Rubber belt production for May totaled 2,003 tons in terms of new-rubber volume, down 3.6 percent from the same month of the previous year, while shipments were valued at 5.6 billion yen ($53.01 million), up 0.6 percent from the previous May. It was the 13th consecutive month of decline in production volume and the first year-on-year increase in shipment value...
Tokai Carbon Co. Ltd. (TYO:5301) announced on July 13 that it will increase the price at which it sells carbon black by 6.5 yen per kilogram for deliveries beginning Aug. 1. The change will apply to all varieties of carbon black the company sells in Japan. In its announcement, Tokai Carbon explained that the price of crude oil used to...
Zeon Corp. (TYO:4205) recently completed its expansion of production capacity at Mizushima Plant, Kurashiki, Okayama Prefecture, for the Quintac series of styrene isoprene (SIS) thermoplastic elastomers and the Zeonex and Zeonor lines of cyclo-olefin polymer (COP), a high-transparency thermoplastic resin. With the enhancements made to the plant, annual SIS production capacity jumps from 42,000 tons to 60,000 tons, while that...
Mazda Motor Corp. (TYO:7261) has selected Geolandar G91 tires by Yokohama Rubber Co. Ltd. (TYO:5101) as original equipment on the company’s new crossover SUV, Mazda CX-4. The cars will be sold in China from June 21, 2016, and will be equipped with 225/55R19 99V size tires. The Geolandar G91 is based on Yokohama Rubber’s Geolandar series for SUVs, featuring the...
On July 1, Asics Japan Corp. launched the DynaFlyte, a new running shoe targeted at ordinary runners. The shoe uses a midsole material that is the most lightweight to date from Asics Corp. (TYO:7936), allowing runners to comfortably up their speed. The sponge material that gives the DynaFlyte its high performance, FlyteFoam, was first used in a midsole in the...
Industrial rubber goods manufacturer Fujikura Rubber Ltd. (TYO:5121) is proactively investing in its existing overseas bases. The company is currently expanding Chinese manufacturing base Anji Fujikura Rubber with a second factory, which will focus on producing diaphragms and other rubber parts for automobiles and motorcycles. Construction is behind schedule due to heavy rain but is set to be complete by...
