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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Nokian Tyres has achieved a significant milestone in the 2026 S&P Global Corporate Sustainability Assessment (CSA), securing a total score of 80 points. This evaluation examines sustainability factors that are critical to long-term corporate performance, with a strong emphasis on risk management, organisational adaptability and overall resilience. The company views this result as a clear validation of its strategic approach.

The assessment awarded the tyre manufacturer perfect scores in several key categories, including Climate Risk Management, Raw Materials Programs, Information Security Policy and Human Rights Mitigation and Remediation. Company leadership has acknowledged that this accomplishment is rooted in the deep integration of sustainable practices across daily operations, product innovation and long-term value generation.

Nokian Tyres also stressed that responsible expansion relies heavily on collaborative efforts with employees and partners, reinforcing that sustainable decisions are fundamental to building resilience in a rapidly evolving global environment.

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Bartell Machinery Systems has announced an expansion of its production facility in Rome, New York, aimed at increasing manufacturing capacity and reducing lead times for customers.

The company is adding 22,400 square feet of high-bay manufacturing space to its existing 152,000 sq ft site. The expansion will include 30-tonne crane capacity, designed to improve material handling, workflow efficiency and flexibility in managing work in progress.

“This expansion of our Rome, New York production facility represents an exciting and important milestone for Bartell Machinery Systems,” said Ben Lunduski, Vice President of Operations of Bartell.

The increased ceiling height will enable the company to manufacture larger and more complex equipment more efficiently. The additional vertical clearance and heavy-lift infrastructure are expected to support improved assembly processes and sequencing of large-scale projects.

Bartell said the investment is intended to increase throughput across multiple product lines, enhance scheduling flexibility and reduce bottlenecks in assembly and testing. The company also expects to expand its capacity to manage multiple projects simultaneously.

“As demand for our large industrial machinery systems continues to grow, this investment reinforces our long-term commitment to our manufacturing operations in Central New York, our customers and our employees,” said Pat Morocco, President of Bartell. “By expanding our production capabilities, we are positioning Bartell for continued success while building a strong foundation for future growth.”

The expansion is also expected to lead to an increase in the company’s workforce to support higher production volumes, contributing to employment in the local area.

Bartell, which produces equipment for the rubber and tyre, wire and cable, and oil and gas industries, said the expansion reflects sustained demand across its product lines and continued growth in recent years. Construction of the facility is at an early stage.

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TyreXpo Asia and AutoMROtive will return to Singapore from 17 to 19 March 2027 at Marina Bay Sands, following a well-attended 2026 edition in Bangkok that drew more than 6,000 buyers and sellers from across the tyre and automotive aftermarket sectors.

The co-located events aim to bring together manufacturers, suppliers and solution providers with distributors, dealers, workshop operators, fleet owners and other industry participants from Asia and international markets. Organisers said the combined format is designed to reflect increasing integration across the tyre and automotive maintenance ecosystems.

TyreXpo Asia Singapore will continue to position itself as a marketplace dedicated to the global tyre industry, while AutoMROtive will focus on technologies and services shaping automotive maintenance, repair and operations, with particular emphasis on fleet servicing.

The exhibition will cover a broad range of segments, including passenger car, commercial vehicle and industrial tyres, alongside wheels and related accessories such as rims and tyre fillers. It will also feature tyre manufacturing, retreading and maintenance solutions, as well as automotive components including batteries and braking systems.

In addition, the event will showcase workshop equipment, diagnostic tools and digital maintenance technologies, including predictive systems. Sustainability is also expected to be a key theme, with solutions related to tyre recycling, disposal and waste management included in the line-up.

Organisers said the event is intended to support companies seeking to expand their presence in the region, offering opportunities to connect with distribution networks, generate sales leads and demonstrate new technologies to a targeted industry audience.

Sponsorship and branding options will be available for companies aiming to increase visibility or position themselves as thought leaders within the sector. These can be tailored to support objectives such as lead generation, market positioning and customer engagement.

The announcement comes as companies in the tyre and automotive aftermarket industries begin planning their sales and marketing strategies for 2027, with trade events expected to play a role in facilitating cross-border partnerships and market access in Asia.

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Toyo Tire Corporation said Mitsubishi Corporation has ceased to be a major shareholder after tendering its entire holding through a treasury share buyback, ending its status as the company’s largest shareholder.

The change took effect on 10^th August , 2026, following Toyo Tire’s acquisition of its own shares through off-auction trading (ToSTNeT-3). Mitsubishi tendered all its shares, excluding less than one unit, as part of the transaction.

As a result, Mitsubishi is no longer classified as a major shareholder or associated company of Toyo Tire, the company said.

Before the transaction, Mitsubishi held 30,822,206 shares, equivalent to 20.07 percent of total voting rights, and ranked as the largest shareholder. Following the change, its holding has effectively been reduced to zero.

The move follows Toyo Tire’s earlier announcement on August 7, 2026 regarding the termination of its capital and business alliance with Mitsubishi, alongside plans to repurchase its own shares.

Toyo Tire said the change would have no impact on its consolidated financial results.

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