The tyre is an amazing example of something that has served its purpose for more than a century with no drastic functional changes but has yet undergone constant improvement and sometimes fundamental structural changes. Materials have changed from leather to natural rubber, and then to ever-developing compounds of natural and synthetic rubber, as well as chemicals. Structurally, the largest change has been from bias to radial casing construction, and while some tyre products are now largely only radial tyres – passenger car tyres, for example – other vehicle segments still consume a large quantity of bias tyres; in some regions of the world more than others.

While the equipment required to produce bias tyres is fairly simple, and the costs of establishing a production line therefore relatively manageable – roughly speaking it’s a textile production line combined with vulcanizing in simple 2-part moulds – the costs of establishing a radial tyre production line are massive. From rubber calenders to radial steel belt production and angle cutting over bead ring building and green tyre building drums, until finally curing in 8-segment moulds – and many more steps and essential equipment not mentioned in between. Each machine and process is as important as the next, and only the most skilled management of the entyre production flow can ensure that a quality product comes out at the end. So, needless to say, many of the quality improvements of the past decades have come from improving production equipment and knowledge as much as from improving tread designs and rubber compounds.

Chinese factories

Further, as many tyre production equipment manufacturers have expanded to supply all over the world, many production lines have become much more similar to each other as they approach the worldwide optimal standard for balancing production costs and quality. I won’t mention any specific manufacturer names here, but anyone who has visited a tyre factory in China will have had an employee guide proudly point out that they use only the best equipment from manufacturers in the Netherlands, Japan, Germany, and the USA. I’ve always been tempted to ask if the hammer is more important or the person who wields it, but I digress. The fact is that most Chinese factories have also improved drastically in terms of management and comply with IATF 16949 standards to ensure consistently high-quality levels and constantly reduce defects. The main driver and reason for the current standards is the reduction of manual work stations and a large manual labour workforce to largely automatic or at least semi-automatic machinery, reducing the manual labourers to employees simply moving materials or finished products from one place to another. Over time, these will also be made redundant, as machines will also handle this part.

The question remaining is just how factories located in low-wage countries will keep competitive as the necessary equipment costs the same all over the globe, and less hands are needed to operate the massive production lines. When the lines all over the world only need core staff to monitor and make technical adjustments and maintenance work, the difference in the product cost structure can only come from land and building use, logistics and handling costs, as well as water, heating, and electricity fees. Especially the latter, utility fees, probably soon make up the most important factory when it comes to differentiating tyre cost structures across the world.

Global supply

What will this mean for the global tyre supply? Most likely, it will be good news for the environment, as it won’t make as much sense as previously to send products across the globe, because the transportation costs will make the products more expensive than locally produced ones – regardless of production country. Given that all countries play fair, that is, so maybe I should say in a perfect world. There is no doubt that some countries favour their large factories with subsidies or tax rebates more than the developed countries do. But, with the recent massive rise in sea freight charges caused by the pandemic, and amplified by the Ever Given blocking the Suez Canal, the tables could be turned faster than anyone expected. Just until a month ago we all expected the extremely high sea freight levels from Asia to the rest of the world to last just a few months, now the carriers expect that we won’t see normalization – and thereby decreasing rates – again until 2024. As tyre prices from low-cost manufacturing countries have been gradually closing the gap to second tier brands over the past decade (and quality levels have followed suit and in rare cases even surpassed them), they have now very suddenly lost all competitiveness when solely looking at pricing. Surely, it has been the strategy of all these manufacturers for many years to ultimately surpass the competition on quality and performance, but not before surpassing them on price.

So, what will happen now? Nobody knows, but it will be equally interesting and nerve-wracking to follow. For the tyre building machine manufacturers, the dilemma has grown bigger than ever before; should they continue to develop better machines, as they risk killing their clients by doing do? There’s a very narrow path to tread between staying competitive against other machine manufacturers and sustaining the financial health of one’s own clients. (TT)

Apollo Tyres Ltd has secured a one-season shirt-sleeve sponsorship agreement with AS Monaco, one of French football's most successful clubs, to increase awareness for its premium Vredestein brand.

This partnership will leverage Ligue 1's ranking as the fifth most watched football league in the world to raise awareness of Vredestein's award-winning products among a large audience in France and abroad. On November 22, AS Monaco's home league game against Brest will have the new sleeve branding for the first time. The Vredestein brand will be heavily promoted at Stade Louis-II for the 2024–2025 season, including on player sleeves and LED screens around the field. Exclusive social media initiatives will further help make the brand prominent, reaching a large and interested audience.

Yves Pouliquen, Vice President – Commercial, Europe, Apollo Tyres, said, “This partnership is an exciting opportunity to strengthen Vredestein’s presence in one of our key markets. AS Monaco’s rich history and commitment to excellence mirror our focus on performance and innovation. We look forward to building a successful relationship with the club and celebrating its achievements this season.”

Thibaut Chatelard, Marketing and Revenue Director, AS Monaco, said: “We are delighted to welcome Apollo Tyres and its Vredestein brand to the family of AS Monaco partners. This collaboration makes sense in view of the values we share, such as the constant pursuit of performance and excellence. There’s no doubt that this new support will be precious for the rest of our season, which promises to be thrilling.”

Nexen Tire, a leading global tyre manufacturer, has launched the Nexen N´Blue S tyre, adding to its range of summer tyres and providing drivers with advanced safety, energy efficiency and superior driving stability in wet and dry conditions.

Developed using highly dispersed silica and equipped with an optimised structural design, the Nexen N´Blue S tyre provides reduced road noise and improved driving stability. The tyre features an innovative tread compound, formulated with hydrophilic fillers and microstructure-controlled polymers, and provides lower rolling resistance and exceptional dry and wet grip. The tyre also excelled in test results by demonstrating an 11 percent improvement in wet braking distance compared to its predecessor.

Apart from providing excellent performance, the Nexen  N´Blue S also scores high on the sustainability index. The tyre provides an eco-friendly solution for environmentally conscious drivers by minimising fuel consumption and CO2 emissions. The Nexen N´Blue S summer tyre is available in 58 sizes, which makes it compatible with different types of vehicles.

Kumho Tire Vietnam Co., Ltd. is all set to expand its investment project in Binh Duong province of Vietnam, with the phase 3 of expansion commencing in early 2025. This was discussed at a recent meeting between Vo Van Minh, Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee and Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee (PPC), and Kim Hyun Ho, General Director of Kumho Tire Vietnam Co., Ltd.

The meeting was held on 13 November at the Administrative Centre of Binh Duong province, as per an official statement. Apart from the company’s investment till date and the planned investment for phase 3, the two also discussed about the challenges and obstacles regarding procedures and processes to have more land funds to expand the manufacturing plant, along with taking measures to tackle the obstacles. Kim Hyun Ho also conveyed to the PPC Chairman that Kumho Tire Vietnam Co., Ltd. belongs to South Korea's Kumho Tire Group and is currently ranked 10th in the car tyre manufacturing industry.

The company had invested in a tyre manufacturing plant in My Phuoc 3 Industrial Park in 2007 with a total initial investment of USD 308 million, which was supplemented by another USD 300 million in 2021. This extended the factory scale to six hectares and increased the production capacity to 12.5 million tyres annually. With the expansion in early 2025, the company will raise its total investment to USD 908 million and increase the factory's production capacity to 17 million tyres annually. The expanded capacity is expected to be operational by early 2026.

Yokohama-ATG, a leading manufacturer of all-terrain and off-the-road tyres, has expanded its Galaxy MFS 101 SDS range of forklift tyres with the launch of white, non-marking tyres.

The Galaxy MFS 101 SDS range consists of puncture-proof SDS tyres with extended wear limits designed for high-intensity working shifts and long durability. These are premium, solid rubber tyres developed for tough demands, a long service life and high driving comfort. The addition of white, non-marking tyres is specifically aimed at clean working environments.

Marked by a 3-stage construction process, the forklift tyres feature reduced heat build-up, effective shock absorption and minimised vibrations. The pattern design guarantees a smooth ride and good steerability thanks to its continuous centre lug and circumferential grooves. Furthermore, the flat walls and wide flat profile offer excellent stability when using a forklift for vertical stacking. The tyres are also equipped with anti-slip steel beads for improved rim fitment

In a case study on a CAT 2.5-tonne forklift that was used for handling heavy pallets on asphalt, the Galaxy MFS 101 SDS outshone the competitors with impressive performance. The tyre delivered an approximate 900 working hours before replacement against competitors’ 500 working hours.