The praised solution has been in use at Eurl Saterex-Iris in Algeria since autumn 2019. Eurl Saterex-Iris is the third biggest tyre manufacturing plant in Africa, serving both local and export markets. The modern plant was mainly designed and constructed by Black Donuts Engineering and its international partner network. Black Donuts is also responsible for production management, which applies the core principles of Lean Management and focuses on reducing the interim stocks to the bare minimum according to the pull method. To enhance this, the company developed an RFID-based electronic eKanban solution together with Toptunniste.

“The eKanban project started from a need to improve production management. The first acute challenge we met was the lack of adequate and accurate information on the overall production status,” Solution Manager Aki Nurminen recalls.

Originally, there were nine Kanban boards located all over the two-floor factory. One had to check each board manually, so it took time and effort to capture a complete view of the production status.

Another deficit concerned the insufficient information provided on manufacturing schedules. The old Kanban boards did not give enough information on when certain materials were supposed to be in production.

The returned cards included no accurate time markings, so it was hard to stay updated, notice stock alerts and to respond on time.

Real-time production status

New technology was needed to solve the problem. It became clear that initiating remote monitoring would require electronic boards instead of the traditional ones. Black Donuts contacted another Finnish technology company, Toptunniste, to present the idea and search for a way to actualise it. The solution was simple: adding RFID features to an existing Kanban board would upgrade it to a more accurate, more informative, and easy-to-use eKanban board. Next, the old cards were replaced by RFID tagged cards, readable through RFID technology.

Now, all nine eKanban boards are online in Saterex’s internal data system and easily monitored from any computer. Consequently, an up-to-date overall view of the entire production is now always at hand.

The eKanban solution enables better and real-time tracking of overall production status and enhances the supervision of production processes.

It adds the time markings automatically to each card on return, keeps account, and establishes automatic triggers to replenish stock when predefined minimums are reached for each inventory item.

The system also calculates and presents the estimated time left before reaching the pre-defined minimum of each item in the downstream processes. This is the lens that helps us prioritize and schedule the production runs.

Optimised processes

The new eKanban boards were taken into use at Saterex tyre plant in fall 2019. For the users operating in the production lines, the new solution has not brought any changes in their daily routines, but the Kanban boards are used the same way as before. For the supervisors and factory management, the new system enables a remote and real-time view of the production status through a web interface.

The new solution helps in prioritizing the tasks and shortens the reaction time to different problems arising in production. eKanban is also a great planning tool, as it gives us a complete process overview, Aki explains.

The eKanban system gets all the production information it needs straight from the company’s MES, where the daily consumption levels of each process, as well as the minimum and maximum storage levels, are defined. Separate eKanban views, visualizing the interim storage levels, can be reviewed through MES which enables effective inventory management.

The eKanban solution is designed for tracking the production, not to automatically assign anything. It is always the team, the people, who make the decisions based on the information they receive. However, the solution helps to improve tracking and optimizing operations, Aki says.

Advanced work management

Moreover, the eKanban solution enhances work management.

Compared to manual Kanban systems, eKanban gives additional information on storage unit rotations, events and even stock rotation history. It is valuable information for both follow-ups and for managing transportation activities and best working methods. Earlier, the material transportation could idle, and the return of cards to the Kanban boards be irregular, which caused various scheduling challenges, stockouts and unexpected changes in demand.

It was nearly impossible to find the root cause for problems and consequently improve it. Thanks to the digitised solution, we can now track every event, which supports work development and feedback giving.

While the manual Kanban boards already gave a good boost for companies in optimizing production, the new eKanban solution brings monitoring, tracking and optimizing to a remarkably higher level.

eKanban is an excellent example of how we can improve proven old methods during digital transformation.

eKanban was designed to add a remarkable value to the supply chain support operations. This was accomplished by optimizing cost-effectiveness, efficiency, and the movement of materials. Currently, Aki’s team is already developing the next generation eKanban solution, one without any physical cards or printed labels and boards. This will serve the needs of the highest automation solutions, which require visual identification instead of manual labelling or printed cards.

The operators do not even need to touch the storage units anymore, but the Electronic Shelf Label (ESL) completes the visual identification. Electronic Shelf Label is automatically updated during the manufacturing processes and events referring to RFID identifications and data communication. This way, the labels are never missing, old or wrong, and they are readable in all occasions and all the time, Aki explains.

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Birla Carbon has released its 14th annual Sustainability Report, titled ‘Sustainable – Work in Progress’, highlighting ongoing advancements under its ‘Share the Future’ strategy and its ambition to lead the industry.

The company secured an EcoVadis Platinum rating, ranking within the top one percent of over 150,000 assessed firms globally, and achieved a B score in both Climate and Water from CDP – the highest possible for a privately disclosing company. Its Continua SCM reached industrial scale at facilities in Europe and Asia, expanding access to circular material solutions with consistent quality and a quantified carbon footprint reduction.

Additionally, Birla Carbon’s supplier due diligence now spans all 18,171 active vendors, with continuous screening via the NAVEX RiskRate platform and no labour incidents reported to date. The company continues prioritising innovation, operational efficiency, carbon footprint reduction and stakeholder collaboration.

John Loudermilk, President and Chief Executive Officer, Birla Carbon, said, “The transition to a more sustainable future will require our industry to continually rethink how we operate, innovate and collaborate across the value chain. At Birla Carbon, we have remained steadfast in our sustainability aspirations and in supporting our customers as they advance their own sustainability goals. Even amid a year of heightened supply chain disruption and global uncertainty, we continued to move forward with our vision to ‘be the clear leader in the industry’, particularly in sustainability. Sustainability is central to how we grow and create long-term value. This is a journey of continuous progress, and while we are encouraged by how far we have come, we remain equally focused on the work still ahead.”

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Prinx Chengshan took part in the SHACMAN Group Worldwide Partnership Conference in Xi'an on 15–16 October, where dealers, key accounts and industry partners from across the globe gathered. The company attended as a core strategic partner of SHACMAN and acted as exclusive tyre sponsor of the vehicle stunt show, joining domestic and international customers to examine fresh opportunities in the global commercial vehicle sector and help shape a new model of collaborative industry growth.

Cooperation between the two firms has deepened since 2024, centring on original equipment fitment for flagship high-end models including the Delong X5000 and X6000, with products offered domestically and overseas. Dependable product quality and supply chain assurance have enabled Prinx Chengshan to grow into a core tyre supplier to SHACMAN, consistently furnishing tyre solutions for its flagship ranges.

A dedicated stunt driving segment formed part of the conference, with Prinx Chengshan as sole tyre exhibitor backing the performance vehicles. Cars fitted with Chengshan XSTANCE PRO S10 and CDR621 tyres carried out sustained drifts, high-speed turns and other demanding manoeuvres, remaining stable even under extreme conditions such as tyre burnouts and showing strong wear resistance.

Li Wenli, a three-time national truck racing annual finals champion known as China's top heavy truck driver, rated the tyres highly for grip, durability and handling stability. Live demonstration in place of specification presentations made technical strengths tangible, letting partners observe stability under extreme friction and high-torque loads.

The conference allowed the company to strengthen mutual trust and communication with SHACMAN and to showcase its commercial vehicle tyre capabilities; at its 50th anniversary milestone, Prinx Chengshan reiterated its commitment to keep improving its global service network, advance alongside SHACMAN on a new globalisation journey and help build an industrial ecosystem defined by mutual benefit and collaborative development.

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Michelin has opened a 1,000 sq ft tyre and service store in Jammu in partnership with Maha Shakti Auto, expanding its retail presence in the northern Indian city.

The Michelin Tyres & Services (MTS) outlet is located in Main Bazar, Gumat, in Jammu’s commercial district. It will serve customers in the city and surrounding region, offering tyres for passenger cars, two-wheelers and commercial vehicles.

The store stocks Michelin’s Primacy, Pilot Sport, Latitude Sport and LTX Trail tyre ranges. Its facilities include wheel alignment and balancing systems, automotive accessories, and mechanical repair and maintenance services.

The outlet was inaugurated by Benjamin Coesnon, Marketing Director for India at Michelin, alongside the Maha Shakti Auto team.

Shantanu Deshpande, Managing Director of Michelin India, said “Jammu is an important market in Michelin's growth in North India. Its role as a regional trade and transit hub is creating steady demand for safe, reliable and high-performance mobility solutions. Our new Michelin Tyres & Services store brings Michelin's globally benchmarked products and services closer to customers in the region. Building on our recently launched Made-in-India Primacy 5, we will keep delivering mobility solutions tailored to the evolving needs of Indian consumers."

The company said the store was designed to address driving conditions in the region, where steep gradients, sharp curves and changing weather make tyre grip, braking stability and durability important considerations.

Maha Shakti Auto has 30 years of experience in Jammu’s automotive aftermarket, according to Michelin. The partnership combines the local business’s technical expertise and market knowledge with Michelin’s tyre technology and product range.

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The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd. has announced that the No. 77 BMW M4 GT3 EVO, fielded by Schubert Motorsport and fitted with the company's ADVAN global flagship tyres, secured the NLS Speed Trophy series championship. The award goes to the team accumulating the most points across all classes throughout Germany's Nürburgring Langstrecken-Serie (NLS). As the series champion in the NLS premier SP9 Pro class, the No. 77 also claimed a KW Team Trophy, presented to the car and team with the highest points total in each class.

This season marked Yokohama Rubber's role as an official partner of BMW M Motorsport in the NLS, with the No. 77 BMW M4 GT3 EVO carrying ADVAN colouring. Across the 10-round campaign, the ADVAN-shod No. 77 produced consistently strong results, earning two overall victories and two second-place finishes. The ADVAN A005 for dry conditions and ADVAN A006 for wet conditions supplied the grip and durability needed to contend in fiercely competitive races across varying weather. ADVAN-equipped cars had previously taken the NLS Speed Trophy in 2020 and 2023.

Beyond the NLS, Yokohama Rubber partnered with BMW M Motorsport at May's ADAC RAVENOL 24h Nürburgring. The No. 77 ADVAN-coloured entry placed 8th overall and 7th in the SP9 class, while BMW M Motorsport's No. 81 BMW M3 Touring 24H, also on ADVAN tyres, took 4th overall and 1st in the SP-X class.

Under its three-year (2024–2026) medium-term management plan, Yokohama Transformation 2026 (YX2026), the company's consumer tyre strategy seeks to maximise sales ratios of high-value-added tyres by expanding the ADVAN and GEOLANDAR brands, winter tyres and 18-inch and larger products. Yokohama Rubber views motorsport participation as vital to strengthening ADVAN and GEOLANDAR, and continues to compete in a wide range of events worldwide, from top-category to grassroots racing.

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