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.

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Birla Carbon will present its carbon black solutions at the Global Polymer Summit 2026, scheduled for 28–30 September at the Kentucky International Convention Center in Louisville. The company will exhibit at Booth 417, targeting tyre and mechanical rubber goods (MRG) manufacturers seeking higher performance and reduced environmental impact.

The company’s portfolio spans tyre and MRG applications, addressing durability, strength, abrasion resistance and product life across tyres, belts, hoses, sealing systems and anti-vibration products. Birla Carbon will also feature Continua Sustainable Carbonaceous Material (SCM), a circular carbon range with consistent quality and global availability and Continua Sustainable Carbon Black (SCB), produced from recycled or bio-based feedstocks.

Supported by extensive manufacturing, technical expertise and customer-focused teams across the Americas, Birla Carbon provides reliable volumes, responsive service and tailored solutions. Attendees can meet company experts at Booth 417 to explore its product portfolio, technical capabilities and sustainable offerings.

John Davidson, President – Americas & EMEA, Birla Carbon, said, “The tyre and mechanical rubber goods industries are at an important phase, where performance, supply resilience and sustainability must advance together. The next phase of growth will depend on stronger collaboration across the value chain and the ability to translate innovation into scalable, commercially viable solutions. At Birla Carbon, we are combining our manufacturing network, portfolio strength, technical expertise and regional capabilities to help customers navigate this transition and build more resilient and sustainable businesses.”

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Michelin has unveiled the X Multi Energy D2 tyre, developed to address the specific challenges of regional haul operations. Fleets in this segment face demanding roads, frequent stop-and-start cycles and escalating fuel expenses that affect both performance and profitability. By blending durability, fuel savings and Michelin’s established performance standards, the new tyre aims to boost fleet productivity while reducing overall operating costs.

The tyre features a revised tread pattern and a new tread compound to better resist tread damage caused by high-torque vehicles and stop-and-go regional driving. It is constructed on Michelin’s Duracore casing, which integrates Infinicoil and Powercoil technologies and benefits from a reinforced bead design known as Duracoil Technology. This casing is engineered to last up to one million miles and support as many as four retreads.

In the effort to curb fuel expenses, the X Multi Energy D2 improves rolling resistance by 9 percent over its predecessor, the Michelin X Multi Energy D tyre, and by 18 percent compared with leading competitors. It also enhances late-life traction, offering 10 percent better wet handling and 16 percent better snow starting traction when worn, giving drivers and operations managers greater confidence on varying roads.

For original equipment manufacturers, the tyre meets Greenhouse Gas standards and supports applicable vehicle carbon-reduction requirements. Designed for regional applications where traction, durability and fuel efficiency matter, it is available in 295/75R22.5 LRG and 11R22.5 LRG and LRH sizes, replacing the X Multi Energy D tyre in those sizes.

Yahn Heurlin, VP of B2B Marketing, Michelin North America, Inc., said, “Michelin is driven by a deep commitment to understanding the needs and challenges customers face every day. This customer-first mindset inspires the development of purpose-built solutions designed to address real-world pain points and help fleets operate more efficiently.”

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Firestone, a Bridgestone Americas subsidiary, has unveiled the Destination LE4 highway touring tyre as the successor to its best-selling Destination LE3. The new model features a deeper tread depth, an advanced compound and a non-directional tread pattern, delivering longer wear life along with improved wet and light snow performance for year-round driving confidence.

Backed by a 70,000-mile limited warranty, the Destination LE4 is projected in external testing to wear 16 percent longer than its predecessor, 9 percent longer than the General Grabber H/T and 43 percent longer than the BFGoodrich Advantage Control HT. Thinner 3D sipes enhance traction and handling, while internal testing showed wet stopping distances reduced by 8 feet versus the Toyo Open Country H/T II and 4 feet versus the BFGoodrich Advantage Ctrl HT, with dry stopping improved by 8 feet and 2 feet, respectively, plus a 2-foot dry gain over the LE3.

Sustainability gains come through wear-resistance technology, optimised material usage that lowers raw material consumption and enhanced traction technology. Two technical firsts originated at the Bridgestone Americas Technology Center in Akron, Ohio: a high-strength, lightweight carcass architecture using light body plies and steel cords for durability and low rolling resistance despite deeper tread, and advanced compound mixing that improves ingredient consistency for tread wear, handling and wet grip.

Available in 65 sizes for 15- to 22-inch rims, the Destination LE4 covers small CUVs, SUVs, pickups and larger trucks, including the Mazda CX-5, Ford F-150, RAM 1500, Chevrolet Trailblazer and Nissan Armada.

Jeremy Norwood, Chief Engineer, New Product Engineering, Bridgestone Americas, said, “Drivers loved the Firestone Destination LE3 for its comfortable, quiet ride and all-season reliability. With the new Destination LE4, we enhanced those strengths by extending wear life and improving wet-weather handling, delivering dependable performance, confident control and everyday value.”

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The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd. has announced that Y.T. Rubber Co., Ltd. (YTRC), its Thai subsidiary focused on natural rubber processing, earned the Outstanding Provincial-Level CSR Organization Award. The honour formed part of the ‘CSR Award 2026’ initiative run by Thailand’s Ministry of Social Development and Human Security, and the presentation took place on 22 August 2026.

Built around the idea of ‘CSR Partnerships for Sustainable Thailand’, the award programme highlights organisations demonstrating exemplary corporate social responsibility at provincial or metropolitan level throughout the country’s 76 provinces and Bangkok. A total of 92 recipients – among them YTRC, other firms and bodies chosen nationwide and provincial CSR centres – convened at IMPACT Challenger Hall in Nonthaburi Province to collect commemorative plaques.

Governor Jumpot Wannachatsiri (left) presents flowers to YTRC Managing Director Noboru Takita (centre) and Department Manager Supachai Choosuwan at the Surat Thani Provincial Council.

YTRC, established in Surat Thani Province in 2008, has long pursued environmental preservation and dependable ties with nearby communities. Working with the Rubber Authority of Thailand (RAOT), it surveys natural rubber plantations and supplies management assistance to farmers, supporting sustainable procurement of the material. The company further backs agroforestry practices that give rubber farmers steadier incomes while partnering with the Surat Thani Provincial Office of Social Development and Human Security on efforts to nurture constructive community relations.

The recognition reflects YTRC’s continuous community-oriented CSR work and its notable local impact. A special event on 31 August saw the Surat Thani Provincial Council once more acknowledge those contributions, with the governor presenting a celebratory bouquet. Separately, the CSR Center of Surat Thani Province ranked among only nine centres nationwide to win the Outstanding Provincial CSR Promotion Center Award.

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