News from Notch Consulting, Inc.

February 24, 2014

Notch updates report on insoluble sulfur

Filed under: insoluble sulfur — Notch @ 6:00 am

Notch Consulting is pleased to announce the publication of World Markets for Insoluble Sulfur, a new report covering the global outlook for insoluble sulfur (IS), a non-blooming vulcanizing agent used in rubber components requiring a high degree of stickiness or tack, particularly radial tires, belting, and hoses. This report was last published in June 2009 but will be updated annually from now on. This 47-page report includes 10 tables detailing IS demand by region, market, and grade, as well as pricing, production capacity, expansion projects, and annual sales by company. The report is presented in PDF format and includes a separate Excel spreadsheet providing extensive supplemental data, including details on tire plant expansions worldwide. The report provides annual IS demand for all years from 2005 through 2012, as well as forecasts for 2013, 2014, 2015, and 2020. Volume demand is provided in tonnes and is broken out by major market (passenger tires, truck tires, all other tires, and non-tire rubber goods). Demand is also provided by region for major grades: standard, HS (high thermal stability), and HD (high dispersability).

Contact Notch Consulting at info AT notchconsulting.com for details or to order the report.

Hankook to begin construction of US plant

Filed under: Tires — Notch @ 5:55 am

Rubber and Plastics News reports that Hankook Tire plans to break ground later this year on its first factory in the US, a passenger and light truck tire plant in Clarksville, Tennessee. Once groundbreaking takes place the plant should take about 18 months to complete, putting in on-stream in 2016. The plant is budgeted at $800 million, and will have an initial capacity of 6 million tires/year, rising to 11 to 12 million tires/year in a second phase. Byeong Jin Lee, president of Hankook Tire America Corp., announced the schedule at Hankook’s Partners Day in Jamaica on Feb. 18. The plant will be the largest tenant at the Clarksville Business Park.

Conti opens Sumter tire plant with ramp up through 2017

Filed under: Tires — Notch @ 5:50 am

On January 28, Continental Tire the Americas, LLC (CTA) officially celebrated the opening of its new $500 million tire plant in Sumter, South Carolina. The first phase of the plant will reach a production capacity of approximately five million units per year in 2017. A second phase is expected to bring the plant’s full production capacity to approximately eight million units per year by 2021. The plant is expected to create about 1,600 new jobs. Tire production is expected to total some 800,000 units in 2014, ramping up thereafter.

President Obama orders tighter fuel economy standards for medium/heavy trucks

Filed under: Auto — Notch @ 5:45 am

President Obama has directed the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration along with the US Environmental Protection Agency to begin developing the next phase of fuel efficiency and greenhouse gas standards for medium- and heavy-duty vehicles. The proposed standard is due in March 2015, while the final rule is due March 2016, according to a Feb. 18 White House statement. A previous Obama administration standard imposed the first-ever standards for medium- and heavy-duty vehicles, implemented on model years 2014 through 2018.

February 19, 2014

How about a nod to the tires?

Filed under: Tires — Notch @ 6:40 am

The video below was posted to Digg with the following description:

What happens when 120 tons of landing Boeing 767 encounters severe turbulence just above the runway? You get to see the incredible strength of modern engineering. Watch the wings flex and the landing gear absorb the shock.

After watching the video, especially 1:00 to 1:10, I’d like to add that the landing gear is only as good as the tires, and these tires do their job very very well. For the record, Bridgestone is the OEM supplier for the Boeing 767.

February 11, 2014

This week at Tire Tech Expo in Cologne

Filed under: Conferences, General, Tires — Notch @ 1:40 am

The Tire Tech Expo takes place beginning today in Cologne, and as always this great conference is packed with papers as well as a huge trade show. Notch Consulting is presenting a paper on Tuesday entitled “Prospects for Extended Mobility Systems: Run-flats, Tire Repair Kits, and Self-Sealing Tires.” The paper is based on a new market research report coming out in March 2014 that examines the various systems that are replacing the full-size spare tires in new passenger cars.

There are many great papers and events at the show, but I wanted to draw your attention to one event in particular:
David Shaw from Tire Industry Research is holding a launch event for a new report that came out this month entitled “Sustainability in the Tire Industry 2014.” The event will be held on Wednesday, February 12, in Conference room 1 (on level 2). There is also a seminar on this topic on Wednesday beginning at 9:00.

Here is the brochure: Tire Sustainability-Brochure2.

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