Kuraray Plans Major Investment to Build New TPE Factory in Thailand Sep. 19, 2018. - Kuraray Co. Ltd. (TYO:3405) is set to build a new factory in Thailand for the production of thermoplastic elastomers (TPEs) and highly functional resins. Located in the Hemaraj Eastern Industrial Estate, part of Thailand’s Map Ta Phut complex, the new factory is slated for completion at the end of 2021. Kuraray will use the location to provide 13,000 tons of […]
Bridgestone Turns UK Tire Company ETB Into Wholly Owned Subsidiary in New Acquisition Sep. 18, 2018. - Bridgestone Corp. (TYO:5108) recently announced that it has acquired a 100 percent share in the ETB Group, which sells car tires and provides other automotive services across the southwest of the U.K. The share acquisition for this was completed by Bridgestone’s European arm on Sept. 6. The companies have not yet disclosed the amount paid. Looking toward a stronger European […]
Revenue From Construction Equipment Shipments Projected to Rise 1% for 2019 Sep. 3, 2018. - Japan’s construction equipment industry is expected to achieve healthy performance for fiscal 2018–2019, according to a demand forecast recently compiled by the Japan Construction Equipment Manufacturers Association (CEMA). This continues a trend from both fiscal 2017 and early fiscal 2018 wherein sluggish domestic demand has been offset by stronger demand overseas, leading to higher revenues on the whole. Alongside this […]
JRW Study: Japan’s Top 100 Rubber Firms See Rising Sales, Falling Profits for 2017 Aug. 28, 2018. - More than three-quarters of Japan’s top 100 rubber companies saw their sales rise year-on-year in fiscal 2017, an independent study by Japan Rubber Weekly has found. According to the results of this study, 79 of Japan’s top 100 firms operating in the industry reported year-on-year increases to sales, up from 48 in fiscal 2016. Double-digit sales growth was posted by […]
Bridgestone Turns UK Tire Company ETB Into Wholly Owned Subsidiary in New Acquisition Sep. 18, 2018. - Bridgestone Corp. (TYO:5108) recently announced that it has acquired a 100 percent share in the ETB Group, which sells car tires and provides other automotive services across the southwest of the U.K. The share acquisition for this was completed by Bridgestone’s European arm on Sept. 6. The companies have not yet disclosed the amount paid. Looking toward a stronger European […]
Pirelli Japan Launches New Line of Studless Winter Tires Using Soft Tread Compound Sep. 13, 2018. - Pirelli Japan Co. Ltd. has this month begun a sequential launch for its new line of studless winter tires, Ice Asimmetrico Plus. The Ice Asimmetrico Plus series has seen Pirelli Japan adopt a soft, durable new compound based on material used in the company’s existing Ice Asimmetrico line. By then improving the mixture and distribution of materials such as silica, […]
Cooper Standard Targets Growth in Japanese Market via New Facilities Sep. 12, 2018. - Looking to bolster its business in the Japanese market, Cooper-Standard Holdings Inc. has opened a new local headquarters and engineering center in Yokohama for the company’s Japanese arm. As a U.S.-based manufacturer of auto parts, Cooper Standard holds a leading share in the global market for sealing systems. Dealings with Japanese manufacturers currently make up less than 5 percent of […]
Toyox Adds Two New Sizes to Lineup of Plastic Hoses for Food Industry Sep. 6, 2018. - Plastic hose manufacturer Toyox Co. Ltd. has launched sales of two new hose sizes under its Toyofoods-S lineup, which has earned itself a strong reputation in the food industry. The move comes in response to high industry demand for large-diameter hoses. More specifically, the company has added hoses with internal diameters of 75 millimeters and 100 millimeters. This comes on […]Kuraray Plans Major Investment to Build New TPE Factory in Thailand Sep. 19, 2018. - Kuraray Co. Ltd. (TYO:3405) is set to build a new factory in Thailand for the production of thermoplastic elastomers (TPEs) and highly functional resins. Located in the Hemaraj Eastern Industrial Estate, part of Thailand’s Map Ta Phut complex, the new factory is slated for completion at the end of 2021. Kuraray will use the location to provide 13,000 tons of […]
Shin-Etsu Chemical Plans 110B Yen of Capital Investment for Silicones Business Sep. 14, 2018. - Shin-Etsu Chemical Co. Ltd. (TYO:4063), a major player in the market for polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and silicone products, recently announced that it is looking to invest nearly 110 billion yen ($982.1 million) into facilities for its silicones business. These investments will be implemented in stages over approximately the next two and a half years, with the company improving its capacity […]
Interview: Toyoda Gosei President Highlights Plans for Lighter, Quieter EVs Feb. 15, 2018. - Sitting down for a recent interview with Japan Rubber Weekly, Toyoda Gosei Co. Ltd. (TYO:7282) President Naoki Miyazaki said that the automotive industry is entering a massive, once-in-a-century turning point. Such a shake-up to business is an opportunity for growth, he said. Miyazaki spoke on the impact of electrification and Toyoda Gosei’s strategy to deal with it, saying that although […]Tigers Polymer President Kentaro Watanabe Eyes Increased Sales, Production for 2018 Feb. 9, 2018. - Tigers Polymer Corp. (TYO:4231) President Kentaro Watanabe recently sat down with Japan Rubber Weekly to talk about his company’s overseas operations for 2017 and where he expects to see things go here moving forward. Sales for the industrial rubber and resin products manufacturer are generally in good shape across the Americas, Southeast Asia and China, Watanabe said, particularly in China. […]
Air Water Develops Highly Heat-Resistant FKM O-Ring Sep. 10, 2018. - Air Water Inc. (TYO:4088) has developed a highly heat-resistant new O-ring using general-purpose fluororubber (FKM). This was achieved via efforts from subsidiary Air Water Mach Inc., which produces and and sells O-rings in addition to other sealing products. The new product combines fluororubber with Zeonano SG101, a series of single-walled carbon nanotubes that Zeon Corp. (TYO:4205) produces via the super-growth […]
Yokohama Rubber Develops Double-Tube Internal Heat Exchanger for Cars Sep. 5, 2018. - Yokohama Rubber Co. Ltd. (TYO:5101) recently announced that it has developed a double-tube internal heat exchanger (IHX) that offers improved cooling efficiency for automotive air conditioning systems. The product has already been adopted in the new Jeep Wrangler and Jeep Compass. While conventional IHX systems use two separate refrigerant tubes, Yokohama Rubber’s new offering partially integrates these. This allows the […]
Rubber Hose Production up 5.4% for First Half on Back of Strong Demand for High-Pressure Hoses Sep. 7, 2018. - Rubber hose operations in Japan have achieved growth in both production volume and revenues for the first half of calendar 2018, according to new results compiled by the Japan Rubber Hose Manufacturers Association. In terms of the volume of new rubber, production was up 5.4 percent year-on-year to end at 19,111 tons for the half, while shipment value rose 2.8 […]
Revenue From Construction Equipment Shipments Projected to Rise 1% for 2019 Sep. 3, 2018. - Japan’s construction equipment industry is expected to achieve healthy performance for fiscal 2018–2019, according to a demand forecast recently compiled by the Japan Construction Equipment Manufacturers Association (CEMA). This continues a trend from both fiscal 2017 and early fiscal 2018 wherein sluggish domestic demand has been offset by stronger demand overseas, leading to higher revenues on the whole. Alongside this […]
