CMA to launch 57-inch OTR, radial farm tyre lines

ERJ Staff report (TB)

Memphis, Tennessee - China Manufacturers Alliance LLC (CMA) is launching a 57-inch radial OTR tyre line later this summer and plans to offer a line of radial farm tyres starting next year, company executives told a gathering of customers and media today at the firm's Memphis distribution centre.

CMA, a subsidiary of China's Double Coin Holdings Ltd. (DCH), also introduced a line of fuel-efficient radial medium truck tyres, a premium all-position radial for regional pick-up/delivery trucks and a five-rib highway service tyre for mixed use applications, such as waste hauling.

CMA plans to have the first shipment of 37.00R57 OTR tyres-under development for the past few years and made at DCH's Shanghai factory-available for customers starting in August. The first tyres came out of that plant about two months ago, the company said, and have been undergoing field testing since.

Asked about the possibility of offering a 63-inch OTR radial, DCH chairman Chun Chen Yue said the company is evaluating this, but a decision is not expected before next year. The next product in the pipeline, he said, is a 33.00R51.

DCH has installed capacity for the giant OTR radials rated at 5000 units a year at its plant in Shanghai.

Regarding the farm radial, Mr. Yue said DCH plans to have 10 sizes available for the US market by early 2010. The radial farm tyre project, five years in development, is aimed primarily at North America and Europe, he said.

The fuel-efficient truck tyre line-marketed under an FE moniker-includes the FR605 steer, FD405 drive and FT105 trailer position offerings, according to CMA Vice President Aaron Murphy.

The new tyres offer a fuel-efficiency improvement of up to 3 percent over the predecessor line, Mr. Murphy said, making them eligible for the Environmental Protection Agency's SmartWay energy efficiency improvement program. CMA is purshing SmartWay certification for the tyres.

DCH achieved the improvement in rolling resistance through new tread compounding and lightening the tire by using an enhanced tensile-strength steel cord, the company said.

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CMA to launch 57-inch OTR, radial farm tyre lines from Tire Business (a Crain publication)