Falken Reveals Automated ‘Sun System’ Plant to Dealers in Exotic Thailand

Like many developing countries in Southeast Asia, Thailand is a mix of ancient tradition and stunning modern architecture. It is a land where anything goes, yet millions go there in search of peace and tranquility.

Take, for example, the beach resort of Pattaya, which, according to the Tourist Authority of Thailand, sees an unimaginable 5 million visitors a year. Pattaya was the first stop on a mid-April trip arranged by Falken Tire Corp. Some 40 tire dealers and journalists had a rare glimpse into the Thai way of life.

Despite its touristy feel, there is plenty of local charm in Pattaya. For three days after the first full moon in April, the locals celebrate the Buddhist New Year, and we found ourselves right in the middle of the party. We watched as crowds of Thai children beat the tropical heat by throwing bucketfuls of water at each other. Some of the more resourceful youngsters armed themselves with fire hoses. Many stood on the back of water tanker trucks. Others were even more inventive, tossing a pasty mixture of flour and water at passing cars, scooters and pedestrians. Thankfully, we observed the festivities from the cool – and dry – interior of a tour bus.

A few attendees – who shall remain nameless – ventured out into the streets of Pattaya after hours for an up-close-and-personal look. While some went to see Thai boxing matches that would make Rocky Balboa cry for his mother, others eyed the rich assortment of open-air markets. The next day, the rumor mill was churning. One of the juiciest stories involved a courageous dealer who ate a sautÉed cockroach he purchased from a street vendor!

Down to Business

All fun and games aside, Falken had a serious purpose in inviting us there – to showcase its parent company’s new Sumitomo Rubber (Thailand) Co. (SRT) tire plant and publicly unveil the formerly top-secret automated tire production process known as the Sun Production System (also called the Taiyo Production System).

Yutaka Kuroda, president of SRT, called the Sun System a breakthrough in automated tire manufacturing, comparable to Pirelli’s MIRS (modular integrated robotized system). In short, three components of the production system – a jointless, strip-winding process; computer control; and process coupling – result in a rounder, more uniform tire, according to Kuroda. The “cell-based” system integrates component preparation, tire building and curing into one unit.

Established in May 2005 at the Amata City Industrial Estate, the tire factory in Rayong, Thailand, officially began production in December 2006. By January, Sumitomo had invested 4.8 billion baht (approximately $146 million) in the 584,000-square meter site.

At the time of our visit, the plant produced 3,000 tires per day, but that number was expected to rise to 4,000 per day by the end of May, said Kuroda. “By the end of 2007, our target is 12,000 tires per day,” he said.

The plant operates 350 days a year, 24 hours a day, with approximately 700 employees and two shifts. By the end of the year, said SRT officials, the facility is expected to employ 1,000 workers.

SRT executives said the company selected Thailand as the site of the state-of-the-art plant because of the country’s strong logistical position and the work ethic of its people. Interestingly, all of the workers on the factory floor are women. Many attendees surmised that the highly automated process doesn’t require the physical prowess of men; others conjectured that Thai women are more detail oriented than their male counterparts.

The tiremaker is currently planning the construction of a second plant at the Amata City Industrial Estate. This second plant, which is slated to begin construction in November 2007, will produce mostly light truck/SUV tires.

SRT has set a target of producing more than 100,000 tires per day at the two Thai plants combined by 2010. Ninety-five percent of the tires built at the factory will be exported to the U.S., according to the company.

New Tire, New Market

Initially, the Thai plant will produce only 14- through 18-inch Falken Ziex ZE-912 tires, but other brands and sizes – up to 22 inches – may be manufactured in the future, said Kuroda. Falken had previewed its new Ziex ZE-912 tire at last year’s SEMA Show.

The tire, which will initially be produced in Thailand and Japan, addresses a “new” market dubbed by Falken executives as the “premium performance touring segment.” The ZE-912 succeeds the ZE-512, which, Falken said, addressed the “traditional high performance” segment. The ZE-512 will still be available through an exclusive arrangement with Discount Tire, according to Richard Smallwood, president and COO of Falken.

Available in June in 64 sizes, the ZE-912 all-season performance touring tire features an asymmetric tread design, rotation wear indicators, four high-volume circumferential grooves and high-angle variable cross grooves for stability and hydroplaning resistance.

The 60/65 series versions come with a 65,000-mile treadwear warranty, while the 35-55 series versions come with a 40,000-mile treadwear warranty. The ZE-912 has a UTQG rating of 480AA (60/65 series) and 360AAA (35-55 series).

Dealers and journalists were encouraged to try out the new ZE-912 at a ride-and-drive event at the Bira International Circuit just outside Pattaya.

A City of Contrasts

On our final day in Thailand, Falken arranged for an impressive round of sightseeing. We journeyed to a city called “Krung Thep Mahanakhon Amon Rattanakosin Mahinthara Ayuthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom Udomratchaniwet Mahasathan Amon Piman Awatan Sathit Sakkathattiya Witsanukam Prasit.”

The locals call it Krung Thep for short, and we foreigners call it Bangkok.

It was there that we discovered that April is the cruelest month in Thailand. Midday temperatures reached a sweltering 124ºF! The period from March to May is known as the “hot season” in Thailand, and that is no exaggeration. Luckily, Falken supplied us with plenty of water, cool washcloths and an air-conditioned bus.

Our capital-city adventure started at the gates of the Grand Palace, which was built by King Rama I in 1782 to serve as his royal residence. The Palace, a collection of audaciously ornate buildings and elaborately decorated monuments scattered throughout a 60-acre outdoor site, was the home of Thai kings for about 150 years.

Although the royal family no longer lives there, the palace is still used for ceremonial purposes. The royal temple of the Emerald Buddha within the walls of the Grand Palace is widely known as the spiritual center of the Thai kingdom.

For the rest of the day, we were free to explore Bangkok, an eclectic mix of modern skyscrapers towering over 200-year-old Buddhist temples. Water taxis and long-tail boats transported us across the Chao Phraya River in the heart of Bangkok.

By the time we left Thailand, we had all gained a renewed respect for Southeast Asian culture and the people of Thailand. And, of course, we learned a lot about Falken’s new tire and the Sumitomo plant that would eventually bring it to us.