Silicone takes spotlight in May 27 issue of Rubber News

The May 27 issue of Rubber News features our directory of liquid silicone rubber processors, soon to be available in our Data Store. This coincides with our special section on silicone:

• Wacker Chemie A.G. is putting full attention on the North and Central American regions as the global silicone market grows at a rapid rate.
• With its latest IATF 16949 automotive-related certification for sites in Burghausen, Germany, and Charleston, Tenn., Wacker "has reached another milestone in the ongoing qualification of our production sites."
• The Rubber Group has expanded its Midwest-to-New England reach with two acquisitions—Silicone Rubber Right Products L.L.C. and Team Products River Investments L.P.

As it enters the Goldilocks zone in transitioning its products from ICE to EVs, Henniges Automotive Holdings Inc. is committing to bigger goals built around customer satisfaction, product performance, sustainability and production.

While raw material pricing volatility continues to be a challenge in the silicone market, the versatile material is seeing far greater balance between capacity and demand across a range of industries.

NRP-Jones has a new CEO at the helm, Joe Kochan, who is looking to boost the hose and fittings maker by getting its name out in a crowded marketplace to convince customers that NRP-Jones is worthy of a larger "wallet share."

Trelleborg A.B. plans to invest more than $9 million to open a new facility in Morocco for sealing solutions for the aerospace industry.

Goodyear said its Dunlop and OTR divestitures are "well under way" during the tire maker's first-quarter earnings call, where it also marked an improvement over last year's first quarter.

Mantua, Ohio-based rubber goods maker Mantaline Corp. has transitioned from being a 100-percent employee-owned company to being owned by a private equity firm.

Klinger Thermoseal is well on its way to success in the rubber extrusion and rubber-coated metal markets thanks to its ability to innovate and remain prosperous in a changing environment.

President Biden implemented sharp tariff hikes on a range of imports from China, including medical equipment such as syringes and needles, respirators and face masks, and rubber medical and surgical gloves.

Firestone Airide christened two new distribution centers next to its manufacturing facilities in Williamsburg, Ky., and Dyersburg, Tenn.

We bring you coverage from our International Tire Exhibition & Conference, including some key notes on sustainability from keynoter Pierluigi Cumo of Michelin; a panel of industry experts from Pirelli, Bridgestone Americas, Monolith and Bolder Industries; and Pelmar Engineeering Ltd.'s Jacob Peled.

Henniges is embarking on a more sustainable journey to meet OEM expectations by enlisting a partner to help evaluate its business and develop achievable goals toward carbon neutrality.

This issue's Technical Notebook features Rubber Industry Consultant Hiroshi Mouri's laboratory prediction of tire treadwear and associated high-frequency vibrations.