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 Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd. has announced that a car equipped with its ADVAN flagship tyres claimed overall victory at the 2026 Nürburgring Langstrecken-Serie (NLS) Round 8 in Germany on 12 September. The ADVAN racing tyres delivered the grip and durability required to succeed in the demanding endurance event.

The winning entry was the No. 77 BMW M Motorsport car, fielded by Schubert Motorsport. It started from the front row, took the lead early and stayed with the front-runners throughout. After moving back ahead on lap 24, it resisted heavy pressure from closely pursuing rivals and crossed the line just 0.308 seconds clear of the second-place finisher.

This season marks the first collaboration between Yokohama Rubber and BMW M Motorsport in almost 40 years. The No. 77 BMW M4 GT3 EVO, featuring ADVAN’s ‘Red in Black’ livery, has been consistently competitive, winning Rounds 3 and 8 while finishing second in Rounds 6 and 7.

Following Round 9 on 13 September, the car leads the NLS Speed Trophy standings, awarded for the most points across all classes. The ‘Red in Black’ entry will seek to secure the trophy and the series title in October’s final round.

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FALKEN has launched its ‘Falken says fill up!’ promotion for 2026, marking the start of its established seasonal campaign. Running from 15 September to 30 November, buyers of four winter or all-season tyres sized 16 inches or above, excluding HGV tyres, can receive a reward worth EUR 20. The initiative operates across 14 European markets, including Germany, Italy, Poland, Switzerland and the Czech Republic, among others.

In Germany, participants may select either an Aral SuperCard or EnBW mobility+ charging credit. Beyond this immediate reward, FALKEN has partnered with ZEG to offer additional prizes. One BULLS Copperhead EVO AM 2 e-trail bike, valued at EUR 4,999 and three BULLS Machete RX 1 carbon gravel bikes, each worth EUR 1,999, will be given away.

The campaign highlights three tyres from FALKEN’s current range. The EUROALL SEASON AS220 suits drivers seeking year-round flexibility, offering reliable handling, efficiency and wet-road grip for regions with changeable weather. For winter, FALKEN recommends the EUROWINTER HS02 and HS02 PRO, both engineered for grip and stability on wet, cold and snowy roads. The HS02 delivers balanced winter performance, while the HS02 PRO targets drivers preferring precise, dynamic handling in cold conditions.

Retail partners also benefit from the promotion, which combines an instant reward, a high-value prize draw and a strong product assortment. These elements provide useful talking points for customer relations and stimulate purchasing at the outset of the winter tyre season.

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Maxam Tire has broadened its forestry tyre offerings with two new product lines. The MS934 targets forwarders and skidders, while the MS936 TimberXtra serves skidders and feller bunchers. Both are built for strong traction, flotation and durability across varied terrain and conditions.

The MS936 TimberXtra carries an aggressive LS2 tread for muddy ground, with reinforced construction and an optimised profile for stability and long service. Its lug and crown design extend wear life. Upcoming sizes include 35.5L32 30PR, 67/34.00X25 20PR and 67/34.00X26 20PR.

The MS934, an LS2 cut-to-length logging tyre, features an open centre tread made for over-the-tyre track systems. Nylon-wrapped beads prevent unwinding, while a wider lug shoulder and increased shoulder spacing deliver a more stable footprint.

Matt Fagan, Director of R&D, Maxam Tire, said, “Forestry operations can vary significantly by terrain and working conditions, which makes having the right tyre for the application critical. Each of the new MAXAM forestry tyres provide logging operations a unique solution for different terrains and applications. With additional skidder and CTL solutions, we are committed to deliver consistent performance and productivity for logging equipment, no matter the demand.”

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Hankook Tire has launched a new brand film titled ‘Rough Terrain’ for its Dynapro SUV tyre line, aimed at the US market. It marks the first Dynapro brand film released in US since 2024. The campaign moves beyond traditional off-road narratives to showcase a broad range of driving environments and everyday moments, both on and off the road.

The film humorously reimagines daily life’s unpredictable situations as ‘rough terrain’, highlighting Dynapro’s versatile performance. It opens with an SUV tackling muddy, rocky trails on Hankook’s Dynapro AT2 Xtreme tyres before shifting to a crowded big-box store parking lot, where a contested space, stray shopping carts and an anxious driver set the scene.

The spot then follows the SUV through family life’s chaotic moments, including an awkward father-daughter gossip session, a coffee spill and the baseball carpool. These scenarios offer a relatable take on rough terrain, emphasising the versatility required for life’s unpredictability while giving the traditional automotive adventure story a fresh twist.

Dynapro tyres are engineered for both off-road and everyday driving. Options include the mud-terrain Dynapro MT2, rugged-terrain Dynapro XT and all-terrain Dynapro AT2 Xtreme, plus the CUV performance Dynapro evo AS, CUV touring Dynapro HPX and highway terrain Dynapro HT2. The film is available on Hankook’s website, social media, YouTube, connected TV and OTT platforms.

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