Continental has acquired a minority stake in Feelit, a start-up headquartered in Tel Aviv, Israel. Both companies have agreed not to disclose the amount of the holding.

Founded in 2017, Feelit has developed a highly sensitive, flexible, printed nanomaterial sensor that can be attached to static and rotating machinery parts, including flat and rounded surfaces. This sensor measures strain in ultra-high resolution, as well as other parameters such as temperature, vibration and pressure.

The investment has been initiated by Continental’s dedicated corporate venture capital unit, which was established in 2018 to effectively tap into innovation and capitalise on new opportunities faster and thus manage and lead the transformation in several industries.

Feelit provides cutting-edge predictive maintenance solutions for various industrial equipment and machinery based on proprietary hardware sensors and dedicated algorithms.

Feelit uses printed nanomaterial-based, fully-integrated sensors and cloud analytics to enable live, remote feedback on structural and performance changes in equipment. The sensors can be integrated, for example, into battery cooling systems for electric vehicles to optimise battery life and range.

Continental sees additional potential for remote condition monitoring and predictive maintenance applications for its industrial hoses for the food and beverage industry, for hydraulic and energy solutions complying with safety requirements and for avoiding unplanned and costly downtimes in manufacturing.

Philip Nelles, a member of Continental’s Executive Board, said, “The investment further paves our way toward digitalisation and brings with it multiple strategic benefits. Sensor integration into both new and existing product lines supports our ongoing transformation toward smart and sustainable solutions beyond rubber. Products such as hoses will be turned into sensitive detectors and provide real-time information about their condition.”

Dr Gady Konvalina, CEO and Co-Founder, Feelit, said, “Feelit is a technology-driven start-up with an industry agnostic value proposition. To simultaneously address multiple verticals with a mature and differentiated solution, we aim to partner with established technology leaders in such fields to accelerate commercialisation.  Accordingly, we are delighted to have won Continental as an early backer, partner and investor, providing us with operational and industrial expertise.” (TT)

LANXESS, a specialty chemicals company, has successfully placed a six-year-tenor euro benchmark bond with a coupon of 0.0 percent in the European capital market.
The company, with about 14,800 employees in 33 countries, will use the funds to finance the planned acquisition of IFF, a US-based chemical company involved in microbial control.

The new bond is listed on the Luxembourg Stock Exchange in denominations of EUR 1,000.

Michael Pontzen, CFO, LANXESS, said, “We have secured the first step of financing already quickly after the announcement of the acquisition of IFF Microbial Control and are happy about the very receptive reaction of the capital market to our offering.” (TT)

Goodyear has launched its new RT-3B bead-to-bead tread in US and Canada in sizes 20.5R25 and 23.5R25 for off-the-road (OTR) tyres.

The new retread provides all-around performance for loaders and graders. Joining the existing lineup of premium off-the-road Goodyear tyres, the retread provides up to 60 percent savings compared to a new tyre.

Used extensively in gruelling OTR applications, retreading helps extend the life of tyres while delivering high traction and minimal tread wear. Additionally, retreading promotes sustainability by reducing unnecessary waste.

The new Goodyear RT-3B is cured in a mould and press method to generate low heat through long hours of usage via its 115-level tread depth. Strongly cut-resistant in nature, the centerline lugs and open shoulder provides optimal traction.

Loic Ravasio, General Manager, Global and Americas OTR, Goodyear, said, “We are always focused on delivering high value and low cost of ownership to our OTR customers. The RT-3B is a substantial addition to our retread portfolio providing another great option for operators to help drive efficiency, reduce costs and protect the environment.” (TT)

Anshuman Singhania, Dy. Managing Director of JK Tyre, has been appointed managing director of the company, effective October 21,2020.

Anshuman Singhania joined the Company as an Executive and over the years has been deeply involved in various activities of the Company in different positions, said the company.

Singhania is also Vice Chairman of ATMA

He is a graduate from Oxford Brookes University, UK and an alumnus of London Business School. As a young leader, he started his career from the shop floor as an apprentice and has held several positions in Planning, Production, Product Development, Quality Control, Stores & Purchase, Finance as well as Sales & Marketing. Being a techno-savvy person, he has played a key role in implementing the latest technologies in the manufacturing process at JK Tyre.

Yokohama Off-Highway Tires recently held the groundbreaking and foundation stone unveiling ceremony of its new plant at Atchutapuram, Visakhapatnam - Andhra Pradesh, India.

In the online event, Masataka Yamaishi , President & Chairman of the Board, Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd broke the ground to commence construction work.

Yamaishi San unveiled the Foundation Stone virtually in the presence of Atao Kishi San: Chairman - ATC Tires Pvt. Ltd. and Managing Officer - The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd., Nitin Mantri – CEO and Anil Gupta – COO and the leadership team at Yokohama Off-Highway Tires.

The new plant will have a daily production capacity of 55 tons (rubber weight), with planned capital investment totalling US$165 million. The plant, which will be the company’s third plant in India, will manufacture its three brands ALLIANCE, GALAXY and PRIMEX brand tyres.

 Yokohama Off-Highway Tires currently has two tyre plants in India—the Dahej Plant in Gujarat and the Tirunelveli Plant in Tamil Nadu.