Bridgestone Soft Robotics Ventures Exhibits at Smart Factory Expo Sep. 29, 2023. - Bridgestone Soft Robotics Ventures exhibited for the first time at the Smart Factory Expo during the Factory Innovation Week held at Makuhari Messe from September 13 to 15. In conjunction with the exhibition, the company’s booth featured demonstrations of parts picking and other factory operations, including a demonstration in which a single soft robotic hand was used to deliver four […]Kohshin Rubber Signs Disaster Prevention Agreement With Miyagi Prefecture Sep. 29, 2023. - Kohshin Rubber concluded a disaster prevention agreement with Miyagi Prefecture to strengthen emergency measures in the event of a disaster. Under the agreement, Kohshin Rubber will supply Miyagi Prefecture with rubber and vinyl products such as rubber boots, raincoats, and rubber gloves in the event of a large-scale disaster occurring or threatening to occur in Miyagi Prefecture, and Miyagi Prefecture […]
Bridgestone Soft Robotics Ventures Exhibits at Smart Factory Expo Sep. 29, 2023. - Bridgestone Soft Robotics Ventures exhibited for the first time at the Smart Factory Expo during the Factory Innovation Week held at Makuhari Messe from September 13 to 15. In conjunction with the exhibition, the company’s booth featured demonstrations of parts picking and other factory operations, including a demonstration in which a single soft robotic hand was used to deliver four […]Kohshin Rubber Signs Disaster Prevention Agreement With Miyagi Prefecture Sep. 29, 2023. - Kohshin Rubber concluded a disaster prevention agreement with Miyagi Prefecture to strengthen emergency measures in the event of a disaster. Under the agreement, Kohshin Rubber will supply Miyagi Prefecture with rubber and vinyl products such as rubber boots, raincoats, and rubber gloves in the event of a large-scale disaster occurring or threatening to occur in Miyagi Prefecture, and Miyagi Prefecture […]
Goodyear Announces Premium Products for Asia-Pacific Region Sep. 25, 2023. - Goodyear announced premium products for the Asia-Pacific region at an event on September 12 themed around its history of 125 years. It also highlighted its history of industry-leading innovation and announced an increased commitment to an even more sustainable Better Future going forward. The new products announced include the Eagle F1 Asymmetric 6 luxury sport tire, the Wrangler DuraTrac RT […]Bridgestone Obtains ISCC PLUS Certification at Four Tire Plants in Japan Sep. 21, 2023. - Bridgestone has acquired ISCC PLUS certification, one of the international certifications for sustainable products, at its four tire plants in Japan: Kurume, Tosu, Tochigi, and Hikone. This is the first time for tire plants in Japan to receive ISCC PLUS certification. ISCC PLUS certification is a system that ensures that raw materials derived from renewable and recycled resources, such as […]
Nishikawa Rubber Sales up 21.5% in First Quarter Sep. 1, 2023. - Automotive rubber parts maker Nishikawa Rubber reported first quarter (April-June) net sales of 27.39 billion yen ($187.90 million), up 21.5% year-on-year, operating income of 731 million yen (compared to a loss of 379 million yen in the same period last year), ordinary income of 1.74 billion yen, up 286.2%, and net income of 1.33 billion yen, up 426.9%. The company […]
Okamoto Posts 12.1% Sales Growth in First Quarter Aug. 28, 2023. - Okamoto reported a 12.1% year-on-year rise in sales to 25.28 billion yen ($172.75 million), a 26.5% rise in operating income to 2.2 billion yen, a 27.7% rise in ordinary income to 3.27 billion yen, and a 68.5% rise in net income to 2.74 billion yen for the first quarter of this fiscal year (April-June 2023). By segment, sales of industrial-use […]
Dow Starts Operations at New MDI Distillation and Prepolymer Facility Sep. 27, 2023. - Dow began operations at a new MDI distillation and prepolymer facility at Dow’s global manufacturing site in Freeport, Texas. The investment will optimize the company’s existing asset infrastructure and strengthen Dow’s position in high-growth applications in the automotive, construction, consumer, and industrial markets. The new MDI facility in Freeport will replace existing North American production capacity in Laporte, Texas, and […]
Tosoh Logistics Takes Delivery of New Ethylene Carrier Sep. 11, 2023. - Tosoh Group member Tosoh Logistics took delivery of a new ethylene carrier, the Kayo, on August 17. Ethylene is extremely flammable and combustible, and therefore, adequate safety measures must be taken. The new vessel will ensure continuing safe and stable transport in response to the aging of existing vessels. The Kayo is one of the few special vessels in Japan […]
Interview With Zeon’s New President Tetsuya Toyoshima Sep. 13, 2023. - Japan Rubber Weekly sat down for an interview with Tetsuya Toyoshima, who assumed the position of president of Zeon Corporation on June 29. Toyoshima is set to focus on products with special characteristics that can only be produced by Zeon, and will also promote initiatives for carbon neutrality and work styles. In the elastomer materials business division, which focuses on […]Top Interview With Mitsuboshi Belting President Hiroshi Ikeda Aug. 15, 2023. - Mitsuboshi Belting has been working on business and management reforms, including global production reorganization, strengthening of the logistics system, and digital transformation (DX) human resource development. Japan Rubber Weekly sat down for an interview with President Hiroshi Ikeda about the progress of reforms, the current status of new product and technology development and business performance. On current business performance and […]
Research Group Succeeds in Measuring Carbon Particle and Polymer Movement in Rubber Sep. 15, 2023. - Using tire rubber as a sample, a joint industry-academia research group has succeeded in measuring the movement of carbon particles, one of the fillers used in tire rubber, and polymers with a time resolution of 890 nanoseconds (one billionth of a second), the fastest in the world. The group includes Hiroyuki Kishimoto, Director of the Analysis Center, Research and Development […]Toyoda Gosei Develops AI-based System for Truck Loading Capacity Sep. 7, 2023. - Toyoda Gosei has developed a system that uses AI to automate the calculation of truck loading capacity in order to improve transportation efficiency during product delivery, and has begun operating the system at its Miyoshi Distribution Center in Miyoshi City, Aichi Prefecture. The system is expected to reduce the number of truck trips by approximately 4,400 per year, leading to […]
Yokohama Rubber Donates 40 Tires to Mie Prefecture for Use on Vaccine Transport Vehicles Jun. 18, 2021. - Yokohama Rubber Co. Ltd.’s (TYO:5101) Mie Plant has donated 40 tires for vaccine transport vehicles to Mie Prefecture, providing these on June 1. This comes as part of the plant’s efforts to help out the local community and support medical countermeasures against COVID-19. The donated tires have been fitted to official vehicles used for transporting COVID-19 vaccines to hospitals, health […]Bando Chemical Offers Employees Paid Leave for COVID-19 Vaccination Jun. 10, 2021. - Bando Chemical Industries Ltd. (TYO:5195) is bringing in special paid leave days for its employees to get vaccinated against COVID-19. By providing this paid leave, the transportation and conveyor belts manufacturer aims to reduce health risks from COVID-19 and help prevent its spread. However, the company will only recommend vaccination rather than require it, leaving it up to each individual […]
Zeon Posts Q1 Results, Sees Declines in Sales and Profit Jul. 31, 2023. - Zeon reported a 5.8% year-on-year decline in net sales to 91.9 billion yen ($648.9 million), a 43.0% drop in operating income to 6.1 billion yen, a 35.8% drop in ordinary income to 8.3 billion yen, and a 33.0% drop in net income to 5.8 billion yen for the first quarter of the year ending March 2024. In the elastomer materials […]
METI Report: Shipment Value of Rubber Products up 5.1% in 2022 Mar. 2, 2023. - According to the Feb. 14 report on rubber product production and shipments published by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI), the total value of rubber product shipments in 2022 (January-December) was 2.3 trillion yen ($22.72 billion), up 5.1% from the previous year, marking the second consecutive year of year-on-year growth. By product category, the value of rubber products […]
