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a set of tyres or wheels to the value of R5000,00 courtesy of Autoquip

Could the global OTR tyre shortage resurface?

One-on-One with founders of Nitralife, Rob and Tom Sowry

Michelin and Pirelli go green

Continental’s World Cup splendour

New OTR tyre from Michelin

Foc

us

on

oTR

TYR

Es

Be Truck Smart

For more information contact Bandag - Tel: +27 11 439 6000 Fax: +27 11 506 8717 www.bandag.co.za

BTS SA Treads Ad.indd 1 1/26/09 3:27:43 PM

Editor LianaShaw

Technical consultant WrayShaw

Reproduction DianevanNoort

Printing TYPO

–ColourPrintingSpecialists

Distribution PrestigeBulkMailers

Advertising LianaShaw

Contentsone-on-oneFoundersofNitralife–RobandTomSowry.......................................... 3

Focus on oTR TyresJustwhenwethoughttheglobaltyreshortageintheOTR(offtheroad)sectorthatbroughttheminingandconstructiontoitskneeswasathingofthepast,murmurstotheeffectthatmanycountriesarereboundingaftertheglobalrecession...................................................................... 9

Industry newsBOTOappointsTransafricaasExclusiveDistributor............................. 19ChemvulcInnovatingnewproductsforRetreaders............................... 20

Manufacturing MichelinlaunchesnewtyreforEarthmovermarket.............................. 24Dunlopdoesitagain!............................................................................. 24ApolloSAreceivesTS16949certification............................................ 24Ifthetyreislackingairitreachesforthephone.................................... 25

EventsMichelingoesgreeninRio.................................................................... 28Pirelligoesgreenbutbluecomesouttops!.......................................... 33

conti cornerWorldCupsplendour–Continentalstyle!............................................ 30

Dealer Profile Sizedoesn’tcount!AutoquipAlbertondefiestheodds........................ 36

Talking TyresFuturetechnology–Revolutionratherthanevolution........................... 41

Goodyear newsIsthistheMTRofalltyres?.................................................................... 46

World newsPirelliFormulaOnetestscontinueinfrance.......................................... 49ApollotoInvestinDutch,SATyrePlants.............................................. 49Budgettyrescouldkill,butatleastthey’requiet................................... 50

competition, subscription, Website ........................................ 52

A note from

the editorHavingrecentlyacquiredanextensive

data base of mining houses in South

Africa, Zimbabwe, Zambia and

Namibia, we’re excited to announce

that we will be paying far more

attention to the OTR market in this

issueandthosetocome.

We begin with a feature story

outlining some of the challenges

facing this specialised sector, among

them, another impending global tyre

shortage, rising raw material prices

and the contentious issue of Chinese OTR makes and their role in this

segment.Thelocalindustryalongwithendusersandrepresentationfrom

the imported tyre contingent, weigh in as they give us their take on the

situation.

OurcoverageoftheOTRmarketcontinueswithanewOTRproductfrom

Michelinandtheofficialannouncementofyetanotherexclusivitydistribution

arrangementdrawnupbyaChinesetyremakerandalocaldistributor.

Onamore light-heartednote,BruceCarolin takesusona trip toRiode

JaneirotoattendMichelin’shistoricBibendumChallengewhileItestthenew

eco-friendlyPirelliCinturatoP7,Amazing-Race-style.Ashighlightedinmy

storyonpage33,allcreditmustgotoPirelliTyreSAfortheconceptionand

organisationofsuchaningeniousevent.Theplanningallegedlytookthree

months, with no detail left unattended in the interests of staging a press

eventunlikeanyother.

Andaswebidasadfarewelltothe2010FIFASoccerWorldCup,webring

yousomehighlightscourtesyofofficialsponsor,ContinentalTyreSA.They

certainlyrosetotheoccasioninhonourofthismomentousoccasionand

theirofficialparticipation,byhostingaworld-classpromotionalpackagethat

spannedfourweeks.Wewereprivilegedtoenjoyapartofthiswiththem,

startingwiththeopeninggame,SAvsMexico,adayIshallneverforget!

ToBridgestoneSA,anotherheartfeltthanksfortransportingustothesemi-

final in Durban (Spain vs Germany) at the awe-inspiring Moses Madiba

stadium.WelldoneSouthAfrica,youdidusproud!

I n t r o d u c t i o n • 1

Publishers SkyPublicationscc

POBox702

Douglasdale,2165

Tel: (011)6580011

Fax: (011)6580010

Cell: 0828516777

E-mail: satreads@mweb.co.za

Website: www.satreads.co.za

FrontCover:CourtesyTyrecor/Infinity

O n e - o n - O n e • 3

One-on-Onewith

Founders of nitralife – Rob and Tom Sowry

Robhadbeenanavid supporterof themeritsofnitrogen tyre inflation,

afterfirst readingabout it inNewAgeRubber (US) in1968.Thearticle

that piqued his interest back then outlined numerous scientific benefits

of oxygen-free air but with only gas cylinders available in the 60s, the

prospectofturninghisideaintorealityseemedbleak.

Yearslater,whenanAirLiquiderepresentativehappenedtomentionthat

theypossessedanitrogenmachinetheydidnotknowwhattodowith,Rob

jumpedatit.Theyearwas1995andRobwasthenco-founderandactive

shareholderinMaxiprestTyreswhentheidearesurfacedafterthischance

encounter.Thistimehewasdeterminedtotakeitfurther.

Anideathatwasbornasfarbackas1968was

only to bear fruit some 40 years later when

its founder, tyre man Rob Sowry, eventually

decidedtoactivelypursueit.

RobSowry

TomSowry

NITRALIFE SA (PTY) LTDTel: + 27 11 706 7884/8 Fax: +27 11 706 5713Email: info@nitralife.co.za www.nitralife.co.za

“ New tyre mileage improved 11.6%. Casing lives increased from 3-4. Pressure retention improved by 13%.” – Fast ’n Fresh

“ Marked decrease in monthly tyre costs, being below tyre costs of previous 3 years.” – Kempston Truck Hire

“ Nitrogen has definite advantages over air, and we recommend the use of Nitrogen.” – Bridgestone OTP Division

INFLATE YOUR TYRES WITH

NITROGEN

SaleS repS needed

4 • O n e - o n - O n e

Fourteenyearslater,the‘IdeasMan’hasbeenhandsomelyrewarded

forhisforesightandeffortsalongthewayinbringinghisconceptto

fruition.

WemetupwithRobandsonTomSowry,SalesDirectorofNitralife

whochronicledtheirprogressandthephenomenalsuccessof their

enterprise.

Q. Rob, how did you go about developing your idea into a sustainable

business?

Isetthewheelsinmotionbyapproachingawellrespectedtransport

operation which agreed to try out the nitrogen in tyres concept on

atrialbasisontheprovisothattheywerenotexpectedtopayforit.

ThepilotprojectranatUnitransTulisaParkwiththeCorobrikfleet(15

trucks)where theywerescrappingasmanyas30 tyrespermonth.

SufficetosayIworkeddayandnighttoconvertthefleetandprove

to all-and-sundry that the concept had merit. Within 8 months the

scraptyreratehaddippedtobelow15tyresamonth,translatinginto

aremarkablesavingofaroundR30000.00permonth!Basedonthis

successful outcome, the transport company – Unitrans – agreed to

rentthisfirstmachine.

Next came the gruelling task of convincing my then fellow board

membersatMaxipresttoembracethenitrogenintyresconceptasa

wayofdifferentiatingourselvesfromourcompetitors.Allbutonewas

infavourofpursuingitbutaswecouldn’treachtotalconsensus,the

opposingpartysuggestedIpursueitsingle-handed.SoIdid.

Nitralife began operating in 1996 as a dedicated company whose

corebusinesswasthemarketing,rentalandlater,saleofnitrogentyre

inflationequipment.

Q. On which sector of the market did you first focus your attention?

RoBMistakenly,webeganwiththelargenationaltruckingfleets,a

somewhatfrustratingdecisionintheendduetoalltheredtapethat

surrounds these big organisations. In contrast, private transport

companiescanmakeswiftdecisionsandareriskingtheirownmoney,

so I guess you could say that the private transport sector laid the

foundationforabusinesswhichwastogrowbeyondallexpectations.

Q. How much of your current turnover is made up of private

transport companies?

ToMIwouldestimatethat80%-90%ofourtotalturnoverismadeup

oftheprivatetransportsector.

Q. When did you first start marketing nitrogen inflation to the retail

sector?

ToMFromthebeginningbuttheturningpointcamein2002when

4 • O n e - o n - O n e

TigerWheel&Tyreagreedtotakea trialmachinefor itsSandtonoutlet.

Nitrogensalessoared inthatstoreprecipitatingawiderfollowingamong

TigerWheel&Tyre stores. From thatpointon,notonlydidTWTbegin

advertisingnitrogeninflationquiteextensively,thegroupembarkedonan

educationdriveaimedattheconsumeronthemeritsofnitrogeninflation.

Before long, the Autoquip group of companies was hot on its heels,

followedbyasuccessionofmorethan400tyredealersacrossthecountry,

someindependentandotherscompany-ownedorfranchised.

Of course, the reason behind

nitrogen’s growing success among

the retail trade is not only to mirror

successfulretailchains likeTWT,but

moreimportantlybecausedealersare

becoming increasingly aware of the

GPsgeneratedthroughnitrogensales.

RoB I’mhappytosaythatnitrogen

intyreshasbecomeaprettystandard

offeringintheindustry.

Q. Did the nitrogen offering spill

over into other sectors?

RoB Currently and for the near

foreseeable future,mostofour time

isspentservicingtheminingsector.

ToM We can hardly keep up with

thedemand(chuckles).

RoB The fatal accident that occurred at a major mine in February this

year,wherebyatyreexploded,killingtheoperator,hasre-awakenedkeen

interest fromthemines(allofwhicharesafety-conscious),withmanyof

them asking for nitrogen units to be installed in order to prevent such

occurrencesinthefuture.

Theaccidentresultedinaseriesofmeetingswiththetyreindustrytoassess

possiblepreventionstrategies,withnitrogenfeaturingquiteheavilyinthe

discussions.

ToMNoonecandenythatnitrogenworks.There’senoughdataoutthere

tosupportthat,somuchso,thatevenleadingnewtyremanufacturersare

nowactivelypromotingittominingoperations.

RoBIntheopencastminingsector,there’shardlyaminetodaygoingout

ontenderthatdoesn’thaveanitrogenunit.

For Nitralife, this is very encouraging as we’re now at the point where

peoplearecallingusforthisservice.

Q. I believe there are other players in the market selling nitrogen in

tyres?

RoBYes,thereareafew,butforthem,nitrogenisjustanadd-on.Forus,

it’sourcorebusiness.Wewerethepioneersofnitrogeninflation,notonly

inSouthAfricabutthroughouttheworld,Ibelieve.

Q. Who manufactures your nitrogen units?

RoBOurmachinesaremanufacturedincollaborationwiththeParkerHannifin

Corporation,themembranesareproducedinHollandwiththebalanceofthe

partsbeingsourcedthroughthenetworkofParker’smanufacturingglobally.In

Africa,theNitralifeproductismarketedsolelybyNitralifeSA(Pty)Ltd.

Our association with them has been a huge success, boosting our

competitiveedgewithadvancedsuperior technologyandenablingus to

maintainconsistentandstablepricinginthelastsixyears.

Q. Which are the most popular – rentals or sales?

ToMWehaveanequalmixofboth.Rentalsareobviouslyveryattractive

inthattheydon’trequireraisingfinancingandthey’retaxdeductible,but

ideally,owningtheequipmentremainsthemorepopularoption.

It is common for companies that are renting units from us to ask for a

settlementoncethey’veseentheresults. Imaginethis: lessthanonecar

O n e - o n - O n e • 5

AboutParkerHannifinWithannualsalesexceedingUS$10

billion,ParkerHannifinistheworld’s

leading diversified manufacturer of

motion and control technologies

and systems, providing precision-

engineered solutions for a wide

variety of mobile, industrial and

aerospace markets. Traded on the

NewYorkStockExchangeunderthe

symbol “PH”, Parker is strategically

diversified, value-driven and

positioned for global growth as the

industryconsolidatorandsupplierof

choice.

nEW FRoM nITRALIFE

EntertheTYRESAVERThenewhand-heldTyreSaver3.0(launchedatTyrexpoAfrica inMarch),

ismadefortyreswith5-barpressureandless.ParkerHannifinclaimsthe

unitwillinflatesome12000cartyresbeforethemembraneneedstobe

replaced.Thesellingprice for thisunit (including twooil andwaterpre-

filters)isR11400.00+VAT.

6 • O n e - o n - O n e

onnitrogenadaywillpayfortherentalofthemachine!It’sano-lose

situation.Lastyearalone,weconvertedabout20rentalsintosales.

RoBNitralifealsooffersafinanceoptionforthose interested in

purchasingunits.

Q. What does a standard installation cost?

ToMYou’relookingataroundR66000includingallpre-filtration

for a truck installation and about R32 000 for a passenger tyre

installation.MonthlyrentalscanrangefromR1600toR5000,or

moredependingontheoperation–cartyrestominingtyres.

Q. So what’s next on the horizon for Nitralife?

ToMWe’reproudtoannounceaveryexcitingdevelopmentthat

willseenitrogeninflationenteringthemainstream.Anationaldeal

hasbeenstruckbetweenNitralifeandPetroleumgiant,TotalSouth

Africathatwillsoonmakeanitrogentop-upserviceavailabletothe

averagemanonthestreetwhentheyvisitaTotalservicestation.

This is a strategic step on the part of Total in recognition of the

valueofrepeatbusiness.Weknowthatonceamotoristhasseen

the benefits of nitrogen inflation – longer tyre mileage, less heat

buildup,noneedforregularinflation(nitrogengas,byvirtueofits

composition,doesnotescapeoutofthetyreaseasilyasair)–he

orshewillundoubtedlychoosetofillupataservicestationthatcan

providethisservice,asopposedtoonethatwon’t.

Q. When is the expected roll-out for this?

As this is virgin territory forbothNitralife andTotal, theprocess

has takena little longer thanexpected,however,wehope tosee

the project implemented from September 2010 at participating

Totalservicestations

Q. Rob, it must be gratifying to witness your big idea materialise

into such a grand reality.

RoB It isextremely rewarding. I feelvindicated thatwe’vebeen

abletoprovetothemarketthatnitrogeninflationworks!

Mynewgoalnowisforalltyrestorunonnitrogenoneday.

ToMMyprimarygoalistobuildasuccessfulcompany,toknow

thatthiswasnotjustagoodideathatfellbythewaysidebutrather

awell-structured, income-generatingsolutionforusaswellasfor

theconsumer.

ItwouldseemRob’sundeniablebeliefandpassionforhisproduct,

coupled with Tom’s strong business acumen are just the right

combination to propel this successful family business into the

future.

Prof. fred Cawood, Head, School of Mining Engineering, cordially invites you to attend a

ONE DAY conference on:

oTr TYreS for MINING aNd earTHMoVING ProJeCTS – aPPLICaTIoN, MaINTeNaNCe

aNd MaNaGeMeNT

Hear froM THe BeST! LeaderS IN THe oTr TYre fIeLd SHare THeIr MaNaGeMeNT STraTeGIeS!

Topics will cover: OTR Tyres in the booming mining industry. Tyre global production capacity and supply. Tyre application

and advanced Tyre selection. Tyre strategic management principles. Advanced tyre maintenance systems. Methods for prolonging tyre life span, reducing cost and downtime.

Prof. ZVI BorowITSH will lead a panel of International Experts and Academics. Presenters from the following

companies will present case studies and papers: Debswana, Michelin, Kumba Iron Ore, Bridgestone SA,

Goodyear Tyre Company SA, and OTR/Kal Tyres.

Date: Monday, October 18, 2010Cost: R2 500.00 (excl VAT) per delegateVenue: Sunnyside Park Hotel, Parktown, JohannesburgWho should attend: Mining Companies, Civil Engineering Industries, Earth Moving Equipment companies: Company and Project Managers, Mining and Civil Engineers, Logistics managers, Fleet and Maintenance Managers, and heavy earth moving equipment supervisors.

C O N F E R E N C E I N V I T A T I O N

The School of Mining Engineering

University of the Witwatersrand

To register please contact: Judy Blom 011 717 9371. Email: Judy.blom@wits.ac.za or visit our website: www.witsenterprise.co.za

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We focus on excellence in every single tyre.In everything we do, we focus on providing superior quality and safety, on constant

innovations, environmentally friendly concepts and performance under the most

demanding conditions. But above all, we always focus on putting all our knowledge

and all our effort into every single tyre.

www.bridgestone.co.za

For your nearest Bridgestone Authorised Dealer, visit our website atBridgestone South Africa

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8 • O n e - o n - O n e F o c u s o n O T R T y r e s • 9

global oTR shortage could resurface

Just when we thought the global tyre

shortageintheOTR(offtheroad)sector

thatbroughttheminingandconstruction

to its knees was a thing of the past,

murmurstotheeffectthatmanycountries

arereboundingaftertheglobalrecession,

partlyduetominingactivities,meansthat

large OTR tyres (49 inch and larger) are

onceagaininshortsupply.

AlthoughtheUSAmarketcontinuestoflounder,tothenorth,theIMFhas

raisedCanada’sEconomicGrowthOutlookfor2010,withseveralprovinces

experiencingstrongereconomicgrowththanexpected.

Inthewesternhemisphere,thehighestgrowthratesin2010areinSouth

America, led by Brazil, the biggest economy in the region, with growth

expected at 7.6%, followed by the rest of the region with Argentina

anticipatinga6.8%growthandPeru6.7%.

The anticipated4.3%growth forChile is somewhat camouflageddue to

themassiveearthquakeearlierthisyear,butthatsaid,Chileminescopper

(accountingformorethanhalfoftotalexports)andwiththedemandforthe

metalincreasing,miningactivityisrampingbackup.

EconomicactivityinChina(nowrankedtheworld’ssecondlargesteconomy

aftertheUSA)isalsopickingup,andfollowingswiftlyonitsheelsisIndia.

Withdemandforrawmaterialsontherise, thepriceofnaturalrubber is

expectedtosoarfurther,creatingyetanotherchallengefortheglobaltyre

industryinitseffortstokeepthepriceonOTRtyresfromshootingthrough

theroof.

1 0 • F o c u s o n O T R T y r e s

The Stamford Tyres stand which took the Silver Award.

Explains Quintin Steyn, Group Manager – OTR International Business,

ApolloSA:“ThebiggestcomponentofrawmaterialsinOTRtyresisnatural

rubberandwithpricescontinuing toclimb, thiswill adversely affectour

abilitytoremaincompetitive,attheveryleastuntilpricesfromproducersin

MalaysiaandIndonesiastabilise.

BrianClarke,GeneralSalesManager-CommercialVehicleTyresforContinental

Tyre SA agrees: “Natural rubber is integral to the tyre’s construction as it

providestearresistanceandasmanufacturerswillnotbeinapositiontoabsorb

thecontinuedincrease,thiswillultimatelyreflectinproductpricing.”

ContinuesSteyn:“Addedtothis,theanticipatedOTRtyreshortagecould

well spill over into southern Africa, as the world’s largest manufacturers

ofearthmovertyres–Bridgestone,MichelinandGoodyear–focustheir

attentions on supplying the BRIC countries, Europe and Australia ahead

ofothermarkets.Intheend,supplyanddemandwillultimatelydetermine

availabilityaswellasprice.”

Concurs Jordon San, Manager National Operation for Bridgestone SA:

“Chinese and Indian tyre companies are definitely starting to buy raw

materialsagain.BridgestoneTireCorporationaloneisexceedingproduction

ordersbyasmuchas190%onaglobalscale.Thisultimatelymeansthat

demand in theultra-largeOTRsectornevereasedupall thatmuch.And

whateverwascomingintoSouthAfrica,wasimmediatelybeingswallowed

upbythelocalmarket.”

Steynagrees:“Locally,miningproductionofironore,goldandcoalwere

notasseverelyaffectedasplatinumandchrome(undergroundoperations)

but even then, mining giants such as Amplats have not cut back, even

managingtoinvestingrowthduringtherecession.Asaresult,theworld’s

largestthreetyremakershaveuppedproductionintheirplantstodealwith

thesituation,buteven then, theyarenotcapableofmeetingdemand in

itsentirety.”

Mining production of iron ore, gold and coal were not as severely affected as platinum and chrome.

MADE IN

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EchoesClarke:“Theexpectedexpansionoftheminingsectorwillincrease

demand on certain sizes like 26.5-25 so manufacturing capacity will fall

short of market demand. Thankfully, Continental has anticipated this

demandandhasastrategytomeetasmuchaspossible,althoughsupply

willcontinuetobetight.”

In response to this impending crisis, Bridgestone SA has taken its own

setofmeasures that include investing innewplantequipment toenable

domesticproductionofatleastfivenewproductsfortheOTRsegment.But

whilethisisexpectedtoeasesomepressureinthesmall-to-mediumsize

category,theavailabilityofultra-largesizeswillremainanissue.

As for Bridgestone’s Port Elizabeth plant, it will continue manufacturing

cross-plytyresfortheloader/dozermarketsfortheforeseeablefuture.

Explains San: “The cross-ply tyre will remain a fixture in the local OTR

sector forat leastanother four tofiveyearsbyvirtueof itsconstruction

whichismoredurableandhasstiffersidewalls(asopposedtotheradial),

particularly for operations with rough underfoot conditions that are

conducivetosidewallcuts.”

Elsewhereintheworldhowever,cross-plyproductionisalmosttotallyfazed

out. Even Bridgestone Japan is contemplating terminating production on

cross-plytyreconstructionwhichallegedly,islesseconomicalthanradial.

End users implement stringent measures to combat shortage

Perhapstheonlypositivetohaveemergedfromthiscrisissituationisthe

markedmindshiftonthepartoftheenduserswhoaregoingtoextreme

lengthstoensuretheydon’tfallvictimtoshortsupply.

Elaborates Steyn: “Major mines are now stocking an excess capacity of

tyresinordertoavoiddowntimeofproduction.

‘More important perhaps, the mines are taking greater care of their tyres

thaneverbefore,particularlyonopencastoperationswherethefocusisnow

heavily on improving underfoot conditions, cleaning up after the loading/

dumpingprocessandsoon.Somehaveevendugupoldtyresforrepair.

Others are eliciting the professional services of independent contractors

fromcountriesasfarflungastheUKandAustralia,toassisttheminthistask.

CompaniessuchasOTRTyresUKandTrucko(Australia)goabout thisby

appointingprofessionalengineers,specialistswithaproventrackrecordof

generatingsignificantcostsavingsforinternationalminingcompanies.Asa

result,eventhelocalmines(traditionallyresistanttospendingforservice)are

nowforkingoutfortheirexpertiseinordertoavoidfallingpreytodowntime

resultingfromtyrefailuresorshortages,”hesays.

ClaimsDawidPretoriusofPhalaborwaMiningCompany:“Pro-active tyre

managementisessentialtodayifwearetocombattheglobalshortageand

saveonoperatingcosts,particularly foranoperationsuchasours (very

abrasiverock).InconjunctionwithoursupplypartnerDunlop,werecently

institutedastringenttyrepolicythatallowsforagivenmmwearperday.

Anything inexcessof thispre-determinedwear rateandmanagement is

immediately alerted to a potential problem so that this can be rectified.

Throughthissystem,wehavemanagedtodoublethelifeofourtyresina

veryshortperiodoftime.”

KurtGerber,GlobalCategoryManagerforAngloAmericanfurtherclaims

thatAngloAmerican is also focusingheavily on improving the life of its

tyresusingcontinuousimprovementinitiatives.Headdsthataccuratelong

termforecastingcontinuestobeachallengeduetomarketfluctuationsin

theirresourcesportfolio.

chinese tyres secure important market niche

TheglobalOTRshortagehashadpositivespin-offs for theChinesewho

havegrabbed theopportunitywithbothhands,uppingcapacity through

theirplantssoastobeabletomeetexportdemandworldwide.

They’ve made significant inroads in the local market as well, with a

proliferation of tyre makes and sizes for all market segments, but most

especiallyfortheOTRsector.Withtheirfocusintentonimprovingoverall

qualityandperformance,it’simportanttomentionthatnotalltyrescoming

outofChinacanbepaintedwithonebrush.Butwhileagrowingnumberof

makes–someofwhicharelocallyrepresented–havefoundfavourwith

ourmarket,ifthesereportsareanythingtogoby,themajorityhasfailed

toimpress.

CountersCharldeVilliers,MDofTyrecor:“Whenoneconsidersthateven

theworld’swellestablishedtyremakersareinvestinginproductionplants

1 2 • F o c u s o n O T R T y r e s F o c u s o n T y r e x p o A f r i c a 2 0 1 0 • 1 3

Tel : +27 (0)31 765 2650 • Fax: +27 (0)31 765 2695www.tandemtyres.co.za

OTR Tyre Specialists – Africa

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F o c u s o n O T R T y r e s • 1 5

inChina,basingpurchasingdecisionsonthetyre’soriginwouldbeashort-

sightedmistaketomake.What is important is toconsidermanufacturers

–Chineseorotherwide–ontheirownmerits.”

FurtherarguesCharlesPitout,MDofCFPTyres(exclusivedistributorsfor

TriangleTyresinSAforthelast10years):“NotallChinesetyresarethe

same.TriangleTyreCo,China’sleadingtyremanufacturerandtheworld’s

fourth largest OTR radial manufacturer, has been extremely proactive

bywayofR&D(researchanddevelopment) into theirproduct range,so

much so, that the growth in sales is a testimony to the ongoing quality

improvements.

CommentsKurtGerberofAA:“SomeChineseproducedtyresaremaking

goodprogressintermsofqualityandAnglowillcontinuetomonitortheir

progresswithkeeninterest.”

Butsome localexpertsareclaiming thatwhilea tyrerunningata typical

opencastminingoperationwill likelyachievebetween7000and8000

hours on a Bridgestone, Michelin or Goodyear, Chinese makes are

delivering around 1000 hours, with some of the better makes possibly

attaining3000or4000hoursatbest.

Says Dawid Pretorius of PMC: “We bought a range of Chinese brands

threetofouryearsagoduetoacheaperpricebuttheydidnotdeliveron

performance.We’venowrevertedtolocalsuppliers(Dunlop),abrandwe

knowandtrustandsupplierswithwhomweenjoyagoodrelationship.”

SuggestsApollo’sSteyn:“TheOTRmarket ishighlyspecialised. Inorder

toachievethebestcostperhour/tonnowaswellas10yearsfromnow,

it’s important that suppliers concentrate on building long term strategic

relationships with their customers. This market also requires excellent

field-to-factory communication, continuous product development, and

customerbuy-in.ThisisunfortunatelywheretheChineselacktheresources

andexpertiseforthistask,withthemajoritybeingprofithunterswithlittle

regardforthelong-terminterestsofthemine.

“I believe that the regular discussion and interaction that takes place

between us and our customers has been the fundamental reason for

Dunlop’ssuccessinthismarket.”

SaysClarke:“Forthemoment,thetechnicalknowledgeandserviceofferingof

thelocalmanufacturersisdifficulttoreplicate.Miningisanextremelysafety-

consciousfield,somininghouseswillbereluctanttofitpotentiallydangerous

makesfromabroad.Alsoforthisreason,theywouldbelesslikelytotrustthe

serviceofferingthatispartandparcelofinvestinginforeignbrands.

CFPTyres’Pitoutdisagrees: “Servicingcustomers remainsCFP’sdriving

force.TogetherwiththeTriangleTyrefactory,CFPiscommittedtoensuring

avalueaddserviceforitslocalclientbase.Withthisinmind,ongoingtyre

evaluation,technicalsupportfromthefactoryandawebbasedtyrewarranty

systemarejustafewoftheinitiativesCFPhasinplaceforthispurposed.

Added to that, we have also streamlined our claim process insofar as

providingcustomerswithfeedbackandrefunds(wherenecessary)inthe

leastpossibletime,stepswhichareaimedatdifferentiatingTriangleTyre

asaleaderofimportedbrands.”

“Whyeven the local tyre industrystruggles toattract the rightcalibreof

person for the job.Technicalexpertsareexpected todescend intodark

dirtyminesatthecrackofdawn,crawlaroundundermachineryandwork

withheavyequipment inhot confined spaces–not exactly aClubMed

position,”arguesClarke.

Continues Steyn: “One of the biggest opencast mines in SA is a prime

0

30

60

90

120

150

Jan-Mar 2010

Apr-Jun 2010

Jul-Sep 2010

Oct-Dec 2010

100

150146132

%

natural Rubber Price Increase 2010/11

O n e - o n - O n e • 1 71 6 • F o c u s o n O T R T y r e s

example.TheServicingDepartmentrecentlyinvestedin100ultralargesizes

fromChinawhicharestandingaroundgatheringdustastheminerefuses

toutilisethembyvirtueoftheirpoorperformanceanddowntime(allegedly

eachtyreblowisequaltouptosixhoursofdowntime).Apparently,tyre

failuresconnectedwithChinesebrandsincludetyreconstructionfailures

andcompoundingissuestonameafew.

Interestingly,whilethebigger,moresophisticatedmininghouseappearto

besteeringclearoffunknownChinesemakes,foreignbrandsaremanaging

tosecureanimportantpresenceinloader/hardrockapplications.

Bridgestone’sJordonSanexplains:“Thethinkinginthisparticularsegment

ofthemarket is ‘whypaymoreforareputabletyrewhenyoucanbuya

Chinese alternative for half the price’? The tyre isn’t meant to last so a

sizeableinvestmenthardlyseemsworthit.

SaysContinental’sClarke:“ItwouldbemyopictoexpectAsianimportsto

limitthemselvestothetrucksector.AlreadyBKTdominatestheagricultural

tyremarket,therebyerodingtheabilityoflocalmanufacturerstomaintain

profitability. Inevitably, emergingmarketswill find amarket for their low

costproducts.”

RINGTREAD is the preferred tyre solution for the largest fleets in the world because of

its unbeatable strength. The innovative ring-shaped tread converts a quality casing into

a high performance RETREAD without any weak points. Choosing RINGTREAD means

highest reliability - more grip - more mileage and considerable fuel saving.

One step ahead in Reliability, Grip & Saving.

www.ringtread.com

PERFORMANCE IS A MATTER OF SHAPE

Ringtread Accredited Dealers: Auto & Truck Tyres, Barden Tyre Services, Dynamic Tyre Solutions, Tyre MagicMarc Stock - marcs@ringtread.co.za • Cell no: 083 252 0073

“Thatbeingsaid,let’snotforgetthatChinesetyremakersaresolicitingthe

servicesandexpertiseofpeoplefromBridgestoneandMichelin,bringing

them into their operations in abid to improvequality andperformance.

Ignoring thegrowing impactofChinese tyreproductionwouldbea fatal

mistakeforustomake,”cautionsSan.

Andas the threatofyetanotherglobalOTR tyreshortage loomson the

horizon,Chinesetyremakerswillundoubtedlyseizeontheopportunityto

pushhighervolumesintothemarket,whilealsomakingeveryendeavour

todemonstratethegrowingcapabilitiesoftheirproducts.

Local industry claims Chinese imports do not deliver and are prone to tyre failures.

O n e - o n - O n e • 1 7 DBN

2130

4

The ContiSportContact™ 3 offers better safety in dry and wetweather conditions.

On dry roads the tread ribs provide outstanding braking capability and steering precision by absorbing the forces exerted through braking.

On wet surfaces the unique tread grooves allow increased clearance of water for better road holding and resistance to aquaplaning.

Trust leading German engineering.Delivers unrivalled braking performance.

21304_CT_Roadfold_WomenOnWheels.indd 1 7/9/10 3:31:38 PM

OTR RADIALS

FOR ORDERS & INFORMATIONContact: Ken Martin or Marlin Pillay

Tel: 031 764 5058 | Ken: 083 387 8403 | Marlin: 071 880 9247 | Fax: 086 558 8382 Email: ken@tafrica.net or marlin@tafrica.net

Exclusive Distributor for RSA, Lesotho, Swaziland and Botswana

OnLy AvAILABLE fROm

Transafrica Tyre & Wheel

l Suitable for all OTR Machines

l Full size range in 25” to 35”

‘E’ and ‘L’ type Radials

l Robust Steel Belted Radial

construction

l Abrasion resistant tread

compound

l Steelbelt reinforced tread area

l Modern tread patterns

l Global quality standard

l Manufacturer Warranty

= Low Cost Per Hour

TESTED & PROVEN

I n d u s t r y N e w s • 1 9

ShandongWandaBOTOTyreCo,hasappointedTransafricaTyre&Wheel

(Pty)LtdastheirExclusiveDistributorforBOTORadialOTRtyres.

Confirmingtheappointment,KenMartin,DirectorofTransafrica,indicated

thatthiswastheculminationofastrongrelationshipwhichhaddeveloped

since2008.

BOTOTyreCo, isa leadingmanufacturerofOTRRadials,whicharesold

globallyintomorethan90countries.

Its products conform to International quality standards, with all the

necessaryaccreditations,includingISO9001.

BOTOhasafullrangeofproductscoveringthe25”TO35”category,witha

strongfocusonradialtyresforADTtypemachinesinparticular.

Martin added that the BOTO radials had been evaluated at leading ADT

machineoperatorsoverthelasttwoyears,andhaddeliveredtroublefree

performancewithaverycompetitivecostperhour.

TherangeisalsobeingincreasedwithsomeLoadersizesavailable.

Transafrica is headed by Ken Martin, a veteran of over 30 years in the

industry. He served in executive positions at Arctic Rubber, Tredcor

(Trentyre),GoodyearandDunlop,andhisenergyandexperience,coupled

to the BOTO brand, will provide a competitive package for the target

customerbase.

TransafricahasofficesinDurbanandJohannesburg,withacentral

warehouselocatedinJohannesburg(seepicture).

Inventory is also held regionally with Dealers/Service providers,

closetotheendusercustomers.

Martin indicated that another important feature of this agreement

isthat infutureonlyBOTObrandOTRRadialssoldbyTransafrica

Tyre, as the Exclusive Distributor, will be covered by the BOTO

manufacturing warranty (See letter of appointment). This will be

monitoredbyserialnumber,andispartofacampaigntostopparallel

marketing and grey market trading. In this regard Martin said that

customers need to be cautious when offered BOTO tyres from

someoneotherthanTransafricaTyre,theexclusivedistributor.

MrFrankZhang,VicePresidentofGlobalSalesforBOTO,indicated

thattheywerepleasedtobeworkingwithTransafrica,andthatSouth

AfricaisanimportantmarketforBOTO(seeletterofappointment).

FormoreinformationcontactKenMartinon0833878403

orken@tafrica.net

BOTO appoints Transafrica as Exclusive Distributor

Ken Martin, Director of Transafrica

2 0 • I n d u s t r y N e w s

Chemvulc is proud to announce they have

just completed their ISO9000 Quality

management program which was no small

projectandtookayeartoputallthesystems

and checks in place. Already Chemvulc’s

ISO program has brought great benefits

insofarasaccountabilityandthestreamlining

of themanufacturingprocess isconcerned,

openingfurtherexportopportunitiesforthe

company.Chemvulciscommittedtooffering

itscustomersaworldclassproductproduced

locally, with quality and consistency that

customerscanrelyonandwiththisinmind,

coupledwiththeISOsystem,innovationand

improvementsare itsmainobjectives. This

year has seen improvements in the design

andfinishoftheChemvulcDoubleBondand

Chemicalpatchlines.

Chemvulc specifically included in the ISO

system aspects of the SANS20108/9

standard for retreading, testing the

standardof itsproducts tomeet theneeds

of retreaders who are retreading to SABS

and ECE standards. Part of the SANS

requirement was to test patches to double

theinflationpressureratingofthetyre.

The tests were done using water pressure

forsafety.Atrucktyrewithamaxpressure

rating of 8.3 bar was used and four major

repairsweredoneineachquadrant,onboth

sidewalls of the tyre, using the maximum

injury for the size patch used. Patches

tested were the chemical patch, using

the company’s own chemical vulcanising

solution, double bond and the sectional

patches, all of which were done with the

truckrepairsystemandaspotter.

Thetyrewasthenplacedinaninflationcage

andfilledwithwater.Thehandtestpumpwas

usedtotakethepressureto16.6bar,(double

theratingof thetyre). At thispressurethe

repairs held and the tyre was still in good

shape.Thepressurewasthenincreasedto

20bar. At this enormous pressure the tyre

failed but the repairs held. An impressive

resultaswellasatestamenttothecapability

ofthepatchesandtheextremeperformance

ofthetyre.(Resultsofthetestareavailable

onrequest).

Whatismore,anewproductisnowavailable

from Chemvulc specifically for retreading

industry–theenveloperepairkittoprolong

the life of curing envelopes and tubes.

Formulated from heat resistant butyl, the

new repair patch can be applied to curing

envelopeswithbutylsolutionandplaced in

the chamber for curing. The repair patch

will extend theworking lifeof theenvelope

untilitcannolongerberepaired.Forfurther

information on the envelope repair kit,

contactsales@chemvulc.co.za

Chemvulc has also been involved in the

manufacture of patches for the RFID tyre

managementsystem.Thiswillgoalongway

to reducing the cost in implementing the

system, and provide local availability of the

RFID patch. The patch contains the RFID

chip thatgiveseach tyre itsunique ID,and

along with software and scanners, the full

historyofatyrecanbestoredfromitsfirst

fitting right through its lifetime, including

every retread. The RFID tyre management

system offers a significant solution to the

hugeproblemof theftof tyres thatplagues

ChemvulcInnovatingnewproductsforRetreaders

ChemvulchasthreefactoriesinRoodepoort.

Preparingthetyreforpressuretests.

Theenveloperepairkit.

R4BuffingHub.

CHEM

V

U L CC

HEM

V

U L C

ChicagoPneumatic

“the solution and the cure”

Call us today for a free catalogue and specials.

Quality Products...1300 products to suit every need.

Quality Service...Our reps will ensure you get prompt servicewherever you are - Nationwide!

Distributors of:

Head o�ce: 011 472 1016

Durban: 031 705 5880

Cape Town: 021 930 2897

Bloem: 051 430 5159

PE: 041 484 1706

Nelspruit: 013 744 9384

tyredealersandusersalike.

For further information on

how this tyre management

systemcanhelpyouorafree

demo,contactChemvulc.

About chemvulc

ChemicalVulcanisingSystemsPtyLtd,

“Chemvulc” began in 1977 and has

steadilygrownintoanorganisationwith

branches inCapeTown,PortElizabeth,

Nelspruit,DurbanandBloemfontein.Itnowhasafleetofvehiclesand

asalesteamthatcoverseverycityandtowninSouthAfricawithquality

tyreproductsforretreading,tyreshopsandEMtyrerepaircontractors.

With three factories in Roodepoort, Chemvulc is currently exporting

toAustralia,Romania, Israel,Pakistan,Egypt,Greece,Ghana,UK,and

SouthernAfrica, thecompanycarries themostcomprehensive range

of tyre repair products and tyre equipment for passenger, truck and

earthmovertyres.

TocomplementtheautomotiverangeChemvulcalsomanufacturesan

industrialrubberrangeforconveyorbeltsplicingandrepair,rubberto

metalbondingandotherminingapplications.

Chemvulccanbecontactedat0114721016,

oremail:sales@chemvulc.co.za.

These quality brands are available from Chemvulc:

2 2 • I n d u s t r y N e w s

RFID Patches, now available

locally.

Chemvulc offers the full consumable range for retreaders

2 2 • I n d u s t r y N e w s

Apollo Tyres SA has received the Quality Management System

certification TS 16949 for its heavy bus, truck radial and light truck

radialmanufacturing facility based inDurban. The secondproduction

plantinLadysmithhashadthecertificationforthelastsixyearsforthe

designandmanufactureofpassengercartyres.

TS16949isbasedontheISO9001seriesofqualitysystemsandtakes

2 4 • M a n u f a c t u r i n g

Designedforsmallandmid-sizeloaders,theMichelinXHA2

isthelatestgenerationoftheMichelinXHAtyre.Launched

inthelate1980s,theXHAhassinceestablisheditselfasthe

industrybenchmarkwith1.5millionunitssoldworldwide.

Last May, distributors from Europe and around the world

began offering their client companies the new tyre, which

allegedlymeetsthreefundamentalbusinessgoals:

itreduceshourlycosts,

ensuresthatworkcontinuessmoothlyandsafely,and;

improvesoperatorworkingconditions.

Toattain theseresults,MichelindesignedtheXHA2tobe

especiallyrobust.

They claim the tyre stands out from the competition

in three ways:

•Additional rubber has been incorporated in the tread,

makingthetyreevenmoredamage-resistant.

•Thesidewallshavebeenstrengthenedwithaspecialprotective

ribandanti-scrapeshields.

•Michelindevelopedcrack rotation rubbercompounds thathelp to

preventflats.

The Michelin XHA2 lasts up to 10% longer than its predecessor. The

tread improves tractionandmakes the tyreself-cleaning (expellingearth

caught between tread blocks) while reducing temporary losses of grip.

This optimized traction reduces rolling resistance and therefore fuel

consumption.

TheMichelinXHA2’spatentedtreaddesigndrasticallyreducesvibrations

thatcanbefeltbyoperatorsandcausedamagetomechanicalcomponents.

What’smore,thetyrereducestheoscillationscausedbyheavyloadsand

frequentchangesofdirectionthankstoitsbiggercontactpatch.

MICHELINLAUNCHESNEWTYREFOREARTHMOVERMARKET

DUNLOPDOESITAGAIN!O’Donoghue & Associates, a Durban based advertising agency,

have harnessed the power and message of the two concepts

precision and Parkour, and created an impressive new corporate

television advertisement for Dunlop’s retail stores, Dunlop Zone.

This advertisement builds on their hugely successful ‘Driven By

Precision’Dunlopadthatwasflightedin2009.Parkourandprecision

aretwoconcepts thatgohand inhand.Parkour,whichhasattained

aninternationalfollowingforthebreathtakingtasksundertaken,isa

disciplineinwhichparticipantsrunalongarouteusingonlythehuman

bodytogetfromoneplacetoanother.AlongtherouteParkourartists

overcome the obstacles through running and jumping, or specific

Parkourmoves.

PrecisionisrequiredtosuccessfullyundertakeParkour,demandingthe

discipline,dedication,detailandcontrolneededtoattainperfection.

O’Donoghue&AssociateshaveartfullyusedParkourtocommunicate

theirconcept‘Precision’,inthisDunlopZoneadvertisement.

ManagingDirectorofO’Donoghue&Associates, JohnO’Donoghue

explains,“Weconceptualisedacommercialthatbuiltontheprecision

conceptfromthefirstDunlopad,whichissynonymouswithafleetof

yellowcarstakingoverthestreetsofCapeTown.Thisadusedtheidea

ofdriverprecisionforthebrand.Wedevelopedthisideafurthertouse

Parkourtodemonstratehumanprecisionfortheretailside-Dunlop

Zone.With thepayoff line ‘precision tyre fitment’, it focusesmore

on the service aspect. We wanted it be innovative and stimulating,

projectingtheDunlopbrandasahighperformance,premiumoption

thatisbothdedicatedtoexcellenceandfullofvitality.Weareextremely

proudoftheoutcome,andbelieveitwillachievethesamesuccessas

itspredecessor”.

The commercial, which is currently being flighted on South African

television, isboldandstimulating, featuring3Parkour artists,which

ontheirwaytoworkandupontheirarrivalataDunlopZone,illustrate

humanprecisionandattentiontodetail.Thehighenergy,45second

advertstarsBritishParkourartistChaseArmitage,whoisinternationally

APOLLOSARECEIVESTS16949CERTIFICATIONintoaccountcustomerspecificrequirementsinadditiontothenormal

standard’s requirements, something which is particularly important in

today’s OE market where even more stringent quality demands are

placedbytheOEMontheirfirsttiersuppliers.

Apollo’s Dunlop branded truck radial tyres are currently supplied to

MANTruckandBus,NissanDiesel,ToyotaandGeneralMotors.

Continental’s tyre pressure monitoring system will soon be able to

reporttosmartphones.Thesystemalsoprovidesinformationaboutthe

correctpressurewhen tyresare inflated.Enhanceddrivingsafetyand

fuelefficiencyareexpected.

Allegedly,Continentalismakingdrivingsaferandmoreeconomicalfor

thefuturewithanewapplicationthatreportsthetyrepressuredirectly

toasmartphone.Thevehicleelectronicisconnectedwirelesslywiththe

driver’ssmartphone,thereforemakingspeedydataexchangepossible.

TheContinentalInteriorDivision’s“FillingAssistant”specifiestheexact

inflationpressureofeach tyre.Sowhenaddingair, theoptimumtyre

pressure can be achieved, even when inflation pumps at the filling

IFTHETYREISLACKINGAIRITREACHESFORTHEPHONE

M a n u f a c t u r i n g • 2 5

recognisedasoneofthebestintheworld,withtwoSouthAfricanartists

Dane Grant and Vernon Willemse, alongside him. The advertisement

tooktwomonthsfromconcepttoproduction,andabout50peoplewere

involved in theshoot. It took twodays tofilm,andwasfilmedat theSci

Bono Science Centre in Newtown, Johannesburg. The featured Dunlop

ZoneisonLynwoodRoad,Pretoria,andCollectiveFilmsonceagaindidan

outstandingjobintheirroleastheproductioncompany.

Duringtheadvertisementthethreeathleteartistsmaketheirwaythrough

anurbanlandscapetowork,showingtheirtalentsoff,withtheexcitement

andprecisionofParkourhighlighted in theireverymovement bouncing

off buildings and flying through the air. When they arrive at work at a

DunlopZone,theyprepareforthedaysettinguptheirtoolsandpreparing

forserviceexcellenceandprecisiontyrefitment liningupthespanners,

loadingthewater,straighteningthenametag.

ThisspeaksofDunlopZone’sfocusanddedicationtoattentiontodetail.

The advertisement is based on the concept of ‘Human Precision’, and

encompasseswhatDunlopZonesareall about. It seeks tohighlight that

Dunlop Zone is not only about tyres, but also about people and, and

through this concept it illustrates their passion for providing precision

servicetotheirclients.

ThecommercialputsDunlopZoneanditsemployeesforwardasenergised,

dynamic, precise and modern, moving onward and upward. After the

huge success of Dunlop’s 2009 advertisement ‘Driven By Precision’,

O’Donoghue&Associateslookforwardtothesameachievementforthis

livelysequel,‘HumanPrecision’.

JennySoons,MarketingCommunicationsManagerforDunlop,comments,

“TheDunlopZonesarereallytheretailfaceoftheDunlopbrandmodern,

premium with a high performance image. We wanted consumers to

recognise that the Dunlop Zone retail store is THE place for precision

fitment, when fitting high performance tyres. We wanted something

young,somethingedgythatreallydifferentiatestheDunlopZonesforthe

consumersastheplacetogoforadvancedtechnologypremiumproducts,

attentiontodetailandoutstandingservice,andwearedelightedwiththe

outcome”.

“This commercial is bursting with energy, which is beautifully balanced

by the control needed for Parkour. We are proud of the fact that it has

beenconceptualisedbyaDurbanbasedagency,provingourcapabilityto

competewiththebestinthebusiness.Welookforwardtoagreatresponse

andcontinuallyachievinginthefuture”,endsO’Donoghue.

‘Human Precision’ is currently being flighted on channels across

South African television, and this sequel is a proud testament to South

African talent and service. O’Donoghue & Associates have once again

demonstratedtheircapabilitywiththisprojectionofDunlop’spassionfor

precisioninanoriginalandexhilaratingmanner,stayingtruetothebrand’s

image,whilekeepingitfresh.

stationdonotmeasurethepressureaccurately.Inaddition,abriefhonk

andblinksignalcanbegiventoconfirmwhenthetyrehasbeeninflated

to the correct pressure level. Technical requirements for the system

areatyrepressuremonitoringsystemwiththecorrespondingsensors

in the tyres and factory-integrated vehicle electronics with a wireless

interface.FirstseriesproductionoftheFillingAssistantinnewvehicles

isexpectedfrom2013onwards.

From2013,Continentalexpectstostartmassproducingthefirsttyres

thatwillhavesensorscollectingtyredatadirectlyinthetyreunderneath

thetread, insteadofsensorsthatareconnectedtothevalve.Thiswill

markthebeginningoftheintelligenttyreera.

2 8 • E v e n t s

The Michelin Bibendum Challenge started in 1998 as a

platformtoexplorealternativesourcesofenergythat,inturn,

couldreducethegreenhousegaseffectthattransportation

hasontheenvironment.

Inanutshell,itinvolvesatotalof80vehicles,whichcompeteinarally.

ThedifferencebetweentheBibendumChallengeandconventionalralliesisthe

powertrainofthevehicles;theyarepoweredbybiodiesel,batteries,hydrogen,

ethanolaswellasconventionalfuels.

The results of the rally proved beyond doubt that huge strides are being

madeinthefighttoreduceCO2emissions.Moreimportantlythough,therally

demonstrated theenthusiasmandeffortbeingundertakenbyMichelin and

itsco-sponsors inorder tomakeapositivecontributiontomodernmobility

requirements.

While many companies are paying lip service to matters affecting our

environment, Michelin has been working quietly behind the scenes day

Michelin goes green in RioAt the recent Bibendum

Challenge in breathtakingly

beautiful Rio de Janeiro,

Michelinproved that it does

morethanjustproducetyres;

thecompanyismakingareal

contribution in the quest to

reduceCO2emissions.

BRUCECAROLINwasthere.

and night (it has 72 plants in 19 countries),

seeking solutions to reduce the greenhouse

gasesthatarebeingemittedbytheworld’s900

million vehicle population. When one considers than our planet’s fleet is

expectedtocomprisebetweentwoandthreebillionvehicleswithinthenext40

years,itbecomesveryevidentthatwehavetofindalternativestoourcurrent

dependenceonfossilfuels.

Ofcourse,onemayquerywhyMichelinisinvolvedinthisundertaking.After

all,thecompanyisatyreproducer;itdoesn’tproducebatteriesorsellfuel,

for instance.Theanswer issimple:tyresaccountforup20%oftheenergy

consumedtopropelaninternalcombustionvehicle.Bydesigningmorefuel

efficient tyres, therefore, fuelconsumptionandCO2emissionsarereduced.

Take,forinstance,thecurrentMichelinEnergysavertyre.Itsavesupto0.2

litresper100kilometres travelled andcutsCO2emissionsby4gramsper

kilometre.AsattheendofDecember2009Michelinhadsold37millionof

thesetyresworldwide,whichtheoreticallysaved184millionlitresoffuel.

HoweverMichelinhasnowgonebeyond tyredevelopmentand isseeking

to influence the future of our mobility needs. The company has been

investigating all aspects that influence the job of the tyre, from the drive

train to thewheel. It has alsodesignedanddevelopednew technologies

specificallyforelectricvehicles.ClearlyMichelinbelievesthatourfuturelies

Michelin is developing new technologies for electric-powered vehicles.

inelectricpoweredvehiclesastheyarefriendliertowardstheenvironmentand

thusthecompanyhastargetedthisareaforfutureresearchanddesign.

Alongside the Bibendum Challenge in Rio, an exhibition took place, where

Michelinunveilednewproducts thatarecurrentlybeingusedonprototype

vehicles.ThetyreproducerhasastrategicalliancewithPeugeotandHeuliez

(currentworldleaderinelectriccarmanufacture).Eachofthesevehicleshas

beenfittedwiththenewMichelinActivewheeldrivetrains.Thistechnology

eliminatestheneedforanengineateitherthefrontorrearofthevehicle.There

isalsononeedforagearbox,clutch,driveshaft, transferbox,differentialor

shockabsorbers.Theweightsavingthusmakesthevehiclemorefuelefficient.

TheMichelinActivewheelhubcarriestheelectricdrivemotor,a145mmtravel

activesuspensiondevice,thebrakingsystemandthetyre.Havinganunsprung

massof32kilograms,thedesignofthiswheelallowsforthetyretoremainin

fullcontactwiththeroadsurfaceastheturningarcissymmetricalandthetravel

vertical.Choiceofdrivecanbeviafront,rearorfourwheelsaseachwheelis

independent.Theactivesuspensionhasaresponsetimeof3millisecondsand

maximumpoweroutputis60kWwithacontinuousratingof30kW.Thiswheel

willcontributesignificantlytofuturevehicledesignasitisbasicallya“bolton”

device.TheentireunitisaMichelininnovation.

The 6 000 researchers employed at Michelin’s Technology Centre have

alsodesignedsomeprototypeEV(ElectricVehicle)tyresthattheybelieveareneeded

specificallytomeettherequirementsofelectricandhybridvehicles.Thesetyreshave

alargerdiameter,butarenarrowerthanaconventionaltyreinordertominimiserolling

resistance.Alowprofilereducesflexwhich,inturn,createslessdeformationandheat

build-up.Thisresultsinadditionalenergysavingsandlongerlife.

As an alternative power supply, Michelin has designed a highly reliable

hydrogenfuelcellthatgeneratesapowerdensityof0.7kW/kgandhasa

lifespanof“severalthousandhours”.Itiscurrentlyundergoingdemanding

testingunderaeronauticalconditionsanditsreleaseinimminent.

Themessageisclear:thistyrecompanyislivinguptoitsmottoofdelivering

“cleaner,moreefficient, safer– trulymodern technologies tomeetnew

worldneeds”.Takeabow,Michelin!

E v e n t s • 2 9

Tyres to meet the requirements of electric and hybrid vehicles have specially been designed.

3 0 • C o n t i C o r n e r

PROMOTION

Aglobalofficial sponsor to theFIFASoccerWorldCup,ContinentalTyreSA is in auniqueposition to

leverageoffitsassociationwiththeworld’smostwatchedsport.Inresponse,themonthsofJuneandJuly

wereparticularlyactiveforthetyremakerwhocapitalisedonthisgloriousoccasioninelaboratestyle.

Pic 1 and 2: Guests were treated to 3 nights at the Mount Grace Hotel. Pic 3 and 4: Kapama River Lodge provided the ultimate game viewing experience.

Continental branded buses transported guests

to and from the games in style.

Michelle and Alex Taplin of TWT.

Mexico supporters get creative.

Dieter Horni, MD

of Continental

Tyre SA (left)

entertains guests

in the Conti

Hospitality Suite.

Soccer City prepares for

the inaugural event.

C o n t i C o r n e r • 3 1

World Cup splendour

– Continental style!

PROMOTION

Customers, suppliers and staff alike were treated to a once-in-a-lifetime

experience, which not only involved getting their hands on some highly-

soughtaftermatchtickets,withfullaccesstoContinental’sHospitalitySuiteat

SoccerCitybeforeandafterthegames,butalsobeingtreatedtoacomplete

hospitalityexperiencespanningatotaloffivedays.

Iwasprivilegedtobe included inoneof thefirsthospitalitygroups(there

were200guestsintotal)whichcomprised58topSAretailersinonesingle

trip,wasprivytotheOpeningCeremonyandthelegendarymatchbetween

SouthAfricanandMexicoinwhichBafanaBafanadrew1-1.

Wewerecarted inandoutofSoccerCitycourtesyofafleetofdedicated

Continentalbuses,afterwhichweenjoyedarelaxingdayattheMountGrace

CountryHotelandSpa,beforejettingofftoKapamaRiverLodgeinthe

Lowveldforanunforgettablegameviewingexperience.

ThetripalsoincludedtoursoftheSammyMarksMuseuminPretoria,

as well as the Apartheid Museum in Soweto, activities which held

specialappealforthemultitudeofforeignvisitorswhichwerehostedby

Continentaloverthefour-weekperiod.

ThefactthatGermanycameasfarasitdidintheWorldCupbeforefinally

fallingindefeattoSpainatthesemi-finals,undoubtedlyheightenedthe

overall experience for thisGerman-based tyre companywhich inmy

opinion,didournationandourindustryproudinthefaultlessexecution

ofapromotionalcampaignthatwouldrivaltheworld’sbest.

Continental’s Johan Liebenberg puts the Vuvuzela to good use.

3 2 • D e a l e r P r o f i l e

The new Cinturato P7TM tyre, compared to the previous model, offers the following advantages:

E v e n t s • 3 3

Traditionally,membersofthepresscongregateatvenuessuchas

Gerotek,KyalamiorKillarneywhencalledupontotestthecapabilitiesof

newtyresonthemarket,butthiseventwasmarkedlydifferent.Wewere

askedtomeetatthePirellispacelocatedon44StanleyAvenue,Milpark,

toattendatwo-dayeventatanundisclosedlocation.

Overearlymorningcoffees,welistenedtoabriefpresentation

explainingthefeaturesandbenefitsofthenewtyre,whichallegedly,

isnotonlyeco-friendly,butalsoofferseconomy,safetyonallroad

surfacesplusgoodroadhandling.Addedtothat,theCinturatoP7uses

state-of-the-artmaterialsandengineeringtechniques,soistherefore

onthecuttingedgeineveryway:compounds,materials,structureand

treaddesign.Theresult-atyrethatguaranteessteadperformance

throughthetyre’susefullifeintermsofcuttingnoxiousemissions,

reducingnoise,runningeconomy,shorterbrakingdistancesand

handling.TheP7’secoprofilerevealsatyremadeonlywitharomatic

oil-freematerials,assuringanoverallconsumptionreductionofup

to4%and30%lessnoise.Asfarassafetyisconcerned,theP7

apparentlyoffersenhancedperformanceinwetanddrybraking,

respectivelyoftwometresandone.

Forthosewhopaidparticularattentiontothepresentationitlateremerged

tobeahugeadvantage,notonlyinsolvingsomeofthecrypticclues

alongtheway,butalsowhenitcametosolvingacrosswordpuzzlewhich

thepresswasobligedtocomplete.

Pirelli goes green but blue comes out tops!Whosaystyrecompaniesdon’tknowhowtothrowagoodbash?Nodisrespectintendedtomy

highlyrespectedfriendsinthenewtyresector,butIrecentlyattendedthemostcreativeandwell-

executedproductlaunchthatfrankly,knockedthesocksoffanynewtyrelaunchI’veattendedin

thelast20years.ThehostcompanywasPirelliTyreSAwhiletheproductinquestionwasthenew

CinturatoP7-Pirelli’sveryfirsthigh-performanceecotyreformediumandhigh-poweredcars.

Top: Members of the press met at the Pirelli space for a short briefing.Bottom: A fleet of stunning BMW XIs were made available for the event.

E v e n t s • 3 5

Andsoitwasthatwewerethendividedintofourteams–Yellow,Red,

WhiteandBlue–andtoldtoprepareourselvesforourveryown‘Amazing

Race’contestthatwouldnotonlytestourwitsbutalsothecapabilities

ofthenewly-launchedBMWX1(shodwiththenewCinturatoP7of

course!)Ourquestwastofollowthecluesalongtheway,andreachour

electeddestination,armedwithanumberofparaphernaliawhichwewere

expectedtocollectalongtheway(suchasflagsandphotographs).The

firstteamtoarrivewouldbeawardedthecovetedtrophyplusfashion

voucherstothevalueofR2000courtesyofPirelliPZerofashion!

ThefirstclueindicatedthatweweretoheadforSouthAfrica’sfamous

coalminingtownwhichusledustodeducethatourfirstpitstopwasthe

townofWitbank.TheBlueteam(ofwhichIwasamember),wasthelast

todepartwhichputusatanimmediatedisadvantageofsevenminutes.

Undettered,weputfoot(yes,weexceededthespeedlimit,butthiswas

anAmazingRaceafterall!)putourmindstothetaskathandandthrew

ourselvestotallyintothegame.

OfcourseintrueAmazingRacingtradition,wewerealsoobligedto

participateinaseriesofchallengesenroute.Thefirstofthesewas

ClayPigeonshooting(ImustconfessIfailedmiserablyonthisone)

whichtookplacejustoutsideDullstroom.Next,wehadtodecipher

anencryptedword(thewordmeantcave)locatethecorrectcaves

somewherepasttheLydenburgarea,explorethemandproduce

evidenceofourpresencetherebywayofphotographsoftherespective

formationswithintheirdepths.

TheeventconcludedwiththeteamsracingforGod’sWindowinBlyde

RiverCanyon,Mpumalanga,whereweweremetbytheorganiserswith

champagneandorangejuicewhilestoppingtotakeinthebreathtakingviews.

I’mproudtosaythatagainstallodds,theBlueteamcameouttops,

winningthechallengealongwiththetrophyandfashionvouchers.Whata

prouddayforus!

Andwhatawonderfulevent!Thecarswereajoytodrivewhilethenew

tyretrulydidexcelintermsofroadholding,brakingandnoisereduction.

WelldonePirelliTyreSA–hatsofftoyouforstagingsucharemarkable

andhighlyenjoyableevent!

PirelliTyreisachievinghigherlevelsofGreenPerformanceinthe

tyresectorthroughitsadoptionoftechnologiesandsolutionsforthe

automotiveindustrythatinadditiontoensuringproductinnovation,

qualityandahighlevelofperformanceandsafetyforcustomers,

areincreasinglymoreecological.Inthecomingmonths,Pirelli’s

GreenPerformancestrategywillseetheintroductionofpioneering

developmentsfortheindustrywhichwillincludeincreasinglygreentyres

inallsegments,aswellastheuseofnew,non-petroleumbasedmaterials.

In true Amazing Race Style the event consisted of finding and solving clues as well as participating in a series of challenges along the way.

Reuben van Niekerk, Bruce Faser and Liana Shaw (The Blue Team) show off their trophies.

Sizedoesn’tcount!

AuToQuIP Alberton

defies the oddsAutoquip Alberton is one of the

smallest outlets within the Group,

and yet, despite its size and an

overtraded arena, the store is

generating impressivefigures.We

paid theoutletavisit tosee ifwe

couldgettobottomofitssuccess.

Onarrival Iammetbyaflurryofactivitywithevery liftoccupied.The

staffclearlyhavetheirhandsfullbutstilltheymakeapointofgreeting

meatmycar,enquiringhowtheycanbeofservice.

StoreManagerJacoBredenkampswiftlyfollowsontheirheelsushering

me intoaquieterspaceso thatwecan talkminus thesoundsof jack

hammersandtyrewrenches.

FromtheoutsetI’mimpressedthatincontrasttorecentlamentsfrom

the tyre trade as to how the economic downturn is affecting their

businesses,JacoappearsperplexedwhenIraisetheissuewithhim.

Jaco Bredenkamp

D e a l e r P r o f i l e • 3 7

3 8 • D e a l e r P r o f i l e

Hesays:“Wehaven’t feltanyadverseeffects toourbusiness, likelydue

toourextensiveofferingwhichincludeswheelsandsuspensionsystems.”

Autoquip enjoys an affiliation with Aline Wheels as well as a close

associationwithBridgestonewhichconstitutesitsprimarybrandalongside

otherpremiummakessuchasMichelinPirelliandFalken,synergieswhich

have likely contributed to the success of this tyre and fitment centre. A

further diversification drive into suspensions has also opened up a new

marketwithpleasingresults.

Butthereareotherwinningfactorstoo.Jacoclaimsthatsomeofhisstaff

havebeenwiththestoreforthelast10yearssinceitfirstopened.“There’s

very little staff turnover except for obvious staff promotions which of

course,wewelcome.It’sgratifyingtoseepeopleworkingtheirwayupthe

ranks.”

A keen 4x4 enthusiast, Jaco also passionately supports a variety of 4x4

forumswhichserveastheidealplatformforhimtodevelopthe4x4tyre

andwheelbusiness.Infact,thissideofhisbusinesshasalmostdoubledin

thelastfewyearsduelargelytohisrelentlesseffortsinthisregard.

“Inthisbusiness,youneedtobeproactiveaswellashands-onifyouareto

attaingrowth.Itwouldbecounter-productiveforabranchmanagertobe

sittingbehindhisdeskallthetime.Getinvolved,lendahandatthecounter

sothatyoucanidentifyanyproblemareasthatcouldbejeopardisingyour

turnoverandGPs.Successforabusinesssuchasthisdependsonone’s

abilitytosellup,somethingthatcanonlybedrivenfromthetop.”

The location of the store is clearly another important factor. Autoquip

Alberton is locatedonaprimesiteonVoortrekkerStreet,enjoyingboth

visibility and accessibility. Its only drawback is its size which Jaco says

oftenlimitstheirabilitytoserviceasmanycustomersastheywouldlike,

particularlyduringthemonthofDecember.

When Iaskhim toname thechallenges tohisbusiness,he immediately

alludes to the infiltrationof ‘cheapies’coming in from theEastwhichhe

saysiscontributingtotheoutrageousprice-cuttinginthemarket.

“Thatbeingsaid, Idon’tbelieve in focusingon thenegative,” says Jaco,

whohasenjoyedmanyyearsintheretailtrade,withagreaterpercentage

ofthemspentwiththeTigerWheel&TyreGroupbeforejoiningAutoquip

5yearsago.

“Instead,Iabidebythephilosophyofregularstafftrainingandstickingto

thebasics.Ifyoudothat,therestwillfollownaturally.”

Clearly,it’sastrategythatappearstobeworking.

The only limitation to the future growth of this business is the size of the premises.

3 6 • T a l k i n g T y r e s

28422 Dunlop Brain SA Treads 4/28/10 11:16 AM Page 1

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C M Y CM MY CY CMY K

Future technologyRevolutionratherthanevolution

Loosely continuing the theme of waste tyre management

discussedinthepreviousissueofSATreads,surelythetyre

industry needs to adopt a revolutionary approach rather

thanrun-of-the-millevolution ByColinMileman

T a l k i n g T y r e s • 4 1

T a l k i n g T y r e s • 4 3

Weknowalltoowellthatthetyreindustryfacesnumerouschallengesasfar

asgoinggreenisconcerned,specificallyrelatedtodealingwiththemounting

problemofwastetyres.

Plus there’s the issueofreducingthedemandonnatural resources in the

productionoftyres.Andtheever-morestringentrequirementsforassisting

themotorindustryinthebattleagainstvehiclefuelconsumptionandharmful

emissions.

Butthatbegsthequestion:shouldn’tthetyreindustrybecomingupwitha

newgenerationofground-breakingsolutionstotheseproblems?

There’snodoubtthatbillionsisinvestedinresearchanddevelopment,and

I’mnotsuggestingthatanyofthetyrecompaniesaredraggingtheirfeetin

thisregard.

Certainly I’mof thefirmopinion,andalwayshavebeen, thatsomeof the

most notable improvements in vehicle performance, handling, safety and

rollingresistanceinrecentyearshavelargelybeenattributedtofantasticnew

tyretechnology.

Indeed,theshiftfrompurecarbonblacktosilicacompoundsachievedone

ofthegreatestadvancesintyretechtodate.Itallcomesdowntotheconcept

of the “magic triangle of tyre technology”. This defines the contrasting

relationship between rolling resistance, durability and grip – you improve

oneandtheotherstendtosuffer.

Theintroductionofsilicaredefinedthatscenario,allowingformuchhigher

levelsofgrip(particularlyinthewet),matchedtoreducedrollingresistance

(byasmuchas20percent),aswellasenhancedtyrelife.Itwasfirstusedin

theearly1990s,andhasbecomealotmoreprevalentsince.

However,maybeit’stimewestartthinkingoutthebox(orthecircleinthis

case), and redeveloping theentire lifecycleof the tyre, fromstart toend.

Fromcradletograve–andweseriouslyneedtofindwaysofdelayingthe

latter.

Undoubtedly one of the most relevant and problematic issues relating to

tyres,asdiscussedinmypreviouscolumn,isthedisposalofmillionsoftyres

oncethey’vereachedtheendoftheiruseablelife.

Match that to natural resources that are being pillaged as if there’s no

tomorrow,andit’seasytoseewhyarevolutionarynewstrategyisneeded,

andsoon.

Surelyweshouldbeworkingfeverishlytoregenerateusedtyresintonew?It

hasproventobehighlyeffectivewithplasticandglass.Oldbottles,containers

andpacketsaremelteddownandgivenanewleaseonlifeoverandover

again–althoughSouthAfricastillhasalongwaytogotofullyembraceand

adoptthebasicconceptofrecycling.

IadmitthatIperformeddismallyatchemistrywhileatschool,soI’mthelast

persontotryandanalysethecompositionandbondingpropertiesbetween

atoms and molecules. Yet I’ll acknowledge that modern tyres and their

chemicalcomponentsareextremelycomplex,and thesyntheticpolymers

used to achieve the optimal tyre performance in all areas pose a major

challengeinbeingreworkedbackintothesystem.

Undoubtedly,therearemanyknowledgeablemenandwomeninwhitelab

coatsthathaveponderedoverthisissue,andcontinuetodoso.ButIthink

The price of natural rubber continues to escalate. As such the issue of reducing the demand on natural resources in the production of tyres continues.

it’stimewereappraisetheconceptinitsentirety,investigatingthepotential

fortotallyreinventingtyretechnology.

We should be working towards an industry that employs used tyres as a

primarymaterialfornewtyreproduction,ratherthanmerelyaproblematic

by-product.

Insomecasesasmallpercentageofcrumbedrubbergeneratedfromscrap

tyres isusedassupplementalfiller innewand retreaded tyreproduction.

However,thefocusshouldreallyshifttowardsredesigningtyrecompounds

fromthegroundupwithamultiplelifespan,capableofbeingbrokendown

andremouldedmanytimesoverintonewtyres.

Thatwouldavailthetyreindustryofmassivereadilyavailableresourcesatthe

veryheartoftheirbusiness:inthereplacementindustry.

Rubberobtained fromscrapped tyreswouldbeputback into thesystem,

dramatically reducing the demand on natural resources, and the cost of

obtainingandrefiningtheminthefirstplace.Thesteelreinforcingelements

ofthetyrecouldberegeneratedinthesameway.

As this new type of compound would already be fit-for-purpose, albeit

with theneedtoeffectivelyrecycle it intoauseable form, thecostof tyre

productioncouldfeasiblybedrasticallyreduced.

Tyres would become less of a grudge purchase, and end users would

hopefullyusethemwithinthesafeparametersthey’redesignedfor,rather

thanpushingtheboundariesofdurabilityduetothehighcostofreplacement.

Hopefully, then, this would enable other secondary and complimentary

featurestobecomemoreaffordableandprevalentwithin thecar industry,

suchastyrepressuremonitoringsystemsthatempowerdriverstomakethe

mostoftheirtyres,andtomaintainthemattheidealpressuresforaneven

greaterpracticallifespan.

It’sarelativelysimplisticview,Iconfess,butinthelongtermitmakessense

tome, the journalist.And I’msure theenvironmentalistswouldgive it the

thumbsuptoo.Asforthescientistsandnumber-crunchers:well,useit/don’t

useit…

Revolutionratherthanevolution

4 4 • T a l k i n g T y r e s

Colin Mileman is a freelance motoring journalist,

photographer and advanced driving specialist with over

13 years of experience in this field. As a former editor of

Topcar and Topbike magazines, he’s as enthusiastic about

cars and bikes as they come, and has extensive knowledge

of all motoring-related matters, including the topic of tyres,

having run the annual and highly regarded Topcar tyre tests

for several years.

With the reliability you get from Bandag, your fleet can take on anything. www.bandag.co.za

8182 Bandag Strip Ad.indd 3 5/15/08 4:39:38 PM

Everheardofthe5MileageThieves?Evenifyouhave,itmightbeworth

yourwhiletoreadthefollowingtipsinensuringthatyougetthemostoutof

yourtyreinvestment.Toooftentyresarejudgedbythewrongcriteriaand

allbecausethebasicsoftyremanagementarenotfollowed.

Bandagendeavours toget thesebasicsright tomakeadifferenceto the

bottomlineoffleets,therebydeliveringnotonlyvalueaddedservices,but

anoticeabledifferenceinthe‘true’costsassociatedwithtyresinfleetsof

allsizes.

So,whatarethese5MileageThievesandhowcantheybeovercome?

Theseseemlikeobvious

issues but all too often,

thesebasicfundamentals

in tyre management

are overlooked and the

end result is poor tyre

performance with a

resultanttransferenceinblame.TheBandagwayistotackletheseissues

upfront,ensuringyougetthemostoutofyourtyreoperatingbudget.

How this is done:

Pressure maintenance– thiscritical tyremanagement

disciplineisfundamentaltomanaginganyfleeteffectively.

Incorrectpressurescanaffecttyreperformancebyupto

25%.Managingpressureseffectively,isthefirststepin

ensuringthattyreperformanceisnotaffected.Aninflux

ofairpressuremonitoringsystemsinthemarketplacecanbeartestimony

to the importanceof selectingandmaintaining thecorrect airpressures

inyourfleet.TIP:Selectandmaintaintyrepressuresasoftenaspossible.

Mismatching–imagineforaminuteamanremovinghis

Grasshoppersfromonefootandslippingonhiswife’s

highheels!Ifhetriestowalk,whatdoyouimaginethe

resultwillbe?Thesameistrueformatchingtyreswhich

are matched using the following criteria; size, make, model, design and

treaddepth(3mmtolerance).Everytyrehasitsowncharacteristicsandby

fittingtyresindualpositionsthatarenotcorrectlymatched,willcausetyres

to‘resist’eachothersothatinturn,theydonotperformtotheiroptimum

levels. TIP: Ensureyoumatch tyres across the axle, toensure superior

performance.

Irregular wear due to mechanical problem–tyrestend

tobethe‘fallguy’inmanyinstances.Whiletheycannot

becompletelyexemptedfrompoorperformance,there

aretimeswhenotherfactorsdeterminetheperformance

of tyres. We commonly refer to these as mechanical

issues (includes vehicle alignment). TIP: Regular wheel alignment can

improvetyreperformanceandeliminateunevenwear.

Incorrect Tread Selection – tyres are generally

designed for a specific application. Drive axles are

more aggressive for increased traction and trailer

tread designs are generally rib patterns designed

to be free rolling. Bandag has invested heavily in

R&D to design and develop its Application Specific® range of tread

designs.Thesetreadsaredevelopedtoprovidesuperiorperformance

in the chosen application that a generic design won’t be able to do.

TIP: Enquire more about the Bandag Application Specific® range of

productstoday!

Overloading – this is such a common practice in Africa but one that

seriouslyhinderstyreperformance.Tyresaredesignedtocarryaloadata

givenpressure.All‘E’and‘DOT’markedtyrescomewithaloadcarrying

indexandspeedrating. Exceedingtheloadindexandspeedrating,will

put the tyresunder tremendouspressureand jeopardise the integrityof

casings.TIP:Neveroverload!

With these basics in place, you are sure to start seeing a difference in

your tyreperformance. To implement thenext step inprofessional tyre

management,contactBandagtoday!

Could the 5 Mileage Thieves be Impacting on your operating budget?

The 5 Mileage Thieves are:

• Incorrect pressures • Mismatching

• Irregular wear due to mechanical problems

• Incorrect tread selection • Overloading

B a n d a g • 4 5

4 6 • G o o d y e a r N e w s

TheHiluxapproachesthepit-abouttwometreswide,fivemetreslongand

ametredeep -cautiously.More thanhalfof thepit isfilledwithsludgy,

slimy,claybasedmud.Theentryandexitedgesofthepitarevertical.It

lookslikeacauldronoftrouble.

We are at Klipbokkop Mountain Reserve near Worcester in the Western

Cape, home to the Goodyear 4x4 Academy. Gerhard Groenewald,

4x4 expert and owner of Klipbokkop is behind the wheel. On the sides

surrounding the mud pit stand I (a cynical journalist loving off-road and

4x4’s),aswellasthesalesforceofallthemajorGoodyearofficesinSouth

Africa.Wearewaitinganxiouslytoseefirsthandwhatthisnewtyrecando.

The Hilux carries on regardless, confident that it will reach the opposite

shore.Itsconfidenceisbornfromthefactthatitisrunningthisgruelling

testona setof very special tyres: a setofGoodyearMT/RwithKevlar.

Seriousoff-roadtyres.Becausethisisseriousoff-road.

Is this the MTR of all tyres?Motoring Journalist Gerrit Rautenbach

experiencedaweekendevaluatingtheGoodyear

WranglerMT/RwithKevlaramongsttherugged

(frequently gruelling) hills of the Klipbokkop

Goodyear Serious Freedom 4x4 Academy. A

seasonedmotoringjournalist,weaskedhimfor

histhoughtsonthetyre.

The Wrangler MT/R with Kevlar stands the test during evaluation at the Goodyear Serious Freedom 4x4 Academy.

G o o d y e a r N e w s • 4 7

Firstofall,theMT/RwithKevlarcontainsKevlarreinforcedsidewalls

toprovidepunctureresistanceduetothefactthatKevlaris,poundfor

pound,fivetimesstronger thansteel.Theearlier test,climbingrock

walls,provedthatitworks.

However,forthismudpittest,thefactthattheMT/RwithKevlarhas

a wraparound tread, giving enhanced sidewall traction, is far more

important. The Silica in the compound also gives better all-round

tractioninthewet.Andthismudiswet;slimywet.Thetractionforks

in the treadalsoprovideadditionalhorizontaledges forgrip inmud

withsee-throughgroovesthatprovideanavenuetoevacuatethemud.

Slowly the frontsetofMT/RwithKevlarengages themudandrolls

forwardwithoutaslipuntiltheentirebakkieistakingamudbath.This

is theeasypart.The real test isgettingouton theoppositevertical

edge.Lowrange,firstgearanddifflockon,theMT/RwithKevlartests

theedge.Gerhardgivesmorepower.Bitebybite thebakkiemoves

forward.Thenalittleback,forwardagain.Inoticehowthemudfliesoff

thetread,groovescleaningthemselvesforanotherattack.

Rugged, rebellious, revolutionary ... Wrangler

MT/R with Kevlar and Wrangler DuraTrac are Goodyear’s brand new

duo of versatile, tougher-than-steel off-road tyres.

Thebakkie’srearwheelsgrindagainsttheexitwall,rockingandrollingina

mudwrestlingdance.Thetyresspinandgrip,spinandgrip,grindingthe

bakkieoutontodryground.Thespectatorsstartbreathingagain,lookingat

eachother.Thisissomethingtheycansellwithconfidence.Bucketsfullof

muddywaterrunofftheundersideofthebakkie.

Slowlythefrontdooropens.Gerhardgetsoutandlightshispipe.

“WhydidIdothisdemonstration?”heasks,puffingaway.“BecauseIcan.

Why?BecauseoftheMT/RwithKevlar.It’sabouttheonlythingthatwillget

youthroughthispit.”

Idoagree.It’stheultimateforseriousoff-roading.Butit’snotanallround

tyre.Ifthegoingiseasyontarorifitgetstoughondirt,youcankeepgoing

withasetofWranglerAT/SAs(lastyearIdid11000kmthroughAfricaon

themwithnoproblems)orDuraTracs.Butifthegoinggetstougher,havea

setofMT/RwithKevlarinthegarage.

(courtesyofGerritRautenbach)

4 2 • C o n t i C o r n e r

W o r l d N e w s • 4 9

Having run its Formula One PZero tyre for the first time in Italy last

month, Pirelli’s eagerly-anticipated Formula One test campaign continued

this week at the Le Castellet circuit in the south of France, again with

Nick Heidfeld at the wheel of the Toyota TF109 fitted with Pirelli’s latest

Formula One tyres.

The Italian firm won the tender to supply tyres exclusively to the FIA

Formula One World Championship from 2011-2013 earlier this year,

andsince thenaconcentratedcampaignof researchanddevelopment

hasbeenongoingtoprepareforPirelli’sfirstFormulaOneseasonin20

years. With the initial shakedownwork atMugello fromAugust17-18

proving to be extremely successful, Pirelli continued its development

programmeatPaulRicard for twodays,workingonbothconstructions

andcompoundsaspertheplannedschedule.Atthesametime,Italian

driver Giorgio Pantano continued to test Pirelli’s GP2 tyres, which will

also make their debut next season as part of a three-year tyre supply

agreementthattakesintheentry-levelGP3seriesaswell.Temperatures

inthesouthofFranceremainedwarmthroughoutbothtestdays,withan

averageambienttemperatureof24degreesCentigradeandaveragetrack

temperatureof28degreesCentigrade. TheLeCastelletcircuit,which

hasrecentlybeendevelopedintoahigh-techtestfacility,canbedriven

inanumberofdifferentconfigurations.Pirelli’s test teammadefulluse

of thecircuit torunahigh-speedconfiguration,enablingtheengineers

toassesstheperformanceofthetyresunderextremeloadingaswellas

throughslowerandmoretechnicalsections. Throughoutbothdaysof

thetest,thecarandthetyresperformedperfectly.Theperformanceofthe

newrubber,aswellasitsconsistencyandreliability,fullymatchedPirelli’s

expectations-asmotorsportdirectorPaulHemberyexplained.“We’re

veryhappywiththeprogresswe’vemadesofar,whichactuallyputsus

slightlyaheadofwhereweexpectedtobeatthispointintime,”pointed

out Hembery. “We worked through an initial development programme

thathasgivenusausefulinsightintotheperformanceofourprototype

tyresunderawiderangeofconditions,cornersandspeeds.We’vebeen

hugelyencouragedbywhatwe’veseenuptonow,andthat’sbeenhelped

by both Nick’s clear and precise feedback, as well as all the different

possibilities afforded to us by the Paul Ricard circuit.” Pirelli’s test

programmewillcontinueinSpain intwoweeks’time. Inthemeantime,

thecompanywill taketothetrackatMonzafor thefinaleof thisyear’s

GP3SeriesfromSeptember11-12,whichisexclusivelysuppliedbyPirelli

initsinauguralseason.

Indian manufacturer Apollo Tyres has announced it is to invest

6.6 million euros in its Enschede, Netherlands manufacturing unit

to increase the plant’s capacity from 5.1 million to 6 million tyres

per annum. The company’s South African concerns in Durban and

Ladysmith will also receive investments totalling a reported $30

PIRELLIFORMULAONETESTSCONTINUEINFRANCE

APOLLOTOINVESTINDUTCH,SATYREPLANTSmillion for expansion and equipment upgrades.

In its domestic market, Apollo is due to complete its Chennai

Greenfieldsitebytheendof2010.Workcommencedonthesitelast

quarter.Thecompanyalsoreportsithassanctionedafurther3billion

rupeeextensiontotheexisting20billioninvestment.

RELIABILITY... SAFETY... QUALITY...

DURABILITY...

important ingredients that keep us ahead of the pack!

w w w . l e a d e r t r e a d . c o . z a

ISO 9002

T +27 11 473 8200F +27 11 474 8659E info@leadertread.co.za

LT half pg 210x145.indd 1 6/3/10 11:57:05 AM

Wet Braking

Source:WhatCar?

Whenitcametodrybrakingthebudgettyresfairedalotbetterwiththe

SunewYS112outperformingtheGoodyearOptigripby1.2metreswitha

stoppingdistanceof52.2metres.TheOvationVI-182equalledGoodyear’s

result,buttheArrowspeedwashalfametrebehindthisandcamebottom

witha53.9metredrybrakingdistance.Michelinagaintoppedthistable,

taking48.5metrestocometohalt,withtheContinentaltyretakingsecond

placewith51.1metres.

5 0 • W o r l d N e w s

What Car? has named and shamed budget brands in a test warning that

tyres like these “could kill.” In the test published online on 4 August

2010 What Car? measured the performance of the Arrowspeed CP661,

Continental Premium Contact 2, Goodyear Optigrip, Michelin Pilot Sport

3, Ovation VI-182 and Sunew YS112 in dry braking, wet braking, lateral

grip and noise tests. The Michelin Pilot Sport 3 came out top, with

particularly strong results in wet and dry braking. However, there were

some shocking outcomes in the budget sector when it came to braking

and noise.

ThebudgettyresfromOvationandSunewhadaparticularlybadtimeinthe

wetbrakingtest.HereGPS-basedtimingtechnologywasusedtomeasure

howlongittookeachtyretostoptheVauxhallMerivatestcarfrom70mph.

All threebudget tyrescameoutasclear losers in thiscategorywith the

SunewYS112taking82.4metrestocometoastandstill–awhopping22.9

metres longer than theMichelinPilotSport3.Whilebetter, theOvation

andArrowspeed’s76and68.2metrerespectivestoppingdistanceswere

aworldapartfromthetopthree,thelongestofwhichwastheContinental

PremiumContact2with64.3metres.

BUDGETTYRESCOULDKILL,BUTATLEASTTHEY’REQUIET

Michelin Pilot Sport 3

Goodyear Optigrip

Continental ContoPremium Contact 2

Arrowspead CP661

Ovation VI-182

Sunew YS112

59.5

62.1

64.3

76.0

68.2

82.4

40 60 80 100

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C M Y CM MY CY CMY K

Name:__________________________________________________________________________Company: _________________________________________________________________________

Address:________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________Code:________________________________________________________________________________

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QuEsTIon: When did Autoquip Alberton first open?

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