Kobe Steel exits tire testing machinery business

Kobe, Japan – Kobe Steel Ltd has withdrawn from the tire testing machinery business following a review of its machinery business portfolio.

The Japanese group has transferred the business to long-time partner Nagahama Seisakusho Co., a manufacturer of balancing machines for sectors such as automotive, home appliances and industrial machinery.

In a statement 12 Sept, Kobe said it entered into a sales cooperation agreement with Nagahama Seisakusho in early 2000s, mainly focusing on activities in China.

The partnership included the sales of dynamic balancer devices for tire production lines along with uniformity machines for tire manufacturing lines.

With the decision to exit the tire testing equipment business, Kobe said it had transferred production, sales, and after-sales services for new uniformity machines for tire production lines to Nagahama.

The transfer also includes after-sales services for some of the group’s existing uniformity machines for tire production lines, said Kobe in a Japanese-language statement.

Kobe said it will no longer manufacture or sell new tire testing machines, and plans to “gradually end” after-sales service for its tire testing machines that will not be transferred to the Nagahama plant.

Furthermore, the Japanese group said it aimed to continue and develop its tire and rubber machinery products.

These it said, include rubber kneading machines and rubber sheet extrusion machines, which form “an important part of our machinery business division”.