Comerio Ercole, an industrial machinery manufacturer, is embracing Industry 4.0 by launching its HERCULES40 digital platform. 

This web-based solution leverages the Industrial Internet of Things (IoT) to transform raw production data into actionable insights.

HERCULES40 empowers users with a data-driven approach to continuous improvement. By employing big data analytics and machine learning, the platform converts data from sensors on Comerio Ercole machines into “smart data.” This intelligence is then presented through a user-friendly application, enabling plant operation and maintenance teams to optimise production processes and energy consumption.

The platform signifies Comerio Ercole’s entry into the era of web-connected machinery and remote, high-level services. By adopting a Lean 4.0 approach, HERCULES40 utilises data to inform decision-making and reduce waste. Notably, the platform incorporates artificial intelligence and anomaly detection algorithms, allowing it to predict machine downtime up to a month in advance.

HERCULES40 assigns a dedicated algorithm to each production line station. These algorithms monitor component health throughout each cycle, and in cases of anomalies, the system assists users in analysing root causes by directly exploring process variables. This predictive maintenance capability helps to minimise production disruptions and ensure operational efficiency.

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Radar Tires has expanded its US distribution network with the opening of two new domestic distribution centres in Knoxville, Tennessee, and Parkesburg, Pennsylvania, as part of efforts to strengthen product accessibility and service reliability for its growing customer base.

The expansion increases the brand’s domestic distribution centres from one to three. It aims to improve delivery efficiency and inventory availability across key regions, particularly in the Southeast and Northeast of the United States.

“Stocking domestic tyre inventory is a key part of the Radar strategy going forward,” said Rob Montasser, Vice President of Sales for Radar Tires, USA. “It ensures our distributors and retailers have easy access to the products that their customers need, without the long lead times or supply chain uncertainty. These new locations allow us to be faster, more flexible, and more dependable.”

The company said the additional facilities will reduce delivery times and ensure that its core product range remains readily available to meet rising market demand.

With existing operations in Texas, the addition of centres in Tennessee and Pennsylvania underscores Radar Tires’ long-term strategy to enhance supply chain responsiveness and reinforce its position as one of the most customer-focused distribution networks in the tyre industry.

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Cabot Corporation reported lower quarterly earnings, as weaker demand in its Reinforcement Materials segment and softer volumes in Performance Chemicals weighed on results. However, the company ended fiscal 2025 with solid cash flow and continued shareholder returns.

For the fourth quarter ended 30 September, Cabot posted net income of USD 43 million, or USD 0.79 per share, compared with USD 137 million, or USD 2.43 per share, in the same period a year earlier.

Full-year diluted earnings per share were USD 6.02, while adjusted earnings per share rose 3 percent year-on-year to USD 7.25.

“I am very pleased with another strong year of Adjusted EPS growth where we achieved USD 7.25, up 3 percent year over year, in a year with a challenging macroeconomic backdrop,” said Sean Keohane, Cabot’s President and Chief Executive Officer. “This performance was driven by higher EBIT in our Performance Chemicals segment, which increased 18 percent year over year, partially offset by EBIT in our Reinforcement Materials segment, which declined 5 percent.”

Cabot’s revenue for the quarter fell to USD 899 million from USD 1.0 billion a year earlier, while full-year sales declined to USD 3.7 billion from USD 4.0 billion.

The Boston-based speciality chemicals manufacturer said fourth-quarter cash flow from operations totalled USD 219 million, enabling USD 64 million in shareholder returns through dividends and share buybacks. For the full fiscal year, Cabot generated USD 665 million in operating cash flow, funding USD 274 million in capital investments, USD 96 million in dividend payments and USD 168 million in share repurchases.

Keohane said the company’s balance sheet remained strong, with a net debt-to-EBITDA ratio of 1.2 times, providing flexibility to invest in growth while continuing to return capital to shareholders.

The company’s Reinforcement Materials segment reported a USD 4 million decline in EBIT from the prior-year quarter, reflecting lower volumes in the Americas and Asia Pacific, partly offset by cost efficiencies. Global volumes fell 5 percent, including a 7 percent drop in the Americas, where lower tyre production by customers was attributed to increased Asian tyre imports.

Performance Chemicals EBIT decreased USD 2 million year-over-year, mainly due to a 5 percent drop in volumes led by weaker demand in Europe, particularly from construction-related applications.

Cabot ended the quarter with  percent 258 million in cash and spent percent 64 million on capital expenditures. The company recorded a 55 percent effective tax rate in the fourth quarter and an operating tax rate of 27 percent for fiscal 2025.

Looking ahead, Keohane cautioned that market conditions remain challenging, particularly in the Reinforcement Materials sector. “We do not yet see signs of improvement in the external environment, particularly as it relates to regional demand trends in Reinforcement Materials due to the impact of elevated Asian tire imports into western regions,” he said.

The company anticipates improvement in Performance Chemicals, led by growth in battery materials and infrastructure-related applications, while maintaining strong cash flow to support investment and shareholder returns.

“While market conditions remain challenging, we continue to execute on our foundation of commercial and operational excellence, and we remain focused on managing costs, strengthening operations, and positioning the company for long-term growth,” Keohane said.

In fiscal 2025, Cabot also announced an agreement to acquire Bridgestone Corporation’s reinforcing carbons plant in Mexico and released its 2024 Sustainability Report, noting it had achieved 11 of its 15 sustainability goals ahead of schedule and established new 2030 targets.

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The German Rubber Industry Association (wdk) has responded positively to the 'Berlin Declaration’, characterising it as an essential and long-awaited political signal. From the wdk's perspective, the declaration represents a crucial commitment from the ‘Friends of Industry’ to bolster the manufacturing sector, which is fundamental to preserving Germany's industrial core and the multitude of upstream and downstream jobs it sustains. The association's Managing Director, Boris Engelhardt, emphasised that this initiative correctly identifies the urgent need for Europe to recognise and champion industrial value creation.

The wdk finds it particularly significant that the impetus for this declaration originated from a coalition of 17 member states, a fact that underscores a shared political priority independent of the EU Commission's agenda. While the declaration's broad framework allows for various interpretations, the wdk has identified the reduction of bureaucratic burdens as its paramount objective. On this specific point, the association reports being in complete alignment with Federal Minister for Economic Affairs Katherina Reiche. The wdk now asserts that the true measure of the declaration's success will lie in its translation from a political statement into actionable policy, urging the addressed EU institutions to move beyond acknowledgment and proceed with swift and decisive implementation.

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Japanese chemicals maker Zeon Corporation raised its full-year operating profit forecast after first-quarter earnings more than doubled, driven by robust demand for battery materials and optical films.

The Tokyo-based company, which produces speciality plastics and synthetic rubbers, posted operating income of 12.1 billion yen ($83.3 million) for the three months to June 30, up 136 percent from the previous quarter and 59 percent higher year-on-year.

Net sales declined 2 percent to 103.1 billion yen from a year earlier, affected by yen appreciation and lower elastomer prices reflecting declining raw material costs. However, sales volumes of optical films and battery materials increased during the period.

The company revised its full-year operating income forecast upwards to 30.5 billion yen from a previous estimate of 28 billion yen. However, this still represents a 9 percent decline from the prior year. Full-year sales are now expected to reach 415 billion yen, up 4 percent.

Zeon maintained its annual dividend forecast at 72 yen per share and said it is proceeding with a share buyback programme of up to 10 million shares or 10 billion yen for the current fiscal year.

The speciality materials business, which includes optical plastics, films and battery materials, generated operating income of 7.4 billion yen in the first quarter, jumping 40 percent year-on-year. Sales in the division fell 3 percent to 29.3 billion yen, partly due to timing differences at overseas affiliates related to the Chinese New Year.

Demand for battery materials remained steady, supported by China’s electric vehicle subsidy policies, whilst shipments to the United States energy storage systems market began during the quarter. The company said European EV sales showed signs of recovery, though inventory adjustments were prolonged.

In optical films, shipments increased due to expanded market share in large-sized televisions, whilst demand remained steady for tablet and smartphone applications.

The elastomer business posted operating income of 4.2 billion yen, up 12 percent from a year earlier, though sales were flat at 58.1 billion yen. The division was affected by weak overseas demand and lower selling prices caused by falling raw material costs.

Zeon also announced plans to sell a portion of its investment securities between August 2025 and March 2026, expecting to book a gain of approximately 10.9 billion yen to improve capital efficiency. The move is expected to reduce its cross-shareholdings ratio to around 11-12 percent of net assets by the end of the fiscal year.

The company said it had completed a reorganisation in June, transferring its chemicals business to the speciality materials division to accelerate decision-making and maximise profitability.

For the second half of the year, Zeon cautioned that optical film shipments are expected to decline due to panel production adjustments and seasonal mobile device demand. However, it described the adjustment as temporary with growth anticipated in fiscal 2026.

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