Special Update on CR Manufacturers (Part 2)

(Continued from part 1 published Dec. 23, 2015)   Showa Denko K.K (TYO:4004) will continue strengthening its sales strategy for chloroprene rubber (CR) in the U.S. The company has had a joint CR production venture in the U.S. with E.I. du Pont de Nemours and Company (DuPont) and has led the industry in meeting user needs for discontinued DuPont grades and...

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Special Update on CR Manufacturers (Part 1)

Total chloroprene rubber (CR) production remained firm through early autumn. According to Denka Co. Ltd. (TYO:4061), production was somewhat sluggish in part because of a slump in domestic automobile manufacturing volume, although business performance was robust in China. Factors elsewhere in Asia, meanwhile, included weak domestic demand in Thailand, and stabilization at low levels in Europe. Domestic CR operations at...

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Japanese Tire Demand Volume Ends Year Down 4%

Domestic demand for tires is expected to amount to 118.55 million tires for 2015, 4 percent fewer than the previous year, according to the Japan Automobile Tire Manufacturers Association (JATMA). The decrease was caused by lower vehicle production volume. The forecast for 2016, meanwhile, calls for a 1 percent annual increase to 119.2 million tires. ■ Assumptions behind the demand...

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October Motor Vehicle Production Down Slightly

The number of motor vehicles produced in Japan in October 2015 was approximately 813,000, a 0.5 percent drop over the same month of the previous year and the 16th consecutive month that the figure had fallen against the previous year, according to the Japan Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (JAMA). Passenger car production was approximately 690,000 vehicles, the first increase—albeit a slight...

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2015 a Year of New Material Development Technologies (Part 2)

(Continued from part 1 published Dec. 18, 2015)   Yokohama Rubber Co. Ltd. (TYO:5101) has developed a multi-objective design exploration technology enabling innovative new ideas in rubber materials design that have not been derived from conventional methods. The goal is to take a fresh approach to developing high-performance tires that excel in terms of fuel economy and safety, while also delivering...

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Sumitomo Riko Holds Opening Ceremony at Thai Subsidiary

Sumitomo Riko Co. Ltd. (TYO:5191) held a ceremony in Thailand to mark the opening of SumiRiko Chemical and Plastic Products (Thailand) Ltd. (SRK-CP). A subsidiary of Sumitomo Riko in Rayong Province, SRK-CP manufactures and sells precision parts for office equipment. Tetsu Matsui, Sumitomo Riko president and COO, said at the ceremony, which took place in early November, that he hopes...

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