Tire-Makers Claim Tire Abrasion Doesn’t Inflict Harm on Human Health
World-known tire-makers has carried out a series of tests to prove that micro-elements emerging from tire abrasion is safe for human health as well as for environment in general. Neither inhaling these elements from air nor their quantity in soil and water is dangerous for their level lies below toxicity line.
The so-called Tire Industry Project (TIP) gathered Bridgestone, Continental, Cooper, Goodyear, Hankook, Kumho, Michelin, Pirelli, Sumitomo, and Toyo automotive manufacturers to work under the idea of healthy environment. Its aim is to reveal and eliminate potential harmful influence of the materials used in tire production. The project runs under the auspices of the WBCSD while the TIP participants are in charge of 70 per cent of the world tire industry.
After the elements disposed into soil and water were tested the researchers dealt with air toxicity to find out that there’s no harm in inhaling tire abrasive elements. The results have also shown that tire wear doesn’t inflict harm on the environment for the concentration of micro-elements in soil and water is too low to become dangerous for human health.
The tests were carried out in the Seine river basin in France, in the Jodo basin in Japan as well as in Chipsake gulf in the USA.
The TIP participants are also looking forward to the use of nanotechnologies in tire production. It can partly solve ecological problems alongside with bringing benefit to end consumers. For instance, innovative nanomaterials can enhance modern passenger and truck vehicles’ fuel efficiency and hence reduce the amount of CO2 emissions into the atmosphere.
Moreover, the TIP community actively promotes new schemes of worn tire utilization and their recycling and further use.
Earthquake in Japan Stopped the Work of Yokohama and Falken Plants
The earthquake and tsunami that hit Japan not long time ago brought to a stop the work of Falken and Yokohama automotive plants situated on the territory of the country. The plants didn’t suffer that great losses, so the production will be partially resumed in the nearest time.
Yokohama also decided to donate 50 million yen (about 440,000 Euro) to various organizations that deal with aftereffects of the March flood. The company presents their condolences to families of the dead and hopes that the area will be restored soon.
T. Ikeuchi, Falken financial director made a statement that one of their plants ceased everyday production operations due to power cutoffs as well as partially damaged plant buildings and equipment. Now the company estimates the scale of damage and is going to do its best to start working as soon as possible. Mr Ikeuchi also stated that nobody of Sumitomo employees or the members of their families suffered from the disaster.
Falken expresses its gratitude for all the calls and e-mails and states that they work to ensure regular delivery of their production to the customers.
The German Continental company shows their sympathy with the Japanese and is going to donate 250,000 million Euro to help people from destroyed areas. They are concerned about their employees in Japan, so do Michelin, Bridgestone and Toyo companies. The latter didn’t suffer much from the tsunami; however, their plants didn’t work for some time due to power cutoff.
Pirelli Yielded to Hankook On The European Market?
Will Hankook push out Pirelli from the top five tire manufacturers of Europe?
The market research conducted by Hankook showed that the Michelin company remains an absolute leader on the tire market (both in segments of passenger and truck tires). At the same time a new player appeared in the previously stable top five – namely Hankook.
Why did Hankook decided to publish its research now, after one of the most difficult periods in the history of the market? It can be explained by the fact that 2009 was an extremely successful year for the Korean company. The peculiar combination of factors has changed the state of affairs during last 12 months. The major question now – will Hankook be able to retain its positions in Europe in the following years?
Here is the forecast of Hankook for the end of 2009 (passenger tires market): Michelin will remain the leader with the market stake of 20%, the second place goes to Goodyear Dunlop (18%), the third – to Bridgestone (12%), Pirelli has 8%. The most interesting fact here is that Hankook holds the 7th place with 7%. It means that its lagging behind Pirelli is not so big.
What concerns truck tires the first place again goes to Michelin (32%), the second place – Goodyear Dunlop (18%), Continental holds 16% of the market, Bridgestone – 13%. According to Hankook, it performs even better in this segment and holds the 5th place thus having overtaken Pirelli.
Since December has just begun the data can be regarded only as a forecast. At the same time Hankook gives 18% to other companies what means that its research is based on the analysis of the whole market. It also cannot be the result of companies that are members of ERMC Europool because the stake of Cooper and Trelleborg would be much higher in this case. Thus, there may be doubts regarding the correctness of the data in respect of sales volumes of Cooper, Kumho, GTRadial, Nexen, Nokian, Toyo, Yokohama etc. The rise of their stake will inevitably lead to the reduction of that of the five major companies. Anyway, only time can eliminate the doubts.
A review on Toyo M410 tires
A change to summer tires is a headache not only for the owners of sedans, hatchbacks and universals. SUV’s owner also have to care about changing tires too. From the very first look it seems to be quite easy – jeep is simply a jeep anyway. But, it turns out to invent a tire for a SUV in many ways is even more difficult than for the other cars.
It could not be done without science. Let us seek for example from the Japanese. Dynamic Simulation Optimized Contour Theory technology Dr. Ken Isihara of Toyo company has developed more than ten years ago and in 1992 it received the grand prize by the American Association of tires The Tire Society. Then DSOC II took the place of DSOK, which in 2001-m has been updated and expanded by the T-mode technology.
Immediately after the introduction of new developments in industrial production a preparation began to produce a new tire, including a tire for SUVs. New tires were distinguished by softness, high levels of comfort, ability to be driven at high speeds and excellent handling, especially on bends.
The first tires for the jeep made on DSOC technology - Tranpath SU - appeared in 1997. The SU letters (Sport Utility) suggest that the model is designed for urban-type jeep. TASU, as the abbreviated name of novelty, had to taste the owners of large SUVs. Aggressive jeep pattern showed that the tire is not afraid of off-road at all. However its benefits could be tested on a highway too, where it has good adhesion to the road at a very low level of acoustic noise. The Japanese car companies Daihatsu, Mazda and Nissan immediately drew attention to the new tires, and soon they began to use them for their brand’s SUV’s.
Awhile, on the off-road tire market appeared another tire prepared by Toyo - M 410. It differs from a predecessor with a more “concentrated” tread pattern to ensure its excellent resistance to bending and high wear resistance. Good self-refing and advanced water-removing network made the tire indispensable while driving on a wet road. This model has shown wonderful manageability and accelerating, braking performance and powerful diamond and square pieces has ensured a good cross for a car. Again, as in the case of TASU tires, M 410 immediately became a leader in the class of tires for large SUVs.
Technology DSOC II is used by Toyo for nearly a decade, and each new development of Japanese tire company says that the ability of this technology is far from being exhausted.
