Today's News
Continental to build highly automated warehouse in Illinois
Continental has announced the construction of a new highly automated finished-goods warehouse in Mount Vernon, Illinois. The company plans to invest approximately $76 million in the project. The facility is designed to mainly serve growing demand in North America, while enhancing service levels and customer support. Covering an area larger than six American football fields, the warehouse will have capacity for approximately 500,000 passenger car tires. Construction is expected to start in summer 2026, with operations scheduled to begin in 2027.
Miguel Oseguera named president of Simtech Silicone Parts
SIMTEC Silicone Parts, Inc., has appointed Miguel Oseguera as President, effective April 29, 2026. Oseguera will lead company operations from SIMTEC’s headquarters in Miramar, Florida.
Oseguera brings nearly two decades of leadership experience in the silicone molding industry. He joins SIMTEC from Freudenberg, where he held multiple leadership roles over 19 years, most recently serving as Global Segment Director.
Bridgestone chosen as sole tire partner for Maserati MCPURA
Bridgestone is the sole tire partner for Maserati’s new MCPURA. Successor to the acclaimed MC20, the Trident Brand’s first super sportscar, the Maserati MCPURA arrives on the market with a 3.0‑litre 630 CV twin-turbo V6 engine that delivers 0-100 km/h in under 2.9 seconds.
Freudenberg now offers small batch production
reudenberg Sealing Technologies is expanding its portfolio of bellows with a new manufacturing process for small-batch production. For the first time, custom-designed bellows made of thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) can be produced with significantly reduced tooling and fixed costs. This is feasible due to a modular tooling concept developed specifically for application-specific bellows geometries in small quantities.
Additive manufacturing market forecast at $215 billion by 2034
The global additive manufacturing market valued at USD 31.36 billion in 2025, is projected to reach USD 215.49 billion by 2034, expanding at an impressive CAGR of 23.9% during the forecast period according to Polaris Market Research. The rapid shift toward digital manufacturing, lightweight material production, and customized industrial applications is positioning additive manufacturing as a core technology across aerospace, healthcare, automotive, energy, and industrial manufacturing sectors.
Rubber Review issue 37 is now available online
In this Cover Story Interview of TechnoBiz Rubber Review, Dr. Mondal shares insights into his professional journey, research vision, and
Featured
Mixing
Understanding the difference between high and low shear
Industrial mixing is a crucial process in various industries, including production of rubber formulations, petrochemicals, pharmaceuticals, personal care products and many others. It is also integral to continuous process industries including waste water treatment, fuel and energy production, and mining of metals and minerals.
Chemicals and Materials
Freudenberg introduces solvent-free bonding process for elastomers to metal
Freudenberg Sealing Technologies has introduced a new adhesive bonding process that eliminates the need for wet-chemical treatments, aiming to reduce environmental impact and improve manufacturing efficiency.
Extrusion
Freudenberg Sealing Technologies unveils new extrusion process using molten salt
The specific properties of vulcanized materials make them essential for many areas of application. In industries such as aerospace, food and beverages and the energy sector, components must meet the highest standards of abrasion and chemical resistance, elasticity, and durability. Delivering top-quality solutions in these areas requires excellent materials expertise, and at Freudenberg Sealing Technologies this goes hand in hand with state-of-the-art production technologies: With LCM (Liquid Curing Method), the company is now commissioning an advanced vulcanizing extrusion line. This is a process in which the fluid used for vulcanization consists of molten salt, heated to around 200 degrees Celsius and filled with vulcanizing salt. The entire line operates in a closed loop, in which the salt is continuously recycled, fed back into the process and reused.
Silicone & Medical
Mitsubishi Chemical’s Zelas TPS used for Sanplatec cell culture tubes
Mitsubishi Chemical Corp. said it has introduced its thermoplastic elastomer designed for medical use into cell culture tubes used in a regenerative medicine system developed by Sanplatec Corp., marking a new application for the company’s medical-grade resin technology.
The material, Zelas TPS, is being used in the cell culture tubes of Sanplatec’s iP-TEC series, a system for cell culture and transportation used in regenerative medicine. The products were showcased at the 25th Congress of the Japanese Society for Regenerative Medicine held in Kobe on March 19–20, 2026.
Oil, Gas & Energy
Freudenberg Sealing Technologies develops new sealing system for CO2 compressors
Freudenberg Sealing Technologies has developed a new sealing system for busbar sealing in vehicle air-conditioning compressors. This elastomer-based solution withstands test pressures of over 100 bar in leak tests and offers a cost-efficient alternative to conventional glass seals. Designed for CO₂ compressors (R744), it also works well with other refrigerants.
Testing & Instruments
Wire cord measurement sensor for tire calenders
Wire cord measurement sensors provide a highly reliable, high-resolution method for evaluating the geometry of steel reinforced rubber sheets in real time.
Molding
Electrically conductive silicones for enclosure-level EMI shielding
By Dominic Testo, Specialty Silicone Products – Electromagnetic interference (EMI) is a naturally occurring orhuman caused phenomenon that degrades or
Thermoplastic Elastomers & Urethanes
Fraunhofer scientists develop safer method to produce polyurethane without toxic isocyanates
Researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Polymer Research (IAP) have developed a new method for producing polyurethane without the use of toxic isocyanates, a key ingredient traditionally required in the manufacture of the widely used polymer.
Latex and Natural Rubber
Sustainable materials for rubber and allied industries
Sustainability is no longer a new concept; it has become a global priority. While quality was the focus of the 1980s, globalization defined the 1990s, and the internet revolutionized the 2000s. The 2010s and after have been dominated by the idea of sustainability. Human survival depends on integrating sustainable practices into every aspect of life. The world is already witnessing alarming environmental changes: rising greenhouse gas emissions, depletion of non-renewable resources and widespread deforestation.
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