Linglong partners with Cimcorp for factory automation upgrades

Shandong Linglong Tyre Co. Ltd. has selected Cimcorp Group as its "strategic partner" for automated intralogistics systems at tire plant projects in Zhaoyuan, China, and Chonburi, Thailand.

The collaboration in China involves automating Linglong's radial truck/bus tire plant in Zhaoyuan, where Cimcorp said it will be retrofitting the 17-year-old plant with an automated materials-handling system in stages to ensure minimum disruption to production.

In Thailand, Cimcorp is the turnkey contractor for automating the high-bay warehouse, palletizing and shipping areas of Linglong's 4-year-old passenger tire plant in Chonburi.

Financial terms of the deals were not disclosed.

Kai Tuomisaari, vice president of sales at Cimcorp, said his company expects to secure additional contracts with leading Chinese tire makers covering automation technology "in order to help them achieve process optimization, quality improvement, maximum productivity and increased profitability."

Ulvila-based Cimcorp describes itself as a global supplier of turnkey automation for intralogistics, using advanced robotics and software technologies. It's part of Murata Machinery Ltd. of Japan.

Linglong just this week laid the ceremonial foundation stone for a fourth tire factory in China, in Jingmen, Hubei Province. The $875 million project has a rated annual capacity of 12 million passenger tires, 2.4 million truck/bus tires and 60,000 OTR tires.