill + Seilacher “Struktol” GmbH C414 Transsystem ...... 7026 LY-Holding GmbH ...... 4010 Pelmar Engineering Germany Schubert & Salzer ...... 7088 Trinseo Europe GmbH ...... C320 Madura Industrial Textiles...... C524 GmbH ...... 9038 SDS Systemtechnik ...... 4040 Troester GmbH & Co KG ...... 7036 MAKROchem SA ...... C426 Performance Fibers (Hong Kong) Seichter GmbH ...... 4026 TS TestingService GmbH ...... 2006 Marangoni Meccanica SpA ...... 9032 Ltd ...... C634 Seika Sangyo GmbH ...... C532 TUV SUD Product Service ...... 1000 MARIS F.lli Spa ...... 6006 Pesmel Oy...... 9002 Sennics...... C528 Tyre Asia ...... 7086 Matteuzzi Srl ...... 8060 PFAFF Industriesysteme und SENSIT sro ...... 7080 Umicore Specialty Materials Matthews Kodiersysteme GmbH ....8004 Maschinen AG ...... C406 SEW-EURODRIVE GmbH & Co. KG 4016 Brugge NV ...... C606 McNeil + NRM Inc...... 8034 PHP Fibers GmbH ...... C634 Shandong Yanggu Huatai University of Naples / MegaRide ... C402 MESNAC ...... 8076 Pioneer Industrial Systems LLC ...... 6004 Chemical Co. Ltd ...... C408 University of Twente ...... C401 Metravib ...... C518 Pneuform Hulin as ...... 9010 Shanghai Amino-chem Co. Ltd ...... C434 Uteco Contec ...... 10030 Meyer Burger Technology Ltd ...... 10062 Pneumofore SpA ...... 9063 Shin-Etsu Silicones Europe B.V...... C620 UTH GmbH ...... 4012 Micro-Epsilon Messtechnik GmbH Polymer Industrial Products Co. LLC 4042 SIBUR Holding, PJSC ...... C316 Uzer Makina ...... 9042 & Co. KG ...... 3006 Polymeric Labels ...... 8064 SICK Vertriebs-GmbH ...... 2008 versalis SpA ...... C430 Micro-Poise Measurement Systems PPG Silica Products ...... C515 Siemens AG ...... 8058 Vipo AS ...... 9058 LLC...... 3018 PRL Polymer Research Ltd ...... C536 Simaform SA ...... 4030 VMI Group...... 8054 MIG srl ...... 2013 Prodicon International Srl ...... 9036 SinoArp Tires Equipment Technology Vredestein Consulting BV ...... 10036 Mikro Makina Takım San. ve Tic PROZAX sro ...... 3020 (Suzhou) Co. Ltd ...... 8022 WD Racing Ltd ...... 9028 Ltd Sti ...... 7027 PSI FLS Fuzzy Logik & Neuro SLM Solutions Group AG ...... 3001 Werba-Chem GmbH ...... C516 Milliken Textiles BVBA ...... C330 Systeme GmbH ...... 5025 SMC Deutschland GmbH ...... 9064 Wikov MGI as ...... 7062 Mitsubishi Corporation ...... C328 Qingdao Doublestar Rubber & Smithers Rapra ...... 5013 Willo ...... 4034 MK Technology ...... 7078 Plastic Machinery Co. Ltd ...... 5038 Solvay ...... C542 Wyko Tire Technology ...... 8076 Momentive Performance R&VT – Robotics & Vision Spoolex SAS ...... 9034 X-Compound GmbH ...... 7036 Materials Gmbh ...... C342 Technologies ...... 5010 Starrett-Bytewise Europe ...... 9046 XSensor Technology Corporation ...1010 Mondon SAS ...... 9065 RADO Engineering GmbH ...... 9026 Steelastic ...... 8014 Xylus Flowtech Engineering MonTech Werkstoffprüfmaschinen REA Elektronik GmbH ...... 2028 STL Standard Testing Labs Inc...... 4040 PVT Ltd ...... C234 GmbH ...... 5040 Rekor ...... C306 Swiat Opon ...... 6014 Yiyang Rubber Machinery Co Ltd ...8030 Muench Chemie International Rhein Chemie Rheinau GmbH ...... 4014 SWS Translation Agency GmbH ...... 8090 Yxlon International GmbH ...... 2020 GmbH ...... 2018 Riedel Filtertechnik GmbH ...... 6000 Synthos SA ...... C416 Z-Laser Optoelektronik GmbH ...... 1006 Nakata Engineering Co. Ltd ...... 1004 RJS Corporation ...... 8050 TAG Chemicals GmbH ...... 3000 Zeon Europe GmbH / ZS NETZSCH-Gerätebau GmbH ...... 9054 Rockwell Automation ...... 10020 TARRC ...... C503 Elastomers...... C220 NHV Corporation ...... 7039 Rodolfo Comerio SRL ...... 7048 TAUFORM Tyre Moulds Co. Ltd ...... 2024 Zeppelin Systems GmbH ...... 9000 Nol-Tec Europe SRL ...... 10024 Roland Electronic GmbH ...... 9018 Teijin Aramid GmbH ...... C522 ZF Friedrichshafen AG ...... 8018 Numetrix Technologies Inc...... 10073 ROmiLL, spol sro ...... 8088 Tekna Automazione e Controllo srl .7044

18 EUROPEAN RUBBER JOURNAL • January/February 2019

0016 18 20 21 & 22.indd 2 11/01/2019 14:54 TTX 2019: STAND C432

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Untitled-2 1 09/01/2019 08:35 TIRE TECH PREVIEW

➡ Continued from page 18

are taken into account, cycle time is optimised, and the machine is fully integrated into the plant production set-up. The Italian company is currently expanding its facility and offi ces near Bologna for greater production capacity and more advanced R&D. Festo will, meanwhile, showcase how its latest fl exible pneumatic automation platform, the Festo Motion Terminal VTEM allows switching between different pneu- Festo VTEM eliminates hardware changes matic functions via apps, without ERJ changing hardware. ender roll that supports shifting.” calendering of tire components. EUROPEAN RUBBER JOURNAL•Reporting on the global rubber industry since 1884 For example, it said, a selectable In addition, Rodolfo Comerio Features will include innovative at pressure level app ensures that the said the technology improves the extrusion lines for tread, sidewall, green tire is loaded in curing press- quality of the rubberised materi- innerliner, apex and other pro- es gently, reducing loading time als, increases production stability fi les, which can also be offered as and energy consumption. and reduces scrap, thus lowering turn-key systems including down- EXPO 2019 Among the TTE highlights for production costs. stream equipment and line con- Italian calendering specialist Ro- Extrusion specialist Troester will trol. dolfo Comerio will be a recently present its capabilities as a sup- Fulda, Germany-based Uth patented technology for textile plier of equipment and source of GmbH will introduce a solution fabric and steel cord rubberised know-how for major tire compa- for reworking material generat- materials used in the tire industry. nies as well as medium-sized and ed in rubber processing: the TRP The new technology is designed local tire producers, worldwide. Reworker System – based on a to offer “perfect lamination and At TTE, Troester will present its two-roll-plasticiser with integrated penetration of rubber into the range of standard and custom-de- gear pump. cords thanks to a friction-free cal- signed systems for extrusion and The reworker incorporates a Ancillaries & services MAE Industria Gomma will showcase hanced gauge in high-stress areas is said its bladder production expertise for to prolong the service life of the bladder the fi rst time at Tire Technology Expo by up to 20%. 2019. Based 40km south of Rome, MIG Continental will also showcase a ‘sili- is already established in the retreading con compound-based insulation foam’: industry and said it is looking to meet Conti Thermo Protect. Uncured, the companies who consider bladder tech- material can be moulded to adapt to nology as a process innovation. pipes, hoses or valves. In this way, it can Visitors looking to upgrade their reduce heat-dissipation by up to 80% plant’s slitting equipment will be inter- and avoid hot-spots in tire plants. ested in Calemard’s new fully automat- Pelmar Engineering will be at TTE to ed solution to produce cap strips from a discuss the company’s recent projects. web of 1,600mm-width calendered tex- MIG seeking process partners These include a complete new extrusion tile. The machinery division of Spoolex line for a large tire maker in the US and will present this new technology at TTE, including belt, tread, carcasses and pre- a project in China, which involved dis- alongside its existing equipment. assemblies. The company claims an ac- mantling and transferring a complete tire Mondon will launch a new SLP-series curacy of ±0.6mm. plant. slab slitter, which is designed for ex- Schubert & Salzer will highlight its Cold Jet will present a new dry ice truder feeding strips. The machine slices sliding gate valves, claimed to allow a cleaning solution. The automated, in- slabs collected on pallets into strips to seven-fold improvement on the service telligent system solution is said to clean be packed into containers or boxes. The life of globe control valves, The devices moulds thoroughly, including blades, strips are packed separately so that they are also said to offer high control ac- bridges, vents, sidewalls and lettering, can be connected at the extruder entry curacy, allowing for shorter press cycle removing any residual fl ash. for a continuous feed. times in tire curing presses. Saurer will present a number of im- Afache will present a splice checker At TTE, Continental will present its provements to its Allma CableCorder designed to ensure structural stabili- new line of C-Bladders, designed for product range of tire cord cabling ma- ty and uniformity of tires by detecting enhanced transition from crown to chines. One of the headline improve- open splices, overlaps, dog ears and oth- neck – allowing smoother moulding of ments is Saurer’s adaptation of the spin- er imperfections on all tire components, the bladder into the green tire. An en- dle pot to conserve energy.

20 EUROPEAN RUBBER JOURNAL • January/February 2019

0016 18 20 21 & 22.indd 3 11/01/2019 14:54 TIRE TECH PREVIEW Testing and measuring MicroPoise will introduce its in-line range of tire inspection solutions with modular tire measurement system, a new machine that has been designed MTMS FX which combines tire uni- for radial two-wheeler tires. Like all the formity, dynamic balance measure- company’s X-ray models, the mTx+100 ment and geometry inspection into a is equipped with a high-resolution sen- single process. This is designed to pro- sor for enhanced image quality, and vide customers with a large number of comes with the ADR reference software, tire test results and functions, including CyXpert 5. for force variation, dynamic imbalance PRL and Coesfeld will introduce and tire geometry checks. new instruments designed to enable On the Global Center for Automo- laboratory tests of rubber to more active Performance Simulation stand curately reﬂ ect real-world conditions the focus will be on its installation of and use. These will include a set-up a new static ﬁ xture at its National Tire Micropoise modular system to characterise the local heat build-up Research Center in Virginia. It expands process, using multi-axial measuring the capabilities for lateral and longitu- are critical for accurate tire models. techniques instead of programmable dinal stiffness measurements, which CyXplus will present its expanding load cycles.

new technology that combines tion process. technology represents a break- gentle rubber processing, based on “In just one single step, the TRP through,” a company statement ERJ EUROPEAN RUBBER JOURNAL•Reporting on the global rubber industry since 1884 an open roll system, with proven Reworker automatically and con- further claimed. at methods such as cracking, homog- tinuously homogenises and ﬁ ne- enising and discharging. mesh strains treads, sidewalls, Materials arena The system is designed to gen- proﬁ les or sheets at a low tempera- In the tire materials arena, Kur- tly process unvulcanised material ture,” said Uth. aray will showcase its interesting generated during tire production “With possible throughputs of EXPO 2019 and return it back to the produc- up to 2,500 kg/h per system, this ➡ Continued on page 22

January/February 2019 • EUROPEAN RUBBER JOURNAL 21

0016 18 20 21 & 22.indd 4 11/01/2019 14:55 TIRE TECH PREVIEW

➡ Continued from page 21 as abrasion resistance and tensile moduli, as well as compression liquid Farnesene rubber – said to set and aging properties, claims be the ﬁ rst liquid polydiene based Behn Meyer. on naturally sourced farnesene. When used in the tire-rubber Conference topics formulations, the bio-based poly- Among the highlights of the TTE mer improves grip on ice and in conference will be a presentations low temperatures, to give the tire covering a range of ‘big-ticket’ is- a wide and consistent operating sues facing the tire manufacturing range. industry. At the concurrent TTE confer- In the opening session, Michelin ence, Kuraray experts will discuss executive Pierre Fraisse will exam- how modifying the backbone and ine issues around the need to de- microstructure can improve tire liver resource savings alongside im- abrasion resistance, rolling resist- proved driving safety in the future. ance and performance in low-grip These often competing require- conditions. ments are among the biggest Kraton will likewise use both challenges facing tire makers, be- Troester multihead extruder the expo and conference plat- lieves Michelin’s VP technical op- forms to present research on a new erations – passenger car and light double-network, material design tread enhancement additive (TEA) truck tires. concept. ERJ and its effect on the performance In his presentation, Fraisse will The impact of electric vehicles EUROPEAN RUBBER JOURNAL•Reporting on the global rubber industry since 1884 of tire tread compounds. set out how progress in these ar- (EVs) on tires to 2028 is the topic of at The Sylvatraxx product is said eas can be achieved through ex- a presentation by Bruce Lambillotte, to enable the synthesis of resins ploitation of the full potential of vice president, technical consulting with high glass transition tem- the tires – which is not totally used at US-based Smithers Rapra. peratures (Tg). It is also claimed today – and a performance evalua- Lambillotte will discuss how elec- EXPO 2019 to outperform hydrocarbon TEAs tion based on relevant usage con- tric drivetrains will require adjust- with similar Tg in terms of com- ditions. ments in tire design to balance per- patibility. “The use of those two ingredi- formance, safety and vehicle range. Behn Meyer Europe will, mean- ents will drive the tire industry Areas covered will include material while, present a surface-modiﬁ ed on a virtuous circle,” the Michelin selection and tire engineering. silica that is said to offer optimised vice president will suggest. Regulatory developments around

processing and improved proper- Bridgestone Corp. expert Dr tire labelling and CO2 emissions will ties of tire compounds. Katsuhiko Tsunoda will present be the focus of Ricard Anadón, sen- At the TTE conference, company the progress of a company drive ior product manager, Idiada Auto- director Dr Joachim Bertrand will to develop resource-saving, light- motive Technology SA. give a presentation on how anoth- weight tires using an innovative Since 1 Jan, truck manufacturers

er modifi ed silica can improve the tough rubber compound. have to calculate the CO2 emis- performance of epoxidised natural Carried out as part of a Japa- sions and fuel consumption of rubber compounds. nese-government backed R&D new vehicles they produce for the Depending on the specifi c programme, the work has includ- EU market using the new Vehicle modifi cation of the silica, it can ed multi-faceted analyses for frac- Energy Consumption Calculation greatly improve properties such ture mechanisms to develop a new Tool (VECTO). Anadón will also examine proposed new EU regulations on the labelling of tires as well as a new Paper chase European type-approval legislative framework. Papers that also catch the eye on the TTE wski, product manager, Continental – The current standardised test conference programme include: ContiTech procedures to determine tire roll- • New TCF dipping – a unique offer, Dr • Mould, bladder, tooling and press man- ing resistance allow a very accurate Thomas Kramer, head of expert reinforce- agement in smart manufacturing In- and comparable achievement of re- ments and skim compounds, Continental dustry 4.0, Jos Uijlenbroek, VP, FineLine sults under laboratory conditions. Reifen Deutschland GmbH; and Dr Musta- Technologies, Data2 However, according to Dr Chris- fa Yasin Sen, project leader, Kordsa Global • Use of IIoT for smarter extrusion ma- tian Bachmann, senior manager • Industrialisation of formaldehyde-free chinery – an edge computing approach, tire technology at FKA, similar to dip system for textile cords, Delphine Fl- Rajkumar RB, senior executive – machine fuel consumption tests of vehicles eury, material designer, Michelin; Quen- development, MRF Ltd in the lab and on real roads; the tin Faucret, Resicare initiative leader, • Compounds from latex mixing with an- tire test results differ from real us- Michelin isotropic fi llers for improved properties, age on a road. • Plasma deposition as an alternative to Prof Ulrich Giese, MD, German Institute In his presentation, Bachmann RFL treatment, Dr Wilma Dierkes, associ- of Rubber Technology will examine the issues and sug- ate professor, University of Twente • New concept for an alternative silica/ gest adjustments to the actual test • New insulation possibilities for ener- polymer coupling, Anke Blume, university procedures to increase the infor- gy-effi cient tire presses, Tomasz Janisze- professor, University of Twente. mation content and eventually achieve more realistic conclusions.

22 EUROPEAN RUBBER JOURNAL • January/February 2019

0016 18 20 21 & 22.indd 5 11/01/2019 14:55 TIRE TECH PREVIEW Step up to the platform Ahead of its participation in the TTE expo, VMI’s chief commercial ofﬁ cer Mike Norman urges companies to rethink how they upgrade machinery

any different forces eral practice of the industry is to are shaping the future assume that a machine will work of the tire industry, satisfactorily for a long period if from increasingly re- properly maintained – 20 years is strictive regulations typical – and then be replaced. andM growing use of thinner, light- This explains why it is quite er materials to digitalisation and common to see machines from developments around electric ve- different technology generations hicles and autonomous driving on the same factory fl oor, which technologies. cannot help in achieving consist- Concept will improve To cope with such potentially ency and optimal quality output. consistency and quality disruptive changes, a simple move But with tire manufacture be- many companies could make to- coming increasingly automated use of time and rethinking pro- day is to focus more on platforms and more dependent on updatea- cesses to make them simpler and and less on individual machines. ble components – such as cameras, more integrated. In the simplest terms, the plat- HMI, data, control systems etc – is Search for added value: There is form concept means investing in there now scope for a wider adop- a lot of untapped value within production systems that can tion of the platform approach? end-to-end processes, whereby tire be kept at or close to best Committing to platforms manufacturers could: practice standard at all that evolve naturally rather • Use production data for contin- times through targeted up- than investing only in stan- uous operational improvements, grades, extensions and ret- dalone machines requires a building more profi table relation- rofi tting. roadmap that avoids write- ships with automotive manufac- VMI has been committed to off of current investments turers and moving up the quality this strategy for nearly a and does not create oper- and price ladder decade now, ever since ational disruption along • Unlock the potential of control the launch of its orig- the way. systems to enable greater process in- inal MAXX tire build- Mike Norman Indeed, most tire man- tegration and continuous improve- ing machines, and we ufacturers could make ments in production effi ciency believe it offers real advantages to rapid steps towards a platform • Do better at managing the need tire companies of every kind. approach now, without unaccept- for more fl exible operations, in- ERJ EUROPEAN RUBBER JOURNAL•Reporting on the global rubber industry since 1884 The tire industry still does not able costs and with a positive ef- cluding smaller runs, greater varie- at generally think or act in this way, fect on their operational effi ciency ty in tire types and use of new ma- and there are good reasons why: and quality output. terials, while keeping costs fi rmly Developing an effective tire-build- To help in this process of under control. ing system represents a massive change, we have identifi ed a num- Change begins with mindsets R&D investment, and delivering ber of developments which the and attitudes. The tire industry is EXPO 2019 acceptable return on this invest- industry should prioritise as they conservative, and rightly so: peo- ment takes years of steady, effi - move towards a stronger focus on ple’s lives depend on the quality cient production. platforms. of what manufacturers do, so po- So, there is a well-established Service becomes a higher priori- tential changes must be rigorously pattern of capital investment in ty: The fi rst requirement is to have examined before adoption. standalone machines, with limit- a long-term service relationship Yet change is inevitable and we ed upgrade potential only. Gen- that provides the context for rapid believe that the platform approach updates and improvements. This is the logical place to start address- means that, for example, retrofi t- ing the challenges facing tire man- ting when improved components ufacturers. are available becomes a normal ac- Treating costly capital invest- tivity, factored into the relationship. ment as a platform that can be con- Focus on partnership: Machine tinuously updated and improved builders and tire manufacturers will ensure maximum ROI, help could collaborate at a deeper lev- deliver competitive advantage and el than is normal today in pursuit play a vital role in keeping the tire of improved commercial perfor- industry ready for the future. mance. In particular, suppliers and VMI’s presence at Tire Technolo- customers could jointly target im- gy 2019 will highlight the value of Increased reliance on automation proved outcomes, such as cutting long-term vision and commitment and updateable components out scrap, making more effi cient to the platform approach.

January/February 2019 • EUROPEAN RUBBER JOURNAL 23

0023.indd 1 11/01/2019 14:38 seals – automotive Proliferation and electrification Development work at two leading companies show how seals suppliers are adapting both to established and emerging automotive industry trends. Patrick Raleigh reports

hile embracing opportunities present- ed by electric vehicles (EVs), makers of automotive sealing productsW must continue to adapt to more established market shifts around parts-proliferation and materials selection. The latter trends are perhaps most obvious in body sealing parts, which, notes Wolfgang En- gel of Hutchinson Body Sealing Systems, have become highly specific to individual car models. As a consequence, there are few common parts for different vehicles and hardly any carry-over parts from previous car models, said Engel, who is based in Mon- targis, France. In a presentation at the DKT18 conference, Engel said that the number of car models in Europe had increased by 74% over the last 20 years, while average product lifecycle had dropped from 9.7 years to 5.6 years. As well as requiring more and different original and spare parts standardisation and materials selection key to meeting market demands to be produced and more product design work, the trend has also and flow simulation in every extru- years ago EPDM was the poly- meant more product launches sion plant and each extrusion line mer of choice for all body sealing with less time to recover ramp-up employs identical rubber-shaping parts, which were basically de- costs. and vulcanisation modules. signed to prevent ingress of water, Likewise, there are issues around dust and noise into the vehicle in- lower production volumes, shorter Rubber versus tPes terior. production cycles and investment Another issue concerns materials However, TPE-based alternatives payback times, the Hutchinson selection, due particularly to the have made in-roads into the mar- presenter continued. increasing opportunities to use ket. This, said Engel, is partly due To cope with such demands, thermoplastic elastomers (TPEs) to their better ageing properties, elastomer sealing manufacturers in automotive sealing applica- which mean surfaces are less af- need to standardise design soft- tions. fected by UV, cleaning agents and ware and process simulation soft- As Engel explained, only 20 other substances. ware across all plants, according to Engel. Tool designs, he added, should also be standardised to reduce development cost and time and equipment geared to produce a wide range parts in both high and low quantities. Hutchinson’s approach is, therefore, to have a standard global approach to its extrusion processes, in which up to six different materials can be incorporated in a single profile. For instance, said Engel, software is standardised for die design leading-edge development work at Hutchinson

24 EUROPEAN RUBBER JOURNAL • January/February 2019

0024 25 & 26.indd 1 11/01/2019 14:32 seals – automotive

monised with the US, standard UL 94, in which materials are giv- Proliferation and electrification Foldable gasket en a classification based on flame speed. Helped by aviation experts, at the Tillsonburg facility in Canada FST said it achieved the highest ‘V0’ classification, for one of its compounds. In the testing, the Put-in-place flame completely died out in ten gasket seconds. mounting pressure The ability of a seal to resist a fire over the desired timeframe not only depends on the material cho- sen for the component – it is also related to whether the seal is properly mounted. FST said it has, therefore, de- Overmoulded solution veloped sealing solutions that with washer completely preclude improper mounting, including by robots on high-volume production lines. Foldable design can eliminate production problems These include a ‘foldable seal’ design – fixed aluminium ele- Environmental regulations, he the cover and the housing. ments with a sealing profile on the noted, are another factor: the EPDM Ingress is, therefore, blocked by outer edge to provide stability and rubber vulcanisation process gener- a perimeter seal that ranges from integrated mounting points for

ates fumes, CO2 and VOC emissions two-and-a-half to five metres in the clips used to attach the seal at – as does demand for odour-free length, according to a statement the housing cover. parts. from the German company. The elements are connected to “Rubber replacement by TPEs Fire-safety is another vital con- one another using the continu- is ongoing and will continue into sideration, FST pointed out: the ous sealing profile, which exhibits the future,” said Engel. “Body seal- seal must resist flames over a rel- high flexibility and can compen- ing system suppliers must, there- atively long period, and help en- sate for small dimensional devia- fore, develop competence in TPE sure that any fire that those occur tions in the housing. design and processing.” does not spread. As the foldable seal is a complete “In-house TPE recipe develop- Battery seals for EVs undergo component and does not need to be ment and production will be fun- flame-spread tests similar to those assembled from separate elements, damental to staying competitive,” in use in the aviation industry, the Hutchinson expert empha- the company said. These are har- ➡ Continued on page 26 sised. iN BRieF Battery pack When it comes to vehicle electrifi- Hutchinson SA is targeting new expansion opportunities cation, Freudenberg Sealing Tech- both in Asia-Pacific and the nologies (FST) has been to the fore Americas regions, according to in recognising the need to adapt Olivier Blottiau, innovation to e-mobility trends in the auto- manager at its body sealing motive industry. systems unit. The French com- Among the latest examples, the pany, he said, also plans to add a new Fab House innovation Weinheim, Germany-based com- houses in China this year, to pany is working on new sealing add to those already estab- solutions for large lithium-ion lished in France and the US. batteries, which are helping to in- Automotive sealing specialist crease driving ranges of EVs. Kaco GmbH is consolidating Engineers at FST have developed its operations in Germany by several sealing systems for EV bat- combining production sites at teries – an application that is be- its Kirchardt HQ site. The relo- coming more critical as these units cation involves merging three increase both in terms of physical German production sites – trelleborg seals coated to reduce friction Heilbronn, Talheim and Kir- size and energy-density. chardt – into the newly ex- Every battery housing has a cov- panded manufacturing facilities tomer parts feed rate. Trelle- increases feed-rate and line-ef- er, so the entire battery need not and offices by early 2019. borg has, therefore, developed ficiency as parts can be in- be discarded if fairly small defects Seal-Glide Nano coating to re- stalled more easily and secure- On many assembly lines, over- duce the friction of O-rings and ly due to better separation of appear. No road-spray can be al- all speed is limited by the elas- other rubber components. This the seals. lowed through the gap between

January/February 2019 • EUROPEAN RUBBER JOURNAL 25

0024 25 & 26.indd 2 11/01/2019 14:32 seals – automotive

➡ Continued from page 25 up simulates the aerody- namic torsion that occurs the reliability of the installa- in actual driving, with slight INTERNATIONAL tion “rises dramatically”, ac- overpressure continually cording to the company. maintained inside the hous- UTECH EVENTS FST has also developed its ing to ensure detection of 100% Polyurethanes own endurance tests so it can any leaks. evaluate housing seals for “The entire test setup is in In All Corners of the World traction batteries and verify a climate chamber so the im- that their operation is prob- pact of the temperature can lem-free. be recorded, the company APRIL 10-12, 2019 The tests avoid the need also pointed out.” CENTRO to use real housings, as the “The electric car will pre- CITIBANAMEX size of these units makes vail,” said Paul Hailey, vice them hard to handle. In- president of the FST gasket MEXICO CITY 2019 stead, they use an hydrau- division. “But manufacturing CENTRO BANAMEX · MEXICO CITY · MEXICO UTECHLASAMERICAS.COM lic ram with a frequency of large batteries in high vol- up to 50 hertz to act on a umes is a major challenge for sealed test housing com- our customers. With our seal-

SUMMIT prising two halves. ing solutions, we are going to AUTOMOTIVE MATERIALS According to FST, the set- help them master this.” P LASTICS I RUBBER I POLYURETHANES A new conference for car makers and automotive suppliers 17-18 JUNE 2019 • INFINITY HOTEL, MUNICH AUTOMOTIVEMATERIALSSUMMIT.COM toyoda Gosei

SEPTEMBER 5-7, 2019 expands in China POLY WORLD TRADE CENTRE EXPO Japan: Toyoda Gosei Co. jointly with Dongfeng in GUANGZHOU Ltd (TG) is paying about central China. $7.1 million for a 60% stake With the acquisition, TG’s PUCHINA.EU in Hubei Rock Rubber and production network in China Seal Technology Co. Ltd to will expand to four locations strengthen its automotive – TG Star Light in northern MAY 19-21, 2020 parts business in China. China, Foshan TGR and Fu- RENAISSANCE Parent company Hubei Yue in southern China, and SCHAUMBURG Zhengao Automotive Acces- now Hubei Rock in central CONVENTION CENTER sories Co. will retain the re- China. 2020 CHICAGO maining 40% as a minority The official name of Hubei joint venture partner in Hu- Rock will change to Hubei UTECH-NORTH-AMERICA.COM bei Rock of Shiyan, China. Toyoda Gosei Zhengao Rub- Hubei Rock supplies both ber and Seal Technology Co. EPDM and thermoplastic Ltd. vulcanisate-based weather- It is TG’s second acqui- 2020 JULY 29-31, 2020 SHANGHAI EXHIBITION strips, mainly to Dongfeng sition of a Chinese weath- AND CONVENTION CENTER Motor Corp., which TG de- erstrips producer in 2018, scribes as one of China’s “big acquiring TG Star Light – for- three” auto makers. merly Tianjin Star Light Rub- SHANGHAI WORLD EXPO EXHIBITION AND CONVENTION CENTREPUCHINA.EU The company employs ber & Plastic Co. – in March. around 28 people at its At the time, TG said the 465,000-sq.-ft. facility and firm employed 994 people generated $11.8 million in with about $75 million in SPRING 2021 sales in fiscal 2017. sales for 2017. Its only man- MECC, MAASTRICHT The company also sup- ufacturing facility, based in NETHERLANDS plies to Dongfeng’s JV com- Tianjin, spans about 462,800 panies with Japanese and square feet. UTECHEUROPE.EU other foreign manufacturers, It produces EPDM weath- including Dongfeng Hon- erstrips for opening trims/ da Automobile Co. Ltd and doors and thermoplastic JOIN THE CONVERSATION: @UTECH_PU Dongfeng Peugeot-Citroen vulcanisate weatherstrips for #utecheurope #puchina #utechna #utechla Automobile Co. Ltd. glass-run systems to local WWW.UTECH-POLYURETHANE.COM A spokesman said that TG original equipment manufacturers on a tier 1 basis. BROUGHT TO YOU BY: received requests from auto makers, most notably Hon- Tianjin Star Light’s main da, to expand further into customers include Tianjin the region. Honda operates FAW Toyota Motor, Changan a manufacturing company Ford and Great Wall Motor.

26 EUROPEAN RUBBER JOURNAL • January/February 2019

0024 25 & 26.indd 3 11/01/2019 14:32 SEALS – Q&A Global and local strengths to meet 2019 challenges In this Q&A, Trelleborg Sealing Solutions’ business area president Peter Hahn discusses the company’s prospects for the year ahead

How would you summarise the markets for Trelleborg Sealing The growth Solutions products and services during 2018, and what is the out- that is taking place look for next year? and is expected Our year-end result will be public ‘ on 13 Feb, but we can conclude to continue in from our nine months report that January-October 2018 have been Asia demonstrates strong for Trelleborg Sealing Solu- tions. geo-economic We have had healthy growth in and geopolitical all major geographic regions, notably Asia, and in industries such shifts in power as automotive, aerospace and the general industry. eastwards As part of a publically listed PETER HAHN company we are unable to give an outlook for 2019 before it is com- municated from the group as a ’ whole (February). customers: investing in new tech- quest to extend the distance trav- nologies, machineries and human elled from one charge for electric Which factors will most infl uence capital, developing local markets vehicles. the direction of these markets in etc. 2019? With the focus on healthcare & Which materials and/or produc- The growth that is taking place medical, we have invested heavily tion technologies will be particu- and is expected to continue in into signifi cant technologies that larly important in the market next Asia demonstrates geo-economic will help accelerate our custom- year, and why? and geopolitical shifts in power ers’ performance over the coming We offer a very broad portfolio of eastwards. years. proprietary products and materi- The market outlook is, however, In addition in silicones, we ac- als, each of which is signifi cant to associated with greater uncertain- quired SSF in 2016, and we see this its specialised applications. ty than previously, with trade pol- expertise enhancing our current In addition to the above, we will icy decisions potentially having market offering in this specialist also be advancing our composites further consequences for global market sector. technology in aerospace following economic development. During 2018, we also signed an the acquisition of Automated Dy- At the same time Trelleborg’s lo- agreement to acquire Sil-Pro, a US- namics in 2017. cal presence and global reach pro- based company that specialises in We will also continue to devel- vides strength. We can leverage applications mainly for medical op solutions based on our unique our global strength and capabili- technology original equipment ‘lubrication management’ concept ties, while acting as a local partner manufacturers (OEMs). and enhance our offerings of ro- to our customers. The transaction, which has tary seals, amongst other innova- Trelleborg’s strategy is to reached the fi nal stages of com- tions. strengthen its position in attrac- pletion, will be a valuable comple- tive market segments. For Trelle- ment to our existing offering and Any other points? borg Sealing Solutions, additional will expand our product range in Looking at the year in perspective focus has been on healthcare & such areas as drug delivery and we also would like to highlight our medical, as well as e-mobility. surgical tools. new innovation centre in Germa- In 2018, we undertook an agile ny. This is a critical element in the What are Trelleborg Sealing Solu- development programme related business area’s global R&D net- tions’ main priorities for 2019 in to e-mobility sealing and in 2019, work and services such as our on- terms of enhancing its capabilities two new seals will be launched line tools, seals-shop and service to serve customers? that we expect to have a signif- offerings that are aimed to make it We are constantly working on icant impact on e-axle design, easier for customers to do business several levels to better serve our supporting our customers’ in their with us.

January/February 2019 • EUROPEAN RUBBER JOURNAL 27

0027.indd 1 11/01/2019 14:25 sIlIconE RubbER Testing times for silicones industry Issues around regulations, rising costs, supply shortages and specifications point to a difficult year ahead, reports Patrick Raleigh

uropean manufacturers of silicone rubber materials and products are facing stiff challenges on a number of fronts that look set to per- Esist throughout the year. Potentially, the biggest issue is the European Chemical Agency’s (ECHA) decision, last June, to add chemical intermediates D4, D5 and D6 to the REACH candidate list as substances of very high concern (SVHCs). D4 (octamethylcyclotetrasilox-

ane), D5 (decamethylcyclopen- Chemie AG Photo: Wacker tasiloxane) and D6 (dodecamethyl- cyclohexasiloxane) are used as body of scientific evidence, or fore, filed an action for annulment chemical intermediates in the pro- recognise already applicable and against ECHA’s decision with the duction of a wide range of silicone on-going regulatory activities. European Court of Justice. materials. “ECHA relied primarily on lab- There are no use restrictions on D4 was deemed to meet the oratory models and did not fully these substances anywhere else in REACH criteria for ‘persistent, bi- consider… newer and more accu- the world, concluded Germain. oaccumulative and toxic’ (PBT) rate real-world data that show that substances, and D5 and D6 the cri- siloxanes do not pose a risk to the Rising prices teria for very ‘persistent, very bio- environment,” said Germain. Compounders and processors, accumulative (vPvB)’ substances. “A robust weight of evidence meanwhile, continue to report In addition, D5 and D6 were evaluation, taking all relevant rising prices for silicone materials deemed PBT when they contain scientific evidence into account, and feedstock, with some players more than 0.1% D4 – though no would not have supported a con- expecting hikes in the region of exposure consideration is taken clusion of PBT/vPvB or SVHC list- 20-40% in 2019. into account for SVHC assessment. ing,” he added. The upward pressure on prices While SVHC candidate listing While the ECHA and EU member is linked to strong demand in the does not ban or restrict the use of state authorities could in theory remain markets for silicone rubber, D4, D5 and D6 or of silicone pol- verse this decision – faced with new including automotive, oil & gas ymers, it does trigger communica- scientific evidence – in practice, no and chemicals as well as supply tion and risk-management obliga- ‘SVHC reversal’ case has ever been shortages. tions. submitted under REACH. There is some light at the end As such, the European regulato- Industry group the Global Sili- of the tunnel on the supply front, ry move is seen as a threat to the cones Council and six individual with materials suppliers announc- continued use of silicone poly- silicone manufacturers have, there- ing capacity expansions to help mers in many important applications, including in the healthcare, technology and energy sectors. bs F 152 & bs F153 requirements The ECHA decision is “dispropor- Spec requirement Spec requirement tionate and unjustified,” believes Property Units BS F152:20006 Gd 60 BS F153:2006 Gd 60 Dr Pierre Germain, CES secretary Hardness IRHD 56-65 56-65 general at CES Silicones Europe – Density Mg/m3 documentation ± 0.05 documentation ± 0.05 sector group of European chemical Tensile strength MPa 5.5 min 4.8 min Elongation at break % 250 min 140 min industry association Cefic. Tear strength n/mm 15 min 10 min “The silicones industry strongly compression set % 25 max 15 max believes these substances do not exhibit PBT properties in real-life After heat ageing 336hr @ 200˚c environments,” said Germain, Hardness change IRHD -3 to +7 -3 to +5 who is also reconsile technical change in Ts % -20 max -20 max manager at the sector group. change in E@b % -30 max -30 max The decision, he insists, does not take full account of the whole source: clwyd compounders

28 EUROPEAN RUBBER JOURNAL • January/February 2019

0028 & 29.indd 1 11/01/2019 14:22 sIlIconE RubbER SILICONE RUBBER

ease pressure on customers. sibility study on a “world-scale” a percentage of their initial rating, Testing times for silicones industry In December, Wacker Chemie siloxane production plant as part said Pitchford. AG announced that it was invest- of a strategic investment in the As modern compounds offer ing €100 million to increase its intermediate. A decision on the much higher initial properties, it Issues around regulations, rising annual silicone-rubber production project will be made “sometime in is much harder for them to meet costs, supply shortages and capacity by 40 kilotonnes by 2021. 2019,” Zimmer told ERJ. the specifi cations for minimum The global programme includes In the UK, the company is up- drop-off in properties such as for specifications point to a difficult expansion projects at Wacker’s grading its silicones production tensile and elongation-to-break production sites in Burghausen, site in Barry, Wales. This includes under heat-ageing. year ahead, reports Patrick Raleigh Germany; Adrian, Michigan; and adding a new installation to de- According to Pitchford, “having Zhangjiagang, China, starting in velop and establish most effective an absolute minimum drop-off uropean manufacturers of 2019. technology (MET) for compound- rather than a percentage would silicone rubber materials The Munich, Germany-based ing high consistency rubber (HCR) allow compounders to use these and products are facing stiff company is also evaluating plans and fl uorosilicone rubber (FSR). superior grades.” challenges on a number of to add a solid silicone-rubber The new production cells in Bar- Post-curing can help newer sil- fronts that look set to per- production unit at its US site in ry, said Zimmer, will roughly add icone rubber compounds to pass Esist throughout the year. Charleston, Tennessee. 20% to Dow’s HCR solid rubber these tests, but this is time-con- Potentially, the biggest issue is According to Wacker, the capac- compounding capacity while add- suming. As she commented: “We the European Chemical Agency’s ity increases will “signifi cantly im- ing “even more” to its FSR capa- can do this to meet the specifi ca- (ECHA) decision, last June, to add prove” silicone-rubber availability bilities. The facility is expected to tions, but are out customers will- chemical intermediates D4, D5 in market sectors, such as the au- come online in mid-2019. ing to do that? Probably not.” and D6 to the REACH candidate tomotive, electronics and medical “That is strategic to us as we list as substances of very high con- industries. grow in the automotive industry. cern (SVHCs). Dow Chemical Co. has also We continue to see growth with We continue D4 (octamethylcyclotetrasilox- launched a series debottleneck- under-the-hood applications, tur- to see growth ane), D5 (decamethylcyclopen- Chemie AG Photo: Wacker ing and effi ciency improvement bocharger hoses, seals, etc,” the tasiloxane) and D6 (dodecamethyl- projects to increase capacity of its Dow offi cial said. with under-the- cyclohexasiloxane) are used as body of scientific evidence, or fore, filed an action for annulment siloxane manufacturing facilities Tokyo-based Shin-Etsu Chem- ‘ hood applications, chemical intermediates in the pro- recognise already applicable and against ECHA’s decision with the around the world. ical, last September, announced duction of a wide range of silicone on-going regulatory activities. European Court of Justice. plans to invest around €850 mil- turbocharger materials. “ECHA relied primarily on lab- There are no use restrictions on Global silicone rubber suppliers in lion over the next two-and-a-half hoses, seals, etc D4 was deemed to meet the oratory models and did not fully these substances anywhere else in 2016, as per analysis by Wacker. years in its silicones operations. REACH criteria for ‘persistent, bi- consider… newer and more accu- the world, concluded Germain. Silicone market 11.5bn The company will expand pro- CHARLIE ZIMMER, DOW oaccumulative and toxic’ (PBT) rate real-world data that show that duction capacity for silicone mon- substances, and D5 and D6 the cri- siloxanes do not pose a risk to the Rising prices omer and various types of silicone Others Wacker teria for very ‘persistent, very bio- environment,” said Germain. Compounders and processors, 13% fl uids, resins and rubber end prod- Another option is to stabilise Bluestar 17% ’ accumulative (vPvB)’ substances. “A robust weight of evidence meanwhile, continue to report 7% ucts at its main bases in Japan and compounds but, said the Clwyd Shin Etsu In addition, D5 and D6 were evaluation, taking all relevant rising prices for silicone materials 11% globally. Compounders presenter, “this is Dow Corning deemed PBT when they contain scientific evidence into account, and feedstock, with some players Momentive 35% still hard because they don’t have more than 0.1% D4 – though no would not have supported a con- expecting hikes in the region of 17% Out-dated standards to drop off that much to fail.” exposure consideration is taken clusion of PBT/vPvB or SVHC list- 20-40% in 2019. A more long-standing and in- While there is increasing de- into account for SVHC assessment. ing,” he added. The upward pressure on prices tractable problem for the silicone mand for using these new poly-

While SVHC candidate listing While the ECHA and EU member is linked to strong demand in the Silane/Siloxane backward integrated suppliers rubber industry was aired at a re- mers, uptake will continue to be does not ban or restrict the use of state authorities could in theory remain markets for silicone rubber, Wacker JV participants fully consolidated cent technical discussion meeting limited because of the specifi ca- D4, D5 and D6 or of silicone pol- verse this decision – faced with new including automotive, oil & gas Source: Wacker of the IoM3’s Rubber in Engineer- tions they are unable to meet. ymers, it does trigger communica- scientific evidence – in practice, no and chemicals as well as supply ing Group in London. “This is a huge shame for the in- tion and risk-management obliga- ‘SVHC reversal’ case has ever been shortages. This series of what Dow has de- At the event, on 14 Dec, Emma dustry because these higher [prop- tions. submitted under REACH. There is some light at the end scribed as “low capital intensity, Pitchford of Clwyd Compound- erties] should be welcomed,” con- As such, the European regulato- Industry group the Global Sili- of the tunnel on the supply front, high return” investments in its sili- ers explained the challenges of cluded Pitchford. ry move is seen as a threat to the cones Council and six individual with materials suppliers announc- cones business will help meet grow- meeting standards set by the aer- “We are looking to spread the continued use of silicone poly- silicone manufacturers have, there- ing capacity expansions to help ing demand and address the current ospace industry, which requires word and get people in the aer- mers in many important applica- market tightness. parts manufactured to the highest ospace sector and silicone pro- tions, including in the healthcare, Dow is also constructing a pro- standards seen in any sector. ducers working together to tackle technology and energy sectors. bs F 152 & bs F153 requirements duction plant for MQ silicone res- Typical requirements include tem- these challenges.” The ECHA decision is “dispropor- Spec requirement Spec requirement in – an intermediate for certain of perature resistance from -60°C to tionate and unjustified,” believes Property Units BS F152:20006 Gd 60 BS F153:2006 Gd 60 its silicone elastomers – at its site +230°C, resistance to aggressive fl u- Dr Pierre Germain, CES secretary Hardness IRHD 56-65 56-65 in Zhangjiagang, Jiangsu. This is ids and solvents, good weathering, This is a huge general at CES Silicones Europe – Density Mg/m3 documentation ± 0.05 documentation ± 0.05 expected online in 2021. low weight and fl ame resistance. shame for the sector group of European chemical Tensile strength MPa 5.5 min 4.8 min The company is also building a The main aerospace industry Elongation at break % 250 min 140 min industry association Cefic. facility for production of hydroxyl specifi cations BS F152 and BS industry because Tear strength n/mm 15 min 10 min “The silicones industry strongly functional siloxanes in Carrollton, F153 are based on fore-runners ‘ compression set % 25 max 15 max these higher believes these substances do not Kentucky. designed over 40 years ago and The US project is expected to geared around the then available exhibit PBT properties in real-life After heat ageing 336hr @ 200˚c [properties] should come on stream within two years, polymer technology. environments,” said Germain, Hardness change IRHD -3 to +7 -3 to +5 be welcomed who is also reconsile technical change in Ts % -20 max -20 max said Charlie Zimmer, global stra- This legacy has created chal- manager at the sector group. change in E@b % -30 max -30 max tegic marketing director, silicone lenges, particularly around re- EMMA PITCHFORD, The decision, he insists, does elastomers at Dow. quirements intended to ensure CLWYD COMPOUNDERS not take full account of the whole source: clwyd compounders Dow is also conducting a fea- retention of physical properties as ’ 28 EUROPEAN RUBBER JOURNAL • January/February 2019 January/February 2019 • EUROPEAN RUBBER JOURNAL 29

0028 & 29.indd 1 11/01/2019 14:22 0028 & 29.indd 2 11/01/2019 14:21 11-12 June 2019 www.tire-conferences.com Köln, Germany

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Sustainability represents the single most important issue facing tire manufacturers, suppliers and recyclers today. The Future Tire Conference 2019 will bring together international experts to Organised by discuss the many aspects of this critical issue.

Plan to join us in Köln, Germany at the Leonardo Royal Hotel Köln – Am Stadtwald 11-12 June, 2019 for two days of thought-provoking presentations on this critical topic.

• The European Sustainability Landscape, including the shift to electric vehicles and the impact on vehicle development • Sustainable Development and a Greener Supplier Chain, including responsible sourcing and supply Media Partners • New and Recycled Materials in Tire Sustainability, including advanced fillers, curing agents and additives, as well as new materials for sealing and efficiency • Issues and Developments in Tire Production, including recycling challenges and current regulatory issues and approaches • Lean and Green Factories and Processes, including building an efficient supply chain and waste disposal issues • Critical Topics for Future Tires, including retreading, carbon black, and building a sustainable workforce

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Untitled-2 1 10/01/2019 16:06 SUSTAINABILITY Breakthrough in NR platform dispute here appears to have been ager, TIP, WBCSD. NGOs, academia and other non- a breakthrough in the dis- Part of structure proposed by value-chain stakeholders. pute between tire makers WBCSD Tire Industry Project. As one NGO stated: “Standards and NGOs over the gov- Committee activities will be over- have to be developed jointly and ernance structure of the seen by a general assembly of the agreed mutually for the rubber TGlobal Platform for Sustainable membership community. industry to genuinely address its Natural Rubber (GPSNR). Stakeholders are continuing to serious impacts on local commu- The initiative was formally meet to fi nalise operational de- nities and the environment in the launched 25 Oct by the World tails, including that of governance tropics.” Business Council for Sustainable ahead of the ‘operational launch’ But now after months of dis- Development’s (WBCSD) Tire In- of the platform in March 2019, pute, a deal has been brokered by dustry Project (TIP). Whitmore added in a written an independent facilitator during As an ‘independent’ body, GPSNR statement to ERJ. a late-November ‘workshop’ in aims to drive up the socio-econom- Geneva, according to a spokes- ic and environmental performance Meaningful change woman for Mighty Earthy. of the NR value-chain. “All natural rubber stakeholder Arising from this was a new Formation of the platform was groups will have a vote and vot- draft governance structure for the led by a working group of TIP ing-weight will refl ect stakeholder GPSNR, Liviya James of the envi- member companies: Bridgestone, ownership, expertise and capacity ronmental campaign group said in Continental, Cooper Tire & Rub- to implement meaningful change,” a written statement to ERJ. ber, Goodyear, Hankook, Kumho, he added. “TIP is looking to the “This gives NGOs an equal seat at Michelin, Pirelli, Sumitomo Rub- GPSNR to achieve real change in the table of the key decision-mak- ber, Toyo Tire & Rubber and Yoko- the natural rubber supply chain. ing body… and divides voting hama Rubber. “The experience of other plat- rights more equitably within the A number of NGOs – Mighty forms has demonstrated success is general assembly,” James reported. Earth, WWF, Global Witness, best achieved where voting weight “Although nothing is fi nalised Birdlife, Rainforest Alliance, FSC refl ects stakeholder ownership, ex- yet, and there are still issues to be and ProForest – have also been in- pertise and capacity to implement resolved, we are greatly encour- volved in discussions around the meaningful change.” aged by the movement towards a set-up of the GPSNR. NGOs, however, have accused more progressive architecture for “The platform will be inde- the tire industry of having too the platform,” she added. pendently managed and is be- much control over the platform. Mighty Earth believes that this ing purposefully shaped through They have argued for a platform would ensure “a more solid foun- the collaboration of businesses voting-system, comprising 50% dation for the co-creation of highly and NGOs,” according to Gavin value-chain industry actors, and ambitious sustainability standards Whitmore, communication man- 50% small farmer representatives, for the natural rubber industry.”

GPSNR governance structure initially proposed by tire industry

January/February 2019 • EUROPEAN RUBBER JOURNAL 31

0031.indd 1 11/01/2019 14:13 sustainability Recycled carbon black makers rejig for 2019

Manufacturers of recycled carbon black ring the changes to strengthen footholds in this emerging market

he recycled carbon black place Bernhard Meder, who had the new recycling plant will be in (rCB) sector begins the assumed the role on an interim the form of a JV unit to be built year in a considerable state basis following Raeder’s departure at 1501 College Avenue, Niagara of flux with a series of busi- (See P15). Falls, New York. ness developments and Pyrolyx said it would complete Things seem more settled at boardroomt changes among major the construction of its Terre Haute Dutch company Black Bear, which players. plant by May next year, with rCB has appointed Geert Glimmerveen Germany-based Pyrolyx AG will production due to start there soon as its new chief financial officer for be hoping for an end to months of after. the next phase of its growth. turmoil, which have seen the de- The US is also a target for Scan- Glimmerveen has held senior parture of chairman and founder dinavian Enviro Systems AB (En- roles at McKinsey & Co., DAF Niels Raeder and contract-termi- viro), which has unveiled plans Trucks, energy company Eneco nation of its chief financial officer to set up at least two joint venture and private equity firm Egeria. Sven Eric Molzahn. businesses in the country. Most recently, he was the MD of The management changes were Gothenburg, Sweden-based En- Dutch waste management compa- announced along with moves to viro, on 12 Dec announced an ny Van Gansewinkel. close the company’s HQ in Mu- memorandum of understanding The appointment, announced 27 nich and transfer functions to the (MoU) with EE-TDF Cleveland LLC Nov, follows Black Bear’s €16-mil- US, where Pyrolyx expects to gen- to build a 30-kilotonnes-per-an- lion funding round which was erate most future business. num (ktpa) plant to produce rCB completed earlier in November. Raeder started Pyrolyx in 2008 from end-of-life tires. and led expansions, such as its ma- The joint venture plant will be scale up jority takeover of US tire-pyrolysis located at the US tire waste man- The company now aims to scale firm ReKlaim Inc. and a project to agement company’s site in Texas, up its “tire to carbon black” tech- build the world’s biggest rCB plant with future facilities envisaged for nology, which employs a “unique” in Terre Haute, Indiana. Louisiana and Oklahoma. carbonisation process to produce In December, the company “Our ambition is to sign a bind- rCB from end-of-life tires. named Michael Triguboff as its ing agreement over the next three Black Bear currently operates an new chief executive officer, to re- months and then commence our industrial-scale prototype plant in first plant project in second quar- partnership with Kargro, a Europe- ter 2019,” said Thomas Sörensson, an tire recycler. CEO of Enviro. The plant, located in Neder- “In the future, Enviro will be pri- weert, The Netherlands, can pro- oritising plants with full or joint cess more than 1 million tires ownership,” said Sörensson, adding annually, and the rCB produced is that Enviro had extended an MoU already used by AkzoNobel among witt Treadcraft Ltd to build a 30ktpa other customers. tire recycling plant for the Canadi- Additionally, the funds raised an firm in Buffalo, New York. will go towards “international Based on the MoU signed last growth” of the business, according June, construction was expected to Black Bear. to start on the plant by the end “As we scale and roll-out inter- of 2018, but the two companies nationally, we need to make sure extended the MoU by another six we also build a strong organisa- months on 28 Dec. tion to support this,” said Martijn applications for rCb materials Source: Black Bear The two firms also agreed that Lopes Cardozo, CEO of Black Bear.

32 EUROPEAN RUBBER JOURNAL • January/February 2019

0032.indd 1 11/01/2019 14:11 SUSTAINABILITY Back on the road again Process additive enables scrap tire rubber to reduce cracking and potholes in road surface s

process additive made by Evonik Industries is being used to turn scrap tires into a modern construction material for Eu- Aropean roads. The Vestenamer-braned product is helping to improve the quality and durability of roads, thereby avoiding ruts and cracks and reducing maintenance costs. According to Evonik, the poly- and potholes in the road surface, incinerating the tires, octenamer-based additive makes which in turn extends road service they have another life it feasible to process rubber pow- life,” he explained. stage… in the form of an der from scrap tires to generate as- elastomer or rubber pow- phalt with rubber content. Noise reduction der in the road surface.” The recycled material is mixed Another benefi t is that the rubber Furthermore, Evonik said emis- into road construction bitumen powder can be used in porous as- sions of volatile and semi-volatile or asphalt to improve the quality phalt – that cuts down on traffi c compounds, including hydrocar- of the mixtures and to extend the noise: larger shares of rubber pow- bons and sulphur compounds, are service life of road surfaces. der in road surfaces can reduce much lower in road surfaces con- The market for elastomer-mod- traffi c noise by half. taining rubber than in conven- ifi ed road surfaces has been grow- “Reusing recycled tires secures tional, polymer-modifi ed asphalt ing in Europe over recent years, valuable resources,” adds Thomas types. said Frank Lindner, senior busi- Engenhorst, sustainability strategy Evonik also claims that its pro- ness manager for Vestenamer. manager in Evonik’s resource effi - cess additive reduces the migra- “The positive properties are ciency segment. tion of organic compounds that obvious since the material sig- This use, he said, “eliminates are washed out by rain and reach nifi cantly reduces cracking, ruts the disposal question: Instead of the groundwater. Covestro rolls out

CO2 hockey pitch Covestro is claiming a world- to 20% of crude oil resources to be

ﬁ rst with the use of its polyu- replaced by CO2. rethane (PU) material incorpo- Covestro produces the polyols

rating a CO2-derived polyol in a at its Dormagen site near Cologne,

sports-fl ooring application. using CO2 produced as a by-prod- Polytan of Burgheim, Bavaria is uct by a neighbouring chemical employing the PU material as a company. binder for rubber granulate-based The polymer supplier has pre- subfl ooring at the Crefelder Hock- viously started marketing the ey and Tennis Club. ‘cardyon’ branded material for use The subfl oor has been laid on a in fl exible PU foam for mattresses 99x59-metre playing fi eld to cush- and upholstered furniture.

ion a new synthetic turf pitch at “The use of CO2 as a new raw the Krefeld, western Germany material is a promising approach venue, which hosts international for making production in the

hockey matches. chemical and plastics industries Covestro. “This way, we use CO2 Compared to conventional ma- more sustainable,” according to in a closed-loop process and save terials, the PU is said to enable up Dr. Markus Steilemann, CEO of oil.”

January/February 2019 • EUROPEAN RUBBER JOURNAL 33

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Untitled-2 1 09/01/2019 08:36 AMS-FullPg-ERJ.indd 1 1/6/19 10:14 AM sustainability Pastures new Hanover-based tire maker advances project to commercialise dandelion rubber

ontinental has official- tional cross-breeding can deliver ly opened a €35-million a range of dandelions with “suf- facility for research into ficient” net rubber content – cur- the development of Rus- rently around 15%. sian dandelion plants as a However, according to Conti, sourceC of natural rubber (NR). the project team has still to bridge The laboratory at the 30,000m² many other knowledge-gaps, such base at Anklam, in a rural part of as those around fertiliser and wa- north east Germany, is dedicated ter requirements as well as plant to the study of farming and extrac- protection. tion methods. Likewise, optimal cultivation The facility is expected to have and harvesting conditions need to 20 employees. most with back- be determined and specialised ma- grounds in agricultural sciences, chines developed for harvesting bio-chemistry and production dandelion seeds. technology. “Since 2011, with our partners Their task will be to help Con- we have confirmed that it is real- tinental meet its stated goal to istic to realise enough rubber-con- achieve “serial production” with tent in this [Russian dandelion] farmers and build experiences of its Taraxagum-branded dandelion plant,” said Nikolai Setzer, Conti growing the Russian dandelion in rubber by around 2030. board executive and head of its different soils.” Continental has previously Tire division. One part of this is to get plant showcased car and truck tires with “The quality of that rubber is ab- varieties that can cope with differ- Taraxagum, though this target solutely the same as the NR from ent conditions, another is to ex- timescale for industrialisation is the hevea tree,” Setzer added in an tract them: “If you have too large a about five years later than initially interview with ERJ at the opening plant, it can be difficult to extract it forecast. of the Anklam facility. from the soil,” Setzer pointed out. But developing dandelions with Overall the main goal for the learning curve high enough content of rubber in project partners is to achieve yields This likely reflects the steep learn- their roots is just a starting point that are comparable with those of ing-curve for the Hanover-based – Setzer saying there is a “sweet- natural rubber tree plantations. tire and rubber parts maker in en- spot” to be found in terms of size “So you would need, roughly, a tering the worlds of crop science of flower, content of natural rub- yield of 1 tonne per hectare,” said and agriculture. ber and final yield. Setzer, adding that Conti’s ulti- Partnerships with the Fraunhofer “And we have to industrialise this mate aim is for dandelion rubber Institute for Molecular Biology and by farming, having the seeds, grow- to cover 10% of the company’s NR Applied Ecology IME, the Julius ing those seeds, extracting them,” requirement. Kühn-Institute and crop-breeding the Conti tire boss continued. “That firm ESKUSA have, though, helped is what we are doing here. smooth this transition. “It is one thing doing this on 1 The joint research work, they hectare under specific conditions, Crop circle say, has so far shown that conven- but we also have to work with At the launch event, Dr Fred Eickmeyer, business head of Eskusa GmbH, explained the time-con- suming and challenging nature of the research work at Anklam. For instance, he said that it can typically take nine months to grow a new plant-type for the research programme. Researchers must then an- alyse test results before moving on to the next stage in the development process. The Eskusa head also pointed out that enhancing one characteristic of the dandelion rubber plant can have a negative impact on others, such as how easy the plant is to get out of the soil. But communication between the various participants is perhaps the most important aspect of the project, Eickmeyer commenting: “It took about two years before we spoke the same language.” setzer (left) with local officials at the opening of the anklam facility

January/February 2019 • EUROPEAN RUBBER JOURNAL 35

0035.indd 1 11/01/2019 14:05 BUSINESS FOCUS Can top tire makers reverse share-price slide in 2019? LONDON: Leading tire makers will be under pres- Share price trend among major tire makers sure from investors in 2019 8 Jan 2018 2 Nov 2018 7 Jan 2019 7 Jan 2019/ 7 Jan 2019/ to reverse a slide that has 2 Nov 2018 8 Jan 2018 seen share prices decline by Bridgestone ¥5,398.0 ¥4,319.0 ¥4,245.0 -1.7% -21.4% around 20-30% since the (Tokyo) Goodyear start of last year. $33.13 $21.56 $21.00 -2.6% -36.6% Goodyear suffered the big- (NASDAQ) Michelin gest dip in its share price; 127.30 91.68 86.94 -5.2% -31.7% down 36.6% on the NASDAQ (Paris) Pirelli in the 12 months to 7 Jan – 7.82 6.38 5.62 -11.9% -28.1% (Borsa Italiano) though the rate of decline Sumitomo Rubber seems to have eased in the ¥2,005.5 ¥1,633.0 ¥1,584.0 -3.0% -21.0% (Tokyo) fi nal two months of 2018. This is not quite the case Source: Data from companies’ websites for Michelin’s share price, which has continued to Likewise, Pirelli and Noki- share prices still started 2019 cent rises in crude-oil related steadily lose ground since an (Nasdaq Helsinki; not in about 21% lower than a year costs. the company downgraded its table) both posted year-on- ago. These factors have cloud- full-year fi nancial forecasts in year falls of around 28% in As well as uncertainty in ed out the potential con- August. the value of their share pric- world fi nancial markets, the tribution to earnings of The French group has, es, as of early January. declines seem to refl ect: glob- investments in new technol- therefore, a big particularly While Japanese majors al economic slowdown, par- ogy, increasing regulatory big task on its hands to arrest Bridgestone and Sumitomo ticularly in China; increasing requirements and solid long- a fall of almost a third in its Rubber have fared better than competition from lower-cost term global tire-market fun- share price since early 2018. their Western rivals, their tire manufacturers; and re- damentals. Linglong boss highlights growing need for supplier partnerships ITALY: Linglong Tire chair- duction plants at home and man and president Wang three overseas – opened its Feng has signalled the need fi rst foreign-based factory in for greater cooperation and Chonburi, Thailand in 2014. partnerships to address the “With the development of “severe global political and the company’s globali- economic situation” impact- sation and overseas ing the tire market. manufacturing base, Addressing a 7 Dec meet- Linglong will need ing of strategic suppliers and its partners’ sup- distributors from around the port in global sta- world, Wang focused particu- ble supply and re- Wang Feng, inset, addresses suppliers at Turin seminar larly on Linglong’s plans to source-sharing,” the build a major tire manufac- company leader said at ing of its industrial struc- lish information-sharing and turing plant in Serbia. the meeting in Turin. ture, brand promotion and communication mechanisms In August, Linglong signed Wang hoped that the glob- global market share.” to jointly address market an agreement with the Serbi- al partners “could provide The Linglong boss went on challenges and improve mar- an government to build an more new products as well to highlight a need for a new ket competitiveness. €860-million facility in the as new technology for Lin- “model of cooperation which Wang concluded by saying Zrenjanin free trade zone glong’s research and develop- could improve product quali- that Linglong “would close- with capacity to produce ment efforts.” ty stability, production conti- ly follow the European mar- 13.62 million tires/year by The goal, he added, is to nuity and shorten the supply ket trend” and increase its 2025. “improve the company’s core cycle.” efforts in the development Linglong which is pursuing technology and key technol- Global partnerships, he of new products and new a “5+3” strategy – fi ve pro- ogies, promoting the upgrad- said, could also help estab- brands.

36 EUROPEAN RUBBER JOURNAL • January/February 2019

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For editorial submissions contact: Patrick raleigh Tel: +44 (0) 7714 137182 Email: [email protected] Subscribe Online At: To advertise in these features contact: Peter McNeil www.european-rubber-journal.com/subscribe/ Tel: +1 330 865 6109 Email: [email protected]

January/February 2019 • EUROPEAN RUBBER JOURNAL 37

ERJ January February 2019 0037.indd 1 09/01/2019 08:43 industry data uncertain environment weighs on tire demand in emerging markets

price trend ($/barrel) of brent crude rubber monthly price (us cents per pound) for the last five years spot over the last 12 months

SOURCE: wTRG ECONOMICS SOURCE: SICOM,THE SINGAPORE COMMODITY EXCHANGE

car tire markets around the world – november ’18 data new passenger car registrations in the european union (acea)

Market Europe including North South China November November %Chg Jan-Nov Jan-Nov %Chg Russia and CIS America America Country ’18 ’17 18/17 ’18 ’17 18/17 Original equipment -6% +0% -9% -14% Austria 23,604 29,547 -20.1 321,875 327,669 -1.8 Replacement -1% -3% -11% -3% Belgium 33,819 39,645 -14.7 526,435 518,486 +1.5 SOURCE: MICHELIN Bulgaria 2,768 3,082 -10.2 31,773 28,180 +12.8 truck tire markets around the world – november ’18 data Croatia 3,448 3,503 -1.6 57,511 48,388 +18.9 Cyprus 888 990 -10.3 12,281 12,367 -0.7 Market Europe including North South China Czech Republic 19,283 22,925 -15.9 246,771 251,628 -1.9 Russia and CIS America America Denmark 17,931 18,045 -0.6 204,650 205,273 -0.3 Original equipment -2% +32% +21% N/A Replacement -3% -2% -1% N/A Estonia 2,031 2,033 -0.1 24,274 23,031 +5.4 SOURCE: MICHELIN Finland 8,662 9,670 -10.4 114,335 110,518 +3.5 France 171,611 180,005 -4.7 2,008,091 1,917,376 +4.7 new passenger car registrations in november ’18 (acea) Germany 272,674 302,636 -9.9 3,198,720 3,187,312 +0.4 Greece 6,893 6,523 +5.7 98,094 82,687 +18.6 Hungary 11,373 12,369 -8.1 126,910 105,433 +20.4 Ireland 643 682 -5.7 125,415 131,173 -4.4 Italy 146,991 156,886 -6.3 1,785,722 1,849,656 -3.5 Latvia 1,341 1,278 +4.9 15,808 15,393 +2.7 Lithuania 2,841 2,425 +17.2 29,992 23,900 +25.5 Luxembourg 3,529 4,389 -19.6 50,196 49,931 +0.5 Netherlands 34,785 37,569 -7.4 423,938 396,941 +6.8 Poland 43,248 42,373 +2.1 486,499 438,341 +11.0 Portugal 15,466 17,626 -12.3 212,113 205,076 +3.4 SOURCE: ACEA Romania 8,303 9,311 -10.8 121,634 98,116 +24.0 Slovakia 8,323 8,275 +0.6 92,115 88,056 +4.6 european truck registrations november ’17-november ’18 Slovenia 5,192 6,292 -17.5 69,192 66,853 +3.5 Spain 91,063 104,170 -12.6 1,222,147 1,131,988 +8.0 Sweden 25,813 32,484 -20.5 330,729 344,435 -4.0 United Kingdom 158,639 163,541 -3.0 2,223,058 2,388,144 -6.9 European Union1 1,121,162 1,218,274 -8.0 14,160,278 14,046,351 +0.8 EU15 1,012,123 1,103,418 -8.3 12,845,518 12,846,665 -0.01 EU12 109,039 114,856 -5.1 1,314,760 1,199,686 +9.6 Iceland 722 1,027 -29.7 17,494 20,439 -14.4 Norway 12,313 13,743 -10.4 135,468 142,573 -5.0 Switzerland 24,103 26,749 -9.9 272,177 282,956 -3.8 EFTA 37,138 41,519 -10.6 425,139 445,968 -4.7 EU + EFTA 1,158,300 1,259,793 -8.1 14,585,417 14,492,319 +0.6 EU15 + EFTA 1,049,261 1,144,937 -8.4 13,270,657 13,292,633 -0.2

SOURCE: ACEA 1 DATA FOR MALTA N.A. SOURCE: NATIONAL AUTOMOBILE MANUFACTURERS’ ASSOCIATION

38 EUROPEAN RUBBER JOURNAL • January/February 2019

0038 data.indd 1 11/01/2019 13:51 postscript Year of the ‘s’-word Which topic will most encourage a spirit for change and innovation in our industry in 2019?

f I had to forecast what will be the main buzzword for the tire & rubber sector during 2019, it would have to be – yes, you’ve guessed it – ‘sustainability’. iFor manufacturers, this concept is essentially about meeting market needs in a way that has a neu- tral or beneficial impact on people and the environment. That this idea is now driving real changes in our industries can be seen, for instance, by Conti- nental’s drive to develop dandelion rubber {see p35). Working in innovative partnerships with crop scientists and farmers, Conti’s goal is to establish a home-grown alternative to rubber sourced from hevea tree plantations in the Far East. While still many years away from commercialisation, the in- retains a manufacturing base and However, the participation of itiative is today significant as an well-paid jobs will be created based NGOs, such as Mighty Earth, example of how traditional rubber on future technologies,” said Bob WWF and the Rainforest Alliance, manufacturers – not regulators – MacGregor, Unite regional indus- has been in doubt due to concerns can set the sustainability agenda. trial officer. about the degree of control re- Sustainability also covers im- But perhaps the most significant tained by the tire industry in the pacts on people and commu- sign of change concerns a collab- platform. nities, particularly those whose oration between tire makers and But as we report on p31, tire livelihoods are interlinked with NGOs in establishing the new makers are now close to agreeing the success or otherwise of major Global Platform for Sustainable a deal to give NGOs an equal role manufacturing sites. Natural Rubber (GPSNR). in the main decision-making body This issue was highlighted re- Set up by Bridgestone, Conti- and divide voting rights more eq- cently by Michelin’s decision to nental, Cooper Tire, Goodyear, uitably among stakeholders. shut its Dundee tire plant by mid- Hankook, Kumho, Michelin, Assuming the plan is agreed, 2020 with the loss of 845 jobs – a Pirelli, Sumitomo, Toyo and Yo- this willingness to share control huge blow for the Scottish town. kohama, GPSNR aims to drive up shows real commitment among However, under a pioneering sustainability standards through- tire companies to adopting highly deal with the Scottish govern- out the natural-rubber supply ambitious sustainability standards ment, the French tire maker has chain. across the industry. now agreed to work with local and national agencies and others to give the site a new lease of life. All going to plan, Michelin will Future Tire Conference 2019 have a role – unique for a tire The annual ERJ Future Tire Conference course, human well-being. maker – in transforming the site will, this year, run under the headline Addressing these issues will require into a location for manufacturing, theme: Can the tire industry set the agen- strategies based on openness and trans- remanufacturing, recycling and da for global sustainability? parency, that generate new levels low-carbon transport. The proposition is that tire of trust among consumers, regu- While regretting the jobs being makers and their equipment and lators and the general public. lost through the closure of the tire materials suppliers must strive to To be part of the top-level dis- plant, union officials have wel- set the sustainability agenda in cussions on the way forward for comed the joint plan to retain a all areas of activity. sustainability in the tire industry, significant manufacturing base in Topics covered will range from join the Future Tire Conference Dundee. recycling and use of natural-resourc- 2019, 11-12 June at the Leonardo Royal “There are some exciting pro- es to environmental protection and, of Hotel, Cologne, Germany. posals which will ensure the site

ERJ welcomes feedback and encourages the exchange of ideas and opinions, however controversial. If there is an issue you feel strongly about and would like to present it in Postscript please contact us on tel: +44 (0) 7714 137182, or email [email protected]

January/February 2019 • EUROPEAN RUBBER JOURNAL 39

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Untitled-2Untitled-1 11 09/01/20197/7/17 10:33 08:37 AM