Business
Rubber Asia
EVS: What's In Store For Rubber Auto Components?
Evs are going to rule our roads sooner or later. The crucial question here is: How far will this affect the rubber auto components sector? Though there are no clear estimations of the impact of EVs on the auto components industry, indications are that innovative and light-weight rubber and plastic components will have immense scope in the EV era.
4 min |
November-December 2019
Rubber Asia
TECHNOLOGY IS DISRUPTING TRUCK TIRE MAINTENANCE
Companies that adopt disruptive technologies like Cloud-based, TPMS 2.0 systems position themselves to be extremely successful in a fastchanging and highly-competitive environment by utilizing the data and visibility this technology provides to optimize tire performance and maintenance and expedite operations.
5 min |
November-December 2019
Rubber Asia
SLOWDOWN HAS NO IMPACT ON AUTO RUBBER COMPONENT INDUSTRY
FROST & SULLIVAN EXECUTIVES
4 min |
November-December 2019
Rubber Asia
PROVIDING SOLUTIONS TO GLOBAL RUBBER COMPOUND REQUIREMENTS WITH STATE OF THE ART MIXING FACILITY: MR. ADITYA GUPTA, CEO, GB GUMMI LLP
GB Group has been a leading innovator, manufacturer and supplier of rubber molded, rubber to metal bonded and sealing products for automotive and industrial applications for over three decades. With experience and foresight of more than 37 years with GB rubber products, GB Gummi LLP is a strategical move of entering into the rubber compounding business with its expertise in the manufacturing of rubber products, realizing the growing demand for the high-quality rubber compound. In an interview with Rubber Asia, Aditya Gupta, CEO of the company, says that GB Gummi LLP is poised to make significant strides in the global rubber compounding market. According to him, the company will closely monitor the current and future demands of the automotive industry. “As far as compounding is concerned, we are future-ready in terms of recipes and production capabilities for any form of industry,” he adds. EXCERPTS:
6 min |
November-December 2019
Rubber Asia
INDIAN NR MARkET GETS A BREATHER
After the recent spell of poor prices mainly on account of growing imports and lower international prices, the Indian natural rubber market is witnessing a resurgence of late. The trend is attributed to the slump in production in the major NR producing countries like Thailand and Indonesia due to widespread fungal infection in rubber trees. Against this backdrop, indications are that domestic prices are all set to bounce.
5 min |
November-December 2019
Rubber Asia
HOW OLD IS TOO OLD?
Following the UK proposal for a ban on heavy duty tyres over 10 years of age and the possible extension of this to tyres used on taxis as well, most new tyre manufacturers are more cautious of setting an age limit on the use of their products than stressing the importance of regular checking and good maintenance.
6 min |
November-December 2019
Rubber Asia
FOR WIDENING SKILLING REACH RSDC & NSKFDC JOIN HANDS
Continuing with its drive to extend the benefits of skilling to the lowest strata of society, RSDC has tied up with National Safai Karamcharis Finance And Development Corporation (NSKFDC), a Government of India undertaking.
1 min |
November-December 2019
Rubber Asia
EFFICIENCIES & SURVIVAL
What other low hanging fruit is available to the modern transport operator that compares with the savings that can be generated by real time monitoring of tyres? Give the humble tyre that supports the loads you impose the only thing it requires to perform for your gain -- the appropriate level of inflation. It is only air, it costs little and provides far greater returns than any other “improvement”
4 min |
November-December 2019
Rubber Asia
BATTLE RAGING AGAINST PART-WORNS IN EUROPE
Recently organisations around Europe have stepped up their ongoing campaigns against the continued totally illegal and irresponsible practice of promoting and selling part-worn tyres
3 min |
November-December 2019
Rubber Asia
APOLLO TYRES JOINS WITH GARC FOR FIRST TYRE TEST TRACK IN INDIA
This test track will be used for testing wet grip of tyres as per standard specifications
2 min |
November-December 2019
Rubber Asia
US RUBBER INDUSTRY ON FORWARD MARCH
The US rubber industry, boasting a commendable legacy spanning over a century, comprises a variety of sectors such as tyre, tyre retreading, synthetic rubber, rubber chemicals, speciality rubbers, rubber latex medical devices etc. The region, still continuing to be a major force in terms of rubber and tyre consumption, is on a forward march despite ups and downs. The ongoing trade war between the US and China is posing a major challenge for the US rubber industry of late.
7 min |
September - October 2019
Rubber Asia
TOUGH TIMES AHEAD FOR THE US RUBBER INDUSTRY
The US rubber industry, which has been recording a robust growth all these years, is in for tough times ahead on account of lower auto sales, higher imports due to strong dollar and lower rubber price. This may lead to stagnation in the U.S. rubber industry for a foreseeable future, says the writer, our US columnist
3 min |
September - October 2019
Rubber Asia
SUBDUED GROWTH FOR TYRE MAJORS IN FY20
Weak demand for vehicles on account of aggravating financial crunch reflecting heavily on the tyre industry has its tell-tale impacts on the performance of Indian tyre majors. In fact, the Indian auto industry has been suffering from falling vehicle sales from third quarter of last fiscal. The first four months of FY20, has also been disappointing for the industry
4 min |
September - October 2019
Rubber Asia
MALAYA RUBTECH INDUSTRIES -TO NEW HEIGHTS WITH RADICAL NEW-GEN IDEAS
Founded in the year 1988, the renowned MALAYA GROUP, famed for its unique, unblemished quality of TSR (ISNR) grades and various grades of RSS, is steadily scaling new heights with big expansion and diversification plans by incorporating groundbreaking innovative New-Gen ideas
10 min |
September - October 2019
Rubber Asia
HAPPY TEAM, HAPPY CUSTOMERS, PROSPEROUS COMPANY
Founded in 1992, Tire Group International LLC is the world’s leading supplier of premium-quality tyres and tubes having a global business presence. With a vast inventory and access to millions of tyres worldwide, the company is ready for direct shipments to any destination. In this exclusive article for Rubber Asia, the writer with a rich experience in leadership and management, talks about what makes an enterprise a success
5 min |
September - October 2019
Rubber Asia
NR Demand Will Grow
Natural rubber (NR) has its own domineering position in the industry owing to the superior technical performance of this natural elastomer over the synthetic counterpart and its demand will continue to grow aligned with growth of the tyre and vehicle industry, says Dr Lekshmi Nair, Head of Economics & Statistics of the Singapore-based International Rubber Study Group (IRSG). In an exclusive interview to Rubber Asia, she talks at length about the present challenges of the global NR industry in the context of the steep downturn in NR prices and about what is in store for this vital agro-industrial raw material in the days to come. EXCERPTS:
4 min |
January 2017 IRE Issue
Rubber Asia
Overcapacity Biggest Challenge for SR
The synthetic rubber (SR) industry, like any other industry, has some challenges and drivers that have significant influence on its growth and performance. Some of these may be transient, but some are durable. The on going situation of overcapacity has been the biggest challenge facing the SR industry for the past three years.
8 min |
January 2017 IRE Issue
Rubber Asia
Weekly Once Tapping Should Benefit Grower & Tapper
A system under which the grower gets the benefit of reduced cost and the tapper gets engagement throughout the week without losing any income has to be evolved for the successful implementation of the Rubber Board’s weekly once tapping system
3 min |
September - October 2016
Rubber Asia
We'll Emerge as a Global Sr Brand
The formation of ARLANXEO, a joint venture of two industry giants LANXESS and Saudi Aramco -- is a landmark development in the global synthetic rubber business. In an interview to Rubber Asia, Jan Paul de Vries, Chief Executive Officer of ARLANXEO, explains the factors that led to the formation of the new JV, how it will leverage the combined strengths of the two partners to enhance their competitive edge in the global market and how it will benefit the customers. He points out that the current market environment with over-capacities and price pressure is a major challenge for the SR industry and asserts that ARLANXEO is well-prepared to face this challenge and position itself as a fully integrated major player in the synthetic rubber industry.
6 min |
September - October 2016
Rubber Asia
Bane of Cyclical Prices
Natural rubber contributed almost 45% to the agricultural GDP of Kerala, which accounts for 90% of India’s Nr output. the state’s rubber plantation sector has over one million growers and half a million workers. It is the only source of livelihood for nearly 1.5 million families. Now this sector is facing peril, says Dr KJ Joseph, professor at the trivandrum (Kerala)-based centre for Development studies (CDS)
7 min |
September - October 2016
Rubber Asia
NR Market To Be Balanced In Medium Term - Salvatore Pinizzotto, Secretary General, IRSG
Global natural rubber market is going through a dull patch of late with no signs of an imminent boom. Natural rubber, being both an agricultural crop and industrial raw material, its demand primarily relies on GDP and industrial production growth, and on supply side, certainly as agricultural commodity, it has a lot to do with planting investments that were committed 5-7 years ago and the weather-induced volatility that drives price actions, says Salvatore Pinnizzotto, Secretary General, International Rubber Study Group (IRSG). In an interview to Rubber Asia, Pinnizzotto touches upon the global NR scenario and sustainability issues in detail. According to him, NR market is likely to remain more or less balanced in the medium term. Excerpts:
6 min |
September - October 2017
Rubber Asia
GST Is Beneficial To All Sectors Of Transport And Logistics - Satish Sharma President - APMEA - Apollo Tyres
The new GST regime will prove beneficial to all the sectors associated with transport and logistics, including the tyre industry. Apart from making the supply chain more efficient, the logistic industry would be able to better utilise their assets enabling them to offer better freight charges, says Satish Sharma, President, Asia Pacific, Middle East & Africa (APMEA), Apollo Tyres Ltd & Chairman, Automotive Tyre Manufacturers’ Association (ATMA).
1 min |
September - October 2017
Rubber Asia
Indian Tyre Industry Welcomes GST - Rajiv Budhraja, Director General, ATMA
The tyre industry has been supportive of all progressive laws aimed at promoting ease of doing business, bringing in transparency and operational efficiencies, and since GST is understood to achieve all these objectives, the domestic tyre industry largely welcomes it despite some minor discrepancies and skepticism regarding paperwork, says Rajiv Budhraja, Director General, Automotive Tyre Manufacturers Association (ATMA), in a brief interview to Rubber Asia. EXCERPTS:
2 min |
September - October 2017
Rubber Asia
Rubber Park, Kerala - A Success Story
It was way back in 2003, India’s first Rubber Park, located ideally in the country’s Rubber State of Kerala, started production. Today, the Park, fully occupied by 35 units, is functioning quite well under the patronage and support of Rubber Board, India, and the Kerala Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation (KINFRA), the JV partners. The success of this pioneering venture was the motivating force behind the setting up of the country’s second Rubber Park in the Northeastern State of Tripura. A few more Rubber Parks are also in the pipeline.
4 min |
September - October 2017
Rubber Asia
J J Murphy Research Centre: R&Tech Services At Its Best
J J Murphy Research Centre: R&Tech Services At Its Best
3 min |
September - October 2017
Rubber Asia
Apollo Can Grow More In Europe
As part of a bid to expand global presence, the Indian tyre giant, Apollo Tyres Ltd., is currently concentrating more and more on Europe as well as other geographies. At present, Apollo is fast moving ahead with the construction of a Greenfield facility in Hungary which would be rolling out tyres within 2 months. In an exclusive interview to Rubber Asia at a time when the formal inauguration of the new Greenfield facility is scheduled for early April 2017, Apollo Vice Chairman & MD Neeraj Kanwar shares some of the key facts about the upcoming company such as the multiple factors for choosing Hungary to set up the facility, the initial investment, the most advanced machinery and updated manufacturing technology of the plant and its other unique features. He also explains Apollo’s efforts towards enhancing its global marketing operations and its latest R&D activities across the world. According to Neeraj, while Apollo is confident of further growth in Europe, the company will invest upwards of Rs 35,000 million in India towards adding capacity and setting up a new manufacturing unit. Excerpts:
4 min |
March-April-2017
Rubber Asia
It's Interesting Times For Tyre Recycling Industry
Mike Hinsey, International Vice President, Granutech Saturn Systems, USA, a leading industrial recycling systems manufacturer, is widely considered to be a legend in the tyre recycling industry. He has been with Granutech for 33 long years and has been instrumental in taking the company to the world’s Top 3 position. Among the awards and accolades won by him include the coveted award from the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries Inc. (ISRI), USA, the largest recycling association in the world, for his outstanding contribution to the recycling industry. In an interview to Rubber Asia on the sidelines of India Rubber Expo (IRE) 2017 in Chennai, he explains the high points of his 33-yearlong association with Granutech and shares his views on wide-ranging issues such as the current status and future prospects of tyre recycling industry, the problem of mounting tyre wastes, recent innovations/improvements made in tyre recycling technology etc. He says that the new developments in processing and product applications augur well for the industry, which continues on a path to produce finer and finer powder, find opportunities to blend rubber with plastics, and expand other traditional granulate markets. He feels that India is a unique case where demand for rubber granulate exceeds supply of scrap tyres and the scrap tyres have a value where processors are paying to receive the tyres. Excerpts from the interview:
6 min |
March-April-2017
Rubber Asia
Iran Tyre Industry On Revival Track
There is a cautious optimism on the economic horizon of Iran which is gearing up to emerge as a powerful economy in the Middle East following the progressive lifting of sanctions since January 2017. The Iranian tyre industry is also now looking forward to fresh investments, technology collaborations and joint ventures in a bid to reviving, modernising and expanding the industry. Yes, these are challenging times for the tyre industry in Iran, especially as uncertainty prevails in the country’s relations with the US.
10+ min |
March-April-2017
Rubber Asia
Malaysia For Model Sustainable Rubber Industry - Dr Zairossani Bin Mohd Nor, Director General, MRB
The Malaysian Rubber Board (MRB), the powerful arm of the Malaysian Rubber Industry, is currently engaged in a concerted effort to make the domestic rubber industry self-sustainable amid challenges aplenty such as steep fall in prices, labour shortage, climate change etc. In an exclusive interview to Rubber Asia, Dr Zairossani bin Mohd Nor, the new Director General of the MRB and a world-renowned rubber scientist, says that the Board has come up with a series of innovations as well as plans to consolidate smallholdings, project environmental sustainability and unite the industry together through a self-sustainable rubber industry. The ultimate goal of MRB is to produce high-value jobs and increase revenue in the rubber sector, Dr Zairossani says. EXCERPTS:
10+ min |
November - December-2017
Rubber Asia
Technology For Smallholder Survival
The only available option for rubber smallholders to survive and prosper in the coming days is to adopt established and viable technologies, and for the Government, to provide them monetary grants to invest in such technologies
4 min |