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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AZuR partners DIKABO and BEAR Machines have deepened their joint efforts by combining practical innovation with strategic growth in tyre recycling. Through the adoption of BEAR-CUT technology, DIKABO is building a new product line focused on reprofiling, demonstrating how collaboration can advance the circular economy in the commercial vehicle tyre sector.

The semi-automatic BEAR-CUT machine allows DIKABO to offer precise and repeatable reprofiling of truck tyres while fitting smoothly into existing workshop workflows. Sven Wehrmeyer, Managing Director, DIKABO highlights the equipment’s speed, high-quality cuts and straightforward setup, which together enabled immediate productivity gains. The company now plans to recut up to 55 tyres daily for its customers.

Reprofiling plays a vital role in the tyre circular economy by extending tyre mileage by as much as 25 percent, cutting the need for new tyre production, and lowering CO₂ emissions. With BEAR-CUT, DIKABO can further refine this process and tap into new market opportunities. Establishing its own reprofiling division is a strategic move into a high-growth segment that lowers material and energy costs while boosting tyre longevity.

Investing in BEAR-CUT is both a technological upgrade and a strategic portfolio expansion for DIKABO, creating a scalable business model with strong commercial vehicle demand and reinforcing its role in sustainable tyre services. This partnership exemplifies the AZuR network’s philosophy that innovations should be developed and scaled collectively, turning new technologies into resource efficient, low emission and competitive business solutions.

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Anyline has made its TireBuddy ToolKit available for React Native, offering a digital tyre inspection solution designed for easy integration into mobile apps. Originally developed for a limited set of customers, this solution has now been fully packaged, documented and prepared for widespread use.

With TireBuddy, developers can add features like tread measurement, tyre identification, VIN reading and license plate recognition to vehicle inspection applications. Customers can choose between native integration for Android and iOS or cross platform frameworks such as React Native and Flutter. Since React Native is widely adopted in the automotive industry, many clients requested a way to use TireBuddy without losing cross platform efficiency. After a year of real-world testing with selected partners, the TireBuddy React Native wrapper is now ready for broader deployment.

Unlike a simple bridge over native code, this wrapper provides a stable, production ready integration of the TireBuddy SDK and APIs. Key improvements include typed async API calls instead of an event driven pattern, with clear scan result states like completed, aborted or failed. This gives developers more predictable control over scanning logic, retries and user messaging. The wrapper also offers full TypeScript support, versioning utilities, a structured configuration model and feedback APIs for comments, tread depth corrections and tyre identification. For teams using Expo development builds, an automated config plugin handles camera permissions and Android repository setup, reducing integration effort. The wrapper also supports additional context for fleet workflows, such as scan correlation and tire position data.

The release of the React Native wrapper makes TireBuddy more broadly accessible while cutting time to deployment for apps requiring tyre inspection. Being public and versioned, it reduces evaluation time and shortens implementation cycles. Long term, this standardised model improves how updates are delivered and adopted, creating a clearer path for customer feedback and iteration. Teams can now add tyre inspection capabilities without changing their existing architecture or sacrificing cross platform efficiency, all backed by a more consistent and scalable integration foundation.

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Bridgestone has initiated a collaborative research project with Universitas Indonesia, Public University Corporation Yokohama City University (Yokohama City University), and Public University Corporation Maebashi Institute of Technology (Maebashi Institute of Technology) focused on the genetic analysis of para rubber trees. The partnership draws on tree samples and genetic data from Bridgestone’s own natural rubber farm in Indonesia, combined with the advanced capabilities of the academic institutions. The primary goal is to develop a marker assisted selection technique that can identify elite trees, characterised by high and stable yields, at an early stage. A formal signing ceremony took place at Universitas Indonesia on 7 April to mark the beginning of this joint effort.

Sustainability is central to Bridgestone’s management philosophy, reflected in its business model that links operations to carbon neutrality, a circular economy and nature positivity across the entire value chain from production to renewal. This research directly supports that vision by aiming to improve the sustainability of natural rubber. Ultimately, the company seeks to contribute to a more circular and regenerative business model where natural rubber production becomes increasingly efficient and environmentally responsible.

A stable supply of natural rubber is essential for tyre manufacturing and safe mobility, yet para rubber trees grow only in narrow equatorial bands and face threats from climate change and disease. With global vehicle ownership rising, demand for natural rubber is increasing, creating pressure to boost productivity without expanding farmland into forests. Bridgestone has therefore pursued multiple technological paths, including disease diagnostics and big data driven planting optimization on limited land. The company also supports smallholder farmers by sharing these technologies and providing training based on know‑how from its own farms, thereby enhancing productivity, improving livelihoods and strengthening the long-term sustainability of natural rubber.

In this specific research initiative, Bridgestone supplies latex samples and existing genetic information from its rubber trees. Universitas Indonesia handles the extraction of DNA and RNA data, while Yokohama City University and Maebashi Institute of Technology perform genetic analyses to pinpoint genes linked to rubber productivity. Together, they will build a marker assisted selection method for rapid, high-precision identification of elite trees, significantly shortening traditional breeding timelines that once took decades. After validating the technology and establishing propagation and nursery systems, Bridgestone plans to replace ordinary trees with elite varieties over the medium to long term, thereby raising productivity and stabilising yields within finite land resources.

Prof Dr Tito Latif Indra, M.Si, Dean of the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Universitas Indonesia, said, "In this project, the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Universitas Indonesia (FMIPA UI), will play a key role in supporting the scientific framework of the project by leveraging its expertise in molecular biology and genetic data acquisition. This collaboration is such an important foundation in strengthening FMIPA UI's academic contribution in impactful global research. Through research in the field of sustainable natural resources, we are trying our best to reinforce the ecosystem of global natural rubber production and provide significant innovation to support sustainable rubber plantations in Indonesia."

Yukihisa Shimada, Director, Kihara Institute for Biological Research, Public University Corporation Yokohama City University, said, "In this project, Yokohama City University will serve as a strategic and technical advisor, supporting collaboration with Indonesian government agencies and the establishment of research infrastructure. Through international collaboration, we will drive high-precision genome analysis and the selection of promising lines, contributing to the creation of scientific knowledge for sustainable resource use."

Kensuke Nakamura, President, Public University Corporation Maebashi Institute of Technology, said, "In this joint research, Maebashi Institute of Technology will lead the bioinformatics analysis, contributing to the advancement of natural resource research through a data-driven approach. As a public university, we are dedicated to fostering both locally grounded research and international research partnerships. By leveraging these strengths, we seek to generate impactful knowledge that will contribute to building a more sustainable society."

Masashi Otsuki, Executive Director, Institute of Advanced Technology, Bridgestone Corporation, said, "By co-creating with stakeholders across the natural rubber industry and promoting the sustainable use of natural rubber, Bridgestone strives to achieve the corporate commitment of ‘Ecology: Committed to advancing sustainable tire technologies and solutions that preserve the environment for future generations’ described in its Bridgestone E8 Commitment.

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Pirelli has created bespoke versions of its P Zero R tyre for the new Audi RS 5 and the RS 3 competition limited, aiming to deliver everyday driving pleasure without sacrificing track capability. Special emphasis is placed on superior grip and shorter braking distances. Drawing on over 25 years of collaboration with Audi Sport, these fitments reflect experience gained from developing tyres for high-performance SUVs and the sportiest sedans.

Audi’s main target was braking performance, and the P Zero R was engineered to approach Pirelli’s semi slick Trofeo R. This results in extremely short stopping distances with rapid deceleration even under demanding conditions. Pirelli’s German R&D centre worked with Milan headquarters on a new compound that performs well even when cold, responding to Audi’s request for safety during deceleration. Though nearing track-oriented products, the P Zero R remains suitable for daily use.

The RS 3 competition limited celebrates 50 years of the five-cylinder engine. Two tyre options are available: the standard P Zero R provides strong grip on dry and wet roads, while the P Zero Trofeo R semi slick is designed mainly for track driving. Its motorsport derived rubber delivers exceptionally high dry grip, stability and short braking distances. Development used digital simulation at both companies, with physical tests later validating data on circuits like the Nürburgring Nordschleife.

The Audi RS 5, the brand’s first high-performance plug-in hybrid, required a new High Load tyre size. Pirelli reinforced the P Zero R’s structure to handle the hybrid components’ extra weight while maintaining driving precision. This partnership, symbolised by the R0 marking, began with the original RS 4 25 years ago and continues with record setting Nürburgring performances in 2024 by the RS 3 with Trofeo R and the RS Q8 performance with P Zero.

Steffen Bamberger, Head of Technical Development at Audi Sport GmbH, said, “The tyre is the only connection between the vehicle and the road surface. Therefore, it plays a significant role in chassis development, especially in our RS models, where excellent handling has paramount importance. Plus, a close, collaborative partnership is essential to achieving this level of performance.”

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