Belarusian tiremaker Belshina is currently redeveloping its on- and off-road businesses. A 32.6 million euro upgrade of passenger tire production facilities is close to completion, the company reports.
The project will be funded in part by loans, with the remainder coming from Belshina and parent company Belneftekhim. Equipment for the upgrade has been supplied by VMI. The upgraded plant will enter operation at the end of 2011 and will reach its planned capacity in 2013.
Belshina anticipates the replacement of obsolete equipment and the upgrading of other units will not only increase output volume and enable a larger assortment of products to be manufactured; the tiremaker says production quality and labor conditions will also improve.
In a drive to increase sales in export markets, particularly in Brazil, the tiremaker has extended its radial truck tire range throughout 2010 and the line-up now goes up to 22.5-inch fitments. To accommodate its plans in this sector, Belshina is upgrading its truck tire production facilities; the company aims to increase truck tire production by 150,800 pieces per annum. Production equipment has again in part been supplied by VMI and key items were delivered to the plant in August 2010.
Off-road tire projects include plans to increase agricultural tire production by 35,900 units a year through the replacement of obsolete plant equipment. In particular, Belshina intends to purchase to agricultural radial assembly units with interchangeable tooling, one for the production of 28- to 34-inch tires and the other for 38- to 42-inch tires. New vulcanization equipment will also be installed. (Tyres & Accessories)