KraussMaffei Extrusion successfully concluded the KraussMaffei TecDays ‘World of Extrusion’ in Laatzen near Hannover, Germany, with a focus on topics such as pipe & profile, recycling and circular economy.

The three-day event was held from 25 to 27 March and was graced by around 300 visitors from 44 countries. The event provided participants with an ideal platform to exchange ideas on innovations and sustainable solutions in the field of extrusion. Apart from high-profile keynote speeches from industry and research partners and live demonstrations at the state-of-the-art Technology Centre, the event saw the world premiere of the new PVC multi-layer pipe head and a new machine concept for upcycling post-consumer plastic waste.

Extrusion of pipes and profiles was the main topic of the event's first section. Prominent keynote addresses from KraussMaffei Extrusion partners and specialists, including Borealis, Baerlocher, Omya, Plastics Europe and Georg Fischer, offered intriguing perspectives on global extrusion industry difficulties and future trends. The business offered cost-effective and environmentally friendly answers to the urgent problems facing the plastics sector. The ‘Smart Factories’ concept was introduced by Kabelwerk Eupen as a vision of the automated and digitally transformed factory of the future.

A live demonstration of the new PVC multi-layer pipe head, which creates three-layer pipes from virgin material and foamed core, was the focus of the first section. Spider wires and other such weak areas are avoided by the creative distribution method. The new pipe head adds to increased sustainability because of its material versatility, which includes processing recycled materials. Visitors also saw live demonstrations of PVC granulation and PE-PA pipe manufacture.

A novel machine design for the regulated upcycling of post-consumer plastic waste into premium automobile compounds was unveiled during the event's second section, which concentrated on recycling and the circular economy. Accurate, repeatable colours were guaranteed by the groundbreaking ColorAdjust technology. Additionally, a live demonstration of the scalable and energy-efficient manufacture of food-grade rPET granulates was conducted.

The TecDays offered in-depth explanations of several recycling procedures in addition to live demonstrations. The most recent advancements in the circular economy were discussed, along with mechanical, solvent-based and chemical approaches. Prominent research institutes including IKV Aachen and IKK Hannover, as well as industry partners PureCycle Technology, Veolia, Lober, Polymetrix and Exxon Mobil, provided insightful presentations on recent advancements and trends. Innovative technologies including artificial intelligence (AI) in compound production, smart sensors for inline quality monitoring and solutions for cable compounds in an electrified future were included to the programme.

A special event was held in the evening for celebrating 100 years of partnership with Kabelwerk Eupen AG.

Atturo Tires and TMV Group have won three international awards at the 2025 Internet Advertising Competition (IAC) for their ‘Atturo Andy' campaign.

The campaign featured a fictional tyre salesman and was launched nationally across digital channels. It went on to win top honours in three major categories: Best Automotive Online Video Campaign, Best B2B Online Video Campaign and Best Mobile Online Video Campaign. The campaign – with its focus on driving brand recognition through humour, humanity and a distinct visual style – resulted in 140 percent increase in web traffic, 100 percent growth in ‘Where to Buy’ dealer inquiries and +35 percent lift in unit sales, according to Atturo.

Michael Mathis, President, Atturo Tires, said, “These awards recognise what we already knew: Atturo Andy isn’t just a character – he’s a force. We set out to create something that stood apart from industry clichés, and thanks to TMV Group’s creativity and deep category insight, we delivered work that was not only different but effective.”

Joe Morden, Managing Partner at TMV Group, said, “Creative only works when it’s backed by brave clients. Atturo trusted us to go big – to build something that was smart, strategic and completely unexpected. That trust turned into three international awards.”

Bridgestone is planning to cut jobs at two factories in northern Spain in response to a negative shift in the European market and the growth of non-European goods.

According to a Reuters report quoting local union UGT, the business intends to lay off 546 workers at two plants in Cantabria and the Basque Country in northern Spain that produce tyres for tractors, other farm vehicles, buses and trucks. The report adds that UGT and other unions have declared their intention to call for a strike at the two facilities, but they have not given any specifics.

The company's local unit, Bridgestone Hispania, employs 2,800 people at the moment, according to UGT. Bridgestone stated that it has to modify its production capacity in light of the current market conditions, which are marked by inflation, uncertainty and regulatory changes, says the report.

The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd. has expanded its FLAME GUARD series of flame-retardant conveyor belts with the launch of the FLAME GUARD ECO, which offers improved energy-saving performance. This is in line with the company’s medium-term management plan for fiscal years 2024–2026 –Yokohama Transformation 2026 (YX2026) – and aims to solidify its leading share in Japan’s conveyor belt market.

FLAME GUARD ECO is aimed at coal transport lines at ports and thermal power plants, which need conveyor belts that are flame-retardant for fire safety. To enhance energy-saving efficiency, Yokohama Rubber created a new rubber compound utilising technology acquired during the development of its ECOTEX conveyor belts, which have reached world-class power-saving performance. As the belt moves over the rollers, this lessens rubber deformation, which is a component in energy loss. Power usage and running resistance are thereby decreased. FLAME GUARD ECO reduces energy expenses and its environmental effect by lowering carbon dioxide emissions while simultaneously improving operational safety by combining flame resistance and energy economy.

With its self-extinguishing safety feature, the FLAME GUARD series provides flame retardancy with improved wear resistance, resistance to heavy oils and resistance to medium and high temperatures, making the belts suitable for a variety of operating requirements. The FLAME GUARD ECO variant also reduces resistance during roller passing for increased efficiency.

Apollo Tyres Ltd has launched the Vredestein Superpasso Pro competition-ready road bicycle tyres. This is the first model in the company’s all-new range of high-performance bicycle tyres scheduled for launch throughout the coming year.

The Superpasso Pro was developed using Apollo Tyres' cutting-edge ‘TriComp’ technology in Europe, which combines several rubber compositions for the tread and sidewall to maximise rolling resistance, puncture prevention and traction in both wet and dry situations. While the tyre's shoulder is composed of a softer composition to improve cornering grip at all speeds, the centre of the tread features a tougher compound to reduce rolling resistance and to prevent penetration. The new Superpasso Pro achieves a 14 percent improvement in rolling resistance, a 23 percent increase in puncture resistance and an eight percent weight reduction when compared to its Vredestein predecessor.

For TLR tyres, the new ‘Active Control’ technology offers a novel design that substitutes a bridging gap for the conventional overlapping centre join. Because of this development, the tyre is lighter and quicker, offering better control, better feedback and unwavering comfort. In order to increase puncture resistance and provide consumers the assurance that they can go farther, the Vredestein tyre also has a reinforced breaker layer. As part of a business collaboration with Apollo Tyres, the Dutch professional cycling team BEAT Cycling Club has put the Superpasso Pro through a rigorous testing process. Three sizes of the new Vredestein tyre are available: 700x25C, 700x28C and 700x32C. Both tubeless-ready (TLR) and tube type choices are available.

Nic Knippers, Division Head – Vredestein Two Wheel Tyres, Apollo Tyres Ltd, said, “The Superpasso Pro represents a significant leap forward in tyre technology, offering cyclists a product that excels in both performance and durability. With its innovative design and advanced materials, it delivers unmatched speed, comfort and reliability for cyclists of all levels.”

Thijs Zonneveld, Sportive Director, BEAT Cycling Club, said, “As a team that consistently pushes the limits of performance, we’ve been thoroughly impressed by the Superpasso Pro. The advancements in rolling efficiency, grip and durability have been evident in both race-day conditions and intense training sessions, and we’re excited to continue using it in competition.”