Bridgestone is investing €158 million in modernising the facilities at the Kitakyushu plant as a part of the company’s strategic investments based on its medium-term business plan (2024-2026).
The Kitkayashu Plant
Bridgestone is investing €158 million in a plant where it produces mining and construction vehicle tyres and is planning to complete the modernisation by the end of 2027. The strategic investment aims to qualitatively strengthen the business with the off-the-road tyres (OTR), which form the basis for the company’s tyre business.
The Kitakyushu plant is the global manufacturing facility for OTR tyres, including Bridgestone’s Dan Totsu products – “Bridgestone MasterCore.” With the investment, the company will ensure high product quality and reliable production, while additionally improving safety, disaster prevention, environmental impact, quality and productivity. The investment will also improve production technology for the future generation of Dan Totsu products. Bridgestone investing in this plant proves its contribution to the local community, making it more sustainable and safe. Since the investment focuses on the modernisation of the existing equipment, the production volume remains consistent.
Dan Totsu Products
Bridgestone MasterCore, the flagship of Dan Totsu products, offers long service life thanks to the combination of new technologies, which include steel wire produced in-house. The tyre can be adjusted for optimal performance according to customers’ requirements and vehicle operating conditions. This is achieved by optimising the high resistance and other tyre properties without compromising on performance. Since its launch in August 2020, Bridgestone MasterCore has found its use in around 100 mines worldwide and its performance has been recognised by many mining companies.
Bridgestone is expanding its mining solutions with MasterCore thanks to its physical capabilities, such as on-site technical services (Genbutsu-Genba) for tyre maintenance and optimal deployment, supported by a global service network of approximately 130 locations. Combining this with digital capabilities, such as AI tyre and vehicle data analysis, Bridgestone aims to expand and maximise its mining solutions.
In July 2023, Bridgestone launched its AI mining solution service which optimises tyre maintenance and vehicle route planning to predict tyre durability. The service was first introduced at the Spence copper mine in Pampa Norte, Chile, operated by BHP Group.
By developing Bridgestone MasterCore and improving mining solutions, Bridgestone strives to meet its E8 Commitments to the guiding values of Efficiency and Ecology.
