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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The Alliance for the Future of Tires (AZuR) has gained a new technology partner, AKIN Solutions, which is pioneering advanced material recycling methods for end-of-life tyres through its developing platform known as Rubber BioRefine. This biotechnology-driven system applies enzymatic processes originally refined in the plastics industry to rubber recycling for the first time, marking a significant step forward in the tyre circular economy. The central innovation focuses on converting previously hard-to-recycle tyre components into high-quality raw materials that match the quality of primary resources, thereby addressing a long-standing challenge in waste tire management.

At the core of the Rubber BioRefine approach is the selective cleavage of rubber polymer chains at the molecular level, which produces defined polymer fragments while preserving their structural integrity. Unlike conventional mechanical recycling methods that typically lead to a reduction in material value, this enzymatic technique enables a much higher grade of material reuse. It opens new possibilities for demanding rubber applications. The technology is specifically designed to integrate with existing recycling systems, particularly in combination with devulcanisation processes.

Another essential element of the platform is high-resolution molecular imaging using MALDI-MSI, a technique that allows AKIN Solutions to analyse the composition of rubber samples and create precise spatial maps of the compounds present. For the first time, this provides detailed insights into which substances exist in specific areas and at what concentrations, enabling more targeted assessment of material flows. Such precision is a key prerequisite for significantly more efficient recycling processes and for achieving high-quality circular economy management.

The technology remains in the development phase, with the ultimate goal of achieving industrial scalability and enabling large-scale economic application. Through this innovative combination of precise molecular analysis and enzymatic recovery, AKIN Solutions aims to fundamentally improve the material recycling of scrap tyres, reduce waste and emissions and help close material cycles. The partnership with AZuR is expected to strengthen the creation of future-proof, sustainable solutions for the entire tyre recycling value chain.

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Tyrecycle Chief Executive Officer Jim Fairweather has called for mandatory market-based regulation and increased government procurement ahead of his appearance at a parliamentary inquiry into Australia’s tyre industry. His formal submission to the Standing Committee on Industry, Innovation and Science sets an uncompromising objective of eliminating tyre dumping nationwide. Fairweather argues that collection schemes alone are insufficient without creating genuine demand for recycled materials.

The inquiry, conducted by the Standing Committee on Industry, Innovation and Science, was adopted on 5 November 2025, following referrals from the Ministers for Industry and Science. Its mandate includes investigating industry challenges and opportunities within a circular economy framework. Fairweather has identified significant market failures, noting that a large portion of Australia’s tyre waste remains buried or abandoned. He argues that extended producer responsibility schemes do not automatically create markets, as effective disposal methods do not necessarily follow collection efforts.

A central focus of Tyrecycle’s submission is the disparity between tyre sectors. While passenger and truck tyres achieve a 96 percent collection rate, off the road or mining tyres represent nearly 30 percent of total waste by weight, yet the recovery rate stood at just 13 percent in 2023 and 2024. Fairweather insists that national waste targets cannot be reached without addressing off the road tyres; he has labelled the practice of landfilling and in pit disposal at mines as a major regulatory barrier.

To bridge this gap, Tyrecycle has proposed targeted landfill bans to redirect mining and agricultural tyres towards recyclers. The company also calls for increased government procurement of crumb rubber for road construction, noting that mandating higher recycled content in asphalt specifications could expand the domestic market fivefold. Australia’s road sector already consumes about 30,000 tonnes of crumb rubber annually, while Tyrecycle is advancing a pipeline of over 100,000 tonnes per year in domestic tyre derived fuel.

Tyrecycle, which processes roughly 20 million equivalent passenger units annually or about 40 percent of Australia’s collected waste tyres, has invested more than 50 million dollars in capital upgrades. This includes 12.8-million-dollar push into the off the road market in Port Hedland, along with developments in Rockingham, Newcastle and Erskine Park. Fairweather is also urging the federal government to allocate more budget for enforcing export regulations to combat rogue operators who export non-compliant materials. He presented Tyrecycle’s formal submission to the parliamentary inquiry in March, framing the circular economy as a shared responsibility requiring accountability from all waste generators.

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Pirelli has announced a more aggressive tyre strategy for the second appearance of the FIM Superbike World Championship round at Balaton Park in Hungary. Following a conservative approach in 2025 due to a lack of track data, the manufacturer now introduces the supersoft SCX compound for the first time to WorldSBK riders. Last year’s lineup featured the SC0 and the E0125 development tyre, which has since become the current SC0 for 2026.

For the long races this season, riders will have access to the supersoft SCX alongside the soft SC0 rear tyres. The extrasoft SCQ, the softest rear compound, returns for free practice, qualifying, and the Superpole Race. Front tyre options include soft SC1 and medium SC2, while DIABLO Wet intermediates and DIABLO Rain tyres are available for wet conditions.

In the WorldSSP category, the same SC1 and SC2 front and SCX with SC0 rear compounds from 2025 remain. The WorldWCR women’s championship will also compete, using Pirelli DIABLO Superbike tyres with the SC1 compound on both axles.

Giorgio Barbier, Pirelli Motorcycle Racing Director, said, “The data collected last year showed that Balaton Park is a track with low tyre-wear values. For this reason, we decided to make the softest range solutions available to WorldSBK riders, including the supersoft SCX in the allocation, which was not present last year. Riders will, in any case, also be able to count on the soft SC0 which, in 2025 as the E0125 specification, was the race reference. This could be a valid alternative, especially in the event of lower temperatures.

“For the first time this season, the extrasoft SCQ returns to centre stage for qualifying and the Superpole Race. Last year, this solution was used only in qualifying due to unfavourable weather conditions in the Superpole Race, so it will be interesting to see whether anyone uses it in the short race this year. All solutions, as well as the soft SC1 and medium SC2 fronts, are range products– i.e. they can be purchased by any motorcyclist worldwide and used both in competitions at any level and for track days.”

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Linglong Tire is set to make a major appearance at THE TIRE COLOGNE, the world’s leading tire trade fair, taking place from 9 to 11 June 2026. Located in Hall 7 at booths C-050 to D-059, the company will present its group brands Crosswind, Leao and Green Max alongside its main brand.

Making its European debut at the fair is the new Linglong UHP tyre, the Sport Master II, which is designed as the successor to the existing Sport Master model and is expected to reach retail markets in spring 2027. In addition to this launch, the company will exhibit leading passenger car profiles from its Masters series, a sustainable concept tyre and fresh off-the-road patterns. The truck segment will see four new tread designs premiere in Cologne, including a trailer tyre engineered for reduced rolling resistance on long-haul routes and two brand-new bus tyres intended for city buses and coaches.

The exhibition includes Linglong’s latest original equipment tyres, while the Green Max brand is being introduced as an independent brand for the European market. Visitors will also see new car and truck profiles from the Crosswind and Leao brands, now produced exclusively in Europe, including the first appearance of the Crosswind Dura Peak Van tyre.

Beyond product displays, Linglong’s presence emphasises personal customer engagement at its booth and lounge, where the European and international sales team looks forward to welcoming global visitors for discussions. Organised by Koelnmesse and the German Tyre Trade Association, the fair features around 350 exhibitors from 32 countries and expects roughly 15,000 trade visitors from over 110 nations.

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