ERJ Top 10 Technology Stories

ERJ focus on significant developments and advances in rubber materials, processing and application technologies:

Continental developing aquaplaning warning system

AUTOMOTIVE – Conti engineers are developing an aquaplaning alert system that uses signals from surround-view cameras and tire-mounted electronic sensors to warn the vehicle's driver and engage active stabilisation measures. Read more

Facebook's privacy problem in the era of self-driving car

AUTOMOTIVE – All eyes were on Washington as Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg faced Congress to answer for the widespread data-sharing controversy involving political data firm Cambridge Analytica. At one point Tuesday, Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., asked Zuckerberg, "Would you be comfortable sharing with us the name of the hotel you stayed in last night?   Read more

HF boss has high hopes for new TBM technology

MACHINERY  -  With 23 years’ experience in the tire industry, Markus Wachter joined the Hamburg-based HF Group in 2016, as executive vice president extrusion & tire building machine technology. The appointment meant a move from tire-making to making machinery for Wachter... Read more

Dow unveils three new LSR technologies

MATERIALS – Dow Medical Solutions, part of DowDuPont’s Specialty Products Division has advanced three new liquid silicone rubber (LSR) technologies—two grades of its QP1-33XX LSR and a new QP1-5040 self-adhesive LSR grade.  Read more

Kobe sees growing demand for challenging technologies

MACHINERY – Kobe Steel expects a significant increase in sales of tire and rubber machinery this year, due to “aggressive” orders over the past 12 months, company executives said in an interview with ERJ. Sales of tire and rubber machinery for the Tokyo-based company’s previous financial year came in at $192 million. Read more

Dichtomatik offers new range of FFKM sealing products

MATERIALS – DichtomatikLtd is offering a new range of DuPont Kalrez 7375 perfluoroelastomer O-ring components, designed to provide high temperature as well as broad chemical and water/steam resistance properties. Based on DuPont Kalrez 7375, the sealing products are said to be suitable for applications in the “most demanding” industrial and chemical fields of operation. Read more

Will tire makers ever see the light?

COMMENT – Electric vehicles, connected mobility and autonomous driving, are forecast by many to radically change the way we all travel around in the not-too-distant future. While there is clearly an element of hype around connected mobility, there seems little doubt that some big changes are on the way…  Read more

Elkem showcases new medical HCRs

MATERIALS – The firm continues to invest for medical grade silicones for long-term implantable applications at its facility in York. Most recently, it upgraded its high-consistency rubber silicone Class 7 and 8 clean rooms in 2017. Both recently were certified in February, giving the firm four clean rooms at the facility, the other two for liquid silicone rubber applications...  Read more

Kuraray’s liquid rubber enhances ice grip

Tokyo — Speciality chemicals producer Kuraray Co. Ltd. has developed a reactive liquid rubber that it claims can be used in tread compounds to enhance the ice-grip performance of winter tires. The material, liquid farnesene rubber (LFR), is described as a diene monomer developed in partnership with US biotech company Amyris Inc. through the fermentation of sugar cane... Read more

Toyo ‘nano’ process could cut truck/bus tire rolling resistance

TIRES — Toyo Tire & Rubber Co. Ltd. is heralding an advancement in rubber compounding technology that it claims will yield measurable reductions in rolling resistance in truck tires. The tire maker anticipates having a commercially viable truck/bus tire using the technology on the market within a year...   Read more