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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Pirelli has marked a successful start to the 2026 Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters season, as the specially developed P Zero tyres for DTM’s GT3 cars received widespread praise from drivers and teams following the opening round at the Red Bull Ring in Austria. The weekend featured bright sunshine, mild temperatures, close competition and full grandstands, with German brands demonstrating absolute dominance on track. From Pirelli’s perspective, the event encapsulated the best possible debut for its exclusive tire technology.

The Red Bull Ring crowd witnessed two thrilling races. Saturday’s victory went to Thomas Preining of the Manthey team driving a Porsche, who secured the win after qualifying third in an exceptionally tight session. That qualifying session saw lap times surpass the 2023 track record, with eleven drivers finishing within less than one second of each other. Behind Preining, Luca Auer in a Landgraf team Mercedes-AMG finished second, followed by Maro Engel in a Ravenol team Mercedes-AMG in third.

Sunday’s race delivered another dramatic contest, with Engel taking the win after starting from fifth on the grid. Marco Wittmann in a Schubert team BMW climbed from ninth place to finish second, while Auer claimed third again. Spectators also enjoyed action from other Pirelli-partnered categories, including GT Masters, GT4 Germany and the FIA Formula Regional championship, which launched its season with a new generation of cars fitted with bespoke 15-inch Pirelli P Zero tyres developed exclusively for that series.

Matteo Braga, Circuit Activity Manager, Pirelli, said, "We are very satisfied with the performance of the new P Zero tyres for the DTM. It was not a given that already at the first race the drivers would be able to get the best out of the tyres, exploiting the performance optimised for this race format. We saw many different tyre strategies, which was one of the objectives set for us by the teams and the promoter during product development. Furthermore, the faster warm-up minimised the impact of pit stops, allowing drivers to defend their position more easily after the stop. There will certainly still be a great deal for everyone to learn: first and foremost on our side, as we gathered interesting data over the weekend, but also on the drivers' side, who will need to optimise the management of the mix between new and used tyres over the course of each event and throughout the seasonal carry-over."

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Sailun Group has received an upgraded ESG rating from the internationally recognised index provider MSCI, moving from A to AA. This latest assessment cements the company’s top position within China’s tyre industry on MSCI’s ESG rankings and places it among the highest-rated tyre manufacturers worldwide.

Following its previous upgrade to an A rating in 2025, Sailun Group’s further rise to AA signals strong endorsement from global capital markets regarding the firm’s ESG governance, execution capabilities and ability to generate long-term value. This progress stems from the company’s sustained effort to integrate sustainability principles across its entire operations, including global expansion, research and development, manufacturing, labour management and supply chain oversight.

Looking forward, Sailun Group intends to press ahead with its eco-friendly sustainable development strategy, using its industry leadership to help steer the global tire sector towards a new phase of high-quality and sustainable growth.

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FORNNAX TECHNOLOGY PVT LTD recently convened its Fornnax Annual Meet 2026, a landmark gathering that celebrated the organisation’s complete achievement of its targets. The event brought together top professionals from across the company for a day focused on leadership development, recognition of excellence and strategic planning. The atmosphere was marked by a shared sense of pride and purpose, with activities ranging from intensive leadership sessions to an emotional award ceremony and a vibrant celebration reflecting the firm’s core spirit.

The keynote address was delivered by Director and CEO Jignesh Kundaria, who traced the company’s journey from its earliest days without a formal blueprint to its current status as a globally recognised multi-division original equipment manufacturer. Kundaria spoke of building the enterprise through relentless determination and engineering excellence, emphasising that Indian-made machinery could set worldwide standards. His narrative highlighted grit and growth, weaving together humble origins with the firm’s present stature as an internationally respected brand.

Kundaria also presented a detailed review of Fornnax’s major recent accomplishments, including the launch of the R-MAX3300, described as the world’s largest secondary shredder. This engineering breakthrough demonstrates the company’s ability to lead at the highest levels of industrial performance. Additionally, he showcased the development of Fornnax’s largest New Product Development centre and demo plant, a facility designed to accelerate innovation and allow customers to experience solutions at full operational scale. A new state-of-the-art manufacturing facility was also unveiled, aimed at boosting capacity and meeting rising global demand.

A defining segment of the annual meet involved forward-looking roadmaps presented by heads of four key functional pillars. The Head of Sales outlined an ambitious market expansion strategy for deeper geographical penetration and customer-centric growth. The Design Department head focused on accelerating product development cycles and expanding differentiated solutions. The Production Department leader presented plans for capacity optimisation and quality enhancement using the new facility. Meanwhile, the Project and E&I Department head detailed strategies to strengthen project execution and reduce delivery timelines. The Service Department head committed to building a responsive post-sales ecosystem with faster turnaround times and proactive maintenance support.

The event also featured leadership training sessions that encouraged ownership and accountability among participants. An awards ceremony recognised individuals and teams who had driven the company’s complete achievement, with each honour reflecting real effort and tangible results. The gathering served as a reminder that behind every milestone are people who refused to settle for mediocrity.

All departmental roadmaps collectively converge on an ambitious financial target: achieving INR 5 billion in revenue by 2030. The Fornnax Annual Meet 2026 thus stood as both a celebration of past performance and a strategic launchpad for future growth, underscoring the organisation’s commitment to innovation, operational excellence, and customer-centric engineering on a global scale.

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Zeon has confirmed its participation at Chemspec Europe, the premier international exhibition for fine and speciality chemicals, taking place in Cologne from 6 to 7 May 2026. The event gathers global manufacturers, suppliers and industry experts to foster connections and explore innovations across the chemical value chain.

At the trade fair, Zeon aims to engage with both current and potential partners. Discussions will centre on pressing challenges and future trends within the speciality chemicals sector while also identifying fresh avenues for collaboration and technological advancement.

Attendees of Chemspec are invited to visit Zeon for an exchange of ideas. The company’s representatives will be located at Booth D89 within Hall 8, ready to discuss opportunities and industry developments in person.

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