Yokohama Rubber Co. Ltd. will build a new OTR tire manufacturing plant in Japan that will boost its OTR tire capacity by 50%.
Construction will begin this month, with production scheduled to start in November. The factory will produce 25-, 33- and 35-inch radial tires for mining and construction equipment.
"The project will increase Yokohama's monthly production capacity for OTR tires incrementally to 1,620 tons -- as measured in rubber consumption -- by 2009," say Yokohama officials.
"The expansion... is in response to surging, structural growth in global demand in the mining sector. Demand outside Japan accounts for about 80% of Yokohama's business in OTR tires."
Yokohama will continue to build bias OTR tires, officials add. "Demand remains strong for bias tires for small and medium sized vehicles in underground mining operations, in freight handling equipment at ports and in other applications."
