Specialised high-precision manufacturing company Glebus Alloys has been a preferred partner of leading tyre companies across the globe for over two decades. 

Its mission was clearly defined by its founder Michael Stefanidis: “Our aim is to make manufacturing a safer place for the worker and more profitable for the shareholders by sustaining a greener and cleaner industrial environment.”

Glebus has three product lines: G-METAL, GSV and DOT Plugs.

G-METAL

Located in Poland, the company’s plant produces maintenance free, self-lubricated bearings, sliding plates and bushings under the trade name/mark of G-METAL and CERAMET.

It is a specialised material that combines unique properties for the curing department. Companies like Goodyear, Bridgestone, Michelin, Pirelli, Continental, Cooper, Hankook, Yokohama, MRF, JK Tyre and others have been benefitting from Glebus Alloys’ sliding plates for long time.

The company employs over 140 people with over four decades of combined experience in tyre curing and mould handling. Glebus Alloys takes prides in its fast, dependable and customised JIT services. It has developed products in different areas for the container shoe, top and bottom plates, axial movements and higher loads segments. 

An added value is the 5-year warranty that Glebus Alloys provides. The factory has two production sites – one for continuous sintering and one for customer sintering process – that enable it to offer high quality materials at affordable prices along with fast delivery customised to client drawings and specifications.

One of the key factors for a perfectly cured tyre is the proper closing of the mould in the container and press. Any misalignment among the three moving elements will harm the outcome of the curing process.

These misalignments, in most cases, come from the wear out of the sliding plates and guiding elements. Specially developed wear indicators can be placed on the wear plates to maintain the proper replacement period. Based on the extensive period spent in the tyre industry, Glebus Alloys has developed a self-lubricating sliding material suited especially for tyre containers. 

Glebus Alloys does not spray its wear plates with specialised coatings to make them look like sliding material. Glebus Alloys sinters and bonds its unique formulas to have a unified unbreakable material.

G-METAL self-lubricating sliding plates are especially designed to cope with unevenly distributed load and thus provide prolonged production time. Used in tandem with the wear indicators, it allows to stay on top of the issues caused by blocked container due to worn out sliding plates.

Furthermore, long raw material bi-metal wear plates of size 2,000x200 mm with a total thickness 3 or 5mm for individual custom projects are now available for order. 

GSV

Glebus Alloys is the ‘only’ worldwide patent holder for the tyre mould venting systems under the brand name GSV (Glebus Spring Vents). 

The unique demountable, three-piece design of the GSV provides a lot of flexibility that older spring vents (the one-piece type) are not able to match in anyway. 

Glebus Alloys starts by evaluating the current situation and status of the tyre curing environment and finds solutions on how companies can develop a manufacturing place for tyres with free spew, greener and less expensive. Glebus Spring Vents may replace existing vents (microvents-minivents) in the same hole and eliminate the need for expensive vacuum containers or press piping or injection type segmented moulds.

This product line employs 70 people with over 100 years of combined experience in rubber compounding, mould designing, mould manufacturing, mould cleaning and tyre curing.

The new development includes specialised stems that are focused on the surface of the aluminium mould and the machined top that is imprinted on the tyre surface. The focus on the visual aspect of the tyres has become very demanding nowadays, resulting in different stem head textures.

This development has been going on for some time now and results show that this can be amended by proper adjustment of surface parameters like different coatings, artificial increase of surface roughness to break the light reflection and special machining. 

New addition to the GSV portfolio are the specialised stems that offer customised approach to deaeration of sidewall plates during curing process due to different flow of rubber. 

DOT Plugs

RGP, a subsidiary of Glebus Alloys, is a specialised plastics production company based in Czech Republic. It is focused on specific industries and high-end precision thermoplastic projects. This is the company’s third line of product – nano-plastic DOT plugs for tyre moulds that replace aluminium or steel one. This company employs 40 people with knowledge of AI and 4.0 automation.

JK Tyre & Industries Ltd has strengthened its position as a leader in sustainable tyre technology and a conscientious partner in India's green industrial journey by commencing production of its ‘UX Royale Green’ passenger car tyres at its Chennai Tyre Plant using ISCC Plus-certified sustainable raw materials.

Developed in August 2023, the UX Royale Green is made with 80 percent sustainable, recycled and renewable materials and was put to rigorous evaluation and testing. The sustainable tyre is the product of more than 10 years of diligent study conducted by the Global Tech Centre of JK Tyre. The company's research and development team has been concentrating on creating sustainable alternatives to traditional petroleum-based products. The certification confirms the usage of traceable, ethically obtained renewable and recycled raw materials and is given under the internationally recognised International Sustainability and Carbon Certification (ISCC +) system. Certified raw materials for the UX Royale Green include steel wire, recycled polyester, recovered carbonaceous black, bio-attributed polymers, renewable oils and recycled rubber powder. All of these products are sourced using circular methods.

Dr Raghupati Singhania, Chairman & Managing Director, JK Tyre & Industries Ltd, said, "The commencement of sustainable tyre production represents a defining step in JK Tyre’s journey toward environmentally responsible innovation. We are pleased to set new industry benchmarks that balance high performance with ecological responsibility. This milestone reflects our ongoing commitment to driving responsible mobility – anchored in green technology, circular economy principles and the delivery of world-class, low-impact products. At the same time, innovation, quality and safety continue to be foundational to our operations."

Apollo Tyres has launched the ‘Apollo Tyres Healthcare Express’, a mobile medical unit designed to monitor the health of truckers and the surrounding community. C Thomas Mathew, Unit Head, Chennai Plant, Apollo Tyres Ltd, flagged off the unit, which would service major transport hubs within a 50-km radius, including Madhavaram, Manjambakkam and Poonamallee, serving a population of over 10,000 truckers.

For a small consultation charge of INR 10 per visit, this mobile medical unit will offer essential healthcare services to the trucking community. It will provide a wide range of services, such as general medical care, screenings for certain diseases and preventative and awareness programmes. Additionally, it will increase knowledge of important health concerns including HIV/AIDS, STI prevention, vision care, tuberculosis and non-communicable illnesses like diabetes and hypertension. A team consisting of a medical officer (MBBS), a pharmacist, an optometrist, outreach workers and a project coordinator will run Apollo Tyres' Healthcare Express.

Over 12 million people have benefited from the Apollo Tyres Foundation's healthcare initiative for the trucking community since it began in 2000. The organisation reached out to more than a million people in order to raise awareness during the Covid-19 outbreak. In partnership with local authorities, it also made it easier for over 10,000 people to get tested for Covid-19 and for over 150,000 people to get vaccinated.

World-class cyclist and multiple Tour de France champion Tadej Pogačar has joined Continental as its new global ambassador.

This new collaboration with one of the best contemporary cyclists is a logical continuation of Continental's longstanding reputation as a reliable brand in both the automotive and cycling industries. The long-term relationship will place special emphasis on fostering mutual respect and understanding between bikers and drivers. Pogačar and Continental are both dedicated to enhancing communication between drivers and boosting everyone's safety.

In 2024, Pogačar, 26, created history by winning several Monument races and placing first in the Tour de France, the Giro d'Italia and the Road World Championships. Only two riders in history have accomplished this feat. In addition, he earned victories in Liège-Bastogne-Liège and Strade Bianche. He is committed to developing future cycling talent in Slovenia and abroad through his foundation and the ‘Pogi Team’ development squad.

For many years, Continental has maintained a strong presence in the cycling industry. Not only do all of the support cars of the Tour de France use Continental car tyres, but numerous elite teams, including the 2024 winning squad, also use Continental bike tyres. Additionally, Continental is a major sponsor of the Giro d'Italia, providing its automobile tyres to all official support vehicles to increase safety on the difficult 3,000-kilometre course.

Pogačar said, "Top performance is not only the result of talent, but also of the pursuit of continuous development. Continental and I share the ambition to always make the most of our possibilities – both in terms of sport and development. So this partnership was an obvious choice. As a professional cyclist, I know how crucial it is to trust your tyres. Without the right equipment, I wouldn't have become the rider I am today.”

Egemen Atış, Head of Strategy, Analytics & Marketing at Continental Tires EMEA, said, "Tadej Pogačar and Continental both stand for exceptional performance but above all for safe driving. Risky manoeuvres, misjudging situations and thinking only of oneself doesn't win races. Tadej’s ability to see the bigger picture, alongside his extraordinary talent, makes him not only the best cyclist in the world at the moment, but also the perfect partner for Continental."

Indian tyre manufacturer Apollo Tyres Ltd reported a 3% increase in annual revenue to INR 261.23 billion for fiscal year 2024-25, while its net profit fell 35 percent from the previous year.

The company, which markets its products under the Apollo and Vredestein brands, saw its operating profit decline to INR 35.71 billion for the full year, compared with INR 44.47 billion in the previous fiscal year.

For the fourth quarter ended March 31, Apollo Tyres posted a revenue of INR 64.24 billion, up 3% year-on-year, while quarterly net profit dropped to INR 1.85 billion from INR 3.54 billion in the same period last year.

"We acknowledge that our performance over the past few quarters has not met industry benchmarks and our own expectations. After a thorough internal review, we have identified the key challenges that contributed to this underperformance," said Onkar Kanwar, Chairman of Apollo Tyres.

"With targeted strategies now in place to address these issues, we are confident in our ability to deliver stronger results in the coming quarters," he added.

Apollo Tyres, which has manufacturing facilities in India, the Netherlands and Hungary, distributes its products in over 100 countries.