Bando Chemical has invested in Inaho, a company that provides services for manufacturers focusing on automated agricultural harvesting robots using AI. With the mission of making farming more sustainable with technology, Inaho is a startup company that supports the resolution of management issues in agriculture through the use of AI and Robotics. To this end, it is working on the...
Yokohama Rubber will expand the production line for motorsports tires in sizes larger than 18 inches at its Mishima Plant in Japan’s Shizuoka Prefecture. With an investment of around 3.8 billion yen ($24.3 million), production capacity will be increased by 35%. Construction of the expanded production line is scheduled to begin in the third quarter of 2024, with production starting...
Bridgestone has begun research and development of tire materials utilizing NanoTerasu, a 3GeV high-brilliance synchrotron radiation facility located on the new Aobayama Campus of Tohoku University. NanoTerasu utilizes soft X-rays, which are suitable for observing polymer materials such as rubber, to observe polymer materials widely used in tire products on a molecular scale. By understanding the characteristics of polymer materials...
Sumitomo Rubber has succeeded in observing the fine structure of the sulfur-based cathode active material of the lithium sulfur (LiS) battery it is developing, using latest measurement technology at NanoTerasu, a 3 GeV high-brilliance synchrotron radiation facility. The observation was conducted jointly with Tohoku University. In addition to the prospects for LiS batteries, which are expected to improve in performance...
Denka is considering to decide on drastic measures for its chloroprene rubber (CR) business by the end of 2024. President Toshio Imai will “consider all options,” centered on a close examination of optimal production capacity, including capacity reductions. The environment surrounding the CR business is severe. While the supply-demand balance has eased significantly since the latter half of fiscal 2022,...
Sumitomo Rubber and Khon Kaen University, a national university in Thailand, have concluded an agreement on joint research on rubber tree tissue culture technology, and held a signing ceremony. The purpose of the research is to analyze data on the plant physiological response of rubber tree and to elucidate the mechanism that leads to improved yields. This will accelerate efforts...
