The auto industry demands the highest standards for tire uniformity and quality. We at Kokusai provide laboratory testing for both tires and wheels, including durability and road simulator machines that properly evaluate assemblies. While all of the diagnostic tests we offer are important to maintaining the highest quality tire performance, such as rolling resistance, fatigue,…
The Future of Automotive is Riding on STEM Education
If the expected trends for the automotive industry continue as planned, we’re in for a major uptick and additional expansion. Things aren’t slowing down anytime soon, but the companies and workers still progress forward—posing room for new workers to find their place. Because of this, we must invest in the next generation of automotive workers…
Why Automotive Recalls Are Common and How They Can Be Avoided
Driving is a big part of life in the U.S. In fact, 95 percent of American households own a car, according to state.gov, and almost 85 percent of people get to work this way. With millions of automotives on the road, there is a lot of room for error in the automotive industry—but a big…
Top 5 Automotive Trends Expected for 2014
Our last blog brought you a recap of 2013, which was an outstanding year across the board for the automotive industry and Kokusai. We know it will be tough to top such a productive year, but we think there are five trends that will make 2014 equally as successful. 1. Even More Autonomous Cars While…
Top 5 Automotive News Stories and Trends of 2013
Top 5 Automotive News Stories and Trends of 2013 At Kokusai, we specialize in equipment and testers for the automotive manufacturers, so we pay close attention to the top stories and trends in the industry that seems to be at the forefront of new ideas and innovation. To wrap up 2013 and get 2014 started…
Automotive Three-Axis Vibration Testing Is Growing
In our last blog, we discussed our trip to the Automotive Testing Expo in North America, where we exhibited our “Quake” testing equipment and spoke to attendees about new machines in our facility. From chats we had with other professionals and what we’ve seen in the industry, we wanted to highlight a part of the…
Kokusai Is Heading to Automotive Testing Expo North America
The Automotive Testing Expo in North America serves as a platform for more than 260 companies to demonstrate the latest technologies and services in the automotive industry. This year, if you stop by booth 14022, you can see a live demonstration of our vibration table, and you can also hear about big changes happening with…
Improvements in Fuel Economy Rolling Along
In the last few years there’s been a major move towards more fuel efficient cars around the world. The days of driving huge gas guzzling trucks seems to be slowly dwindling, as many turn in the keys to their SUV for more compact earth-friendly vehicles. Many governments have also begun to tackle the issues of…
Kokusai’s Frequently Asked Questions – Balance
Q: What are the primary causes of ride vibration within transportation vehicles? A: There are many potential causes. Everything that rotates can cause vibration if the components are not balanced. Everything from the tire/wheel assembly to individual engine components such as crankshafts, if not properly balanced, will vibrate at differing frequencies causing different effects. The…
Bead Seating, Uniformity, and Balancing Machines – All From One Place!
If you’re in the automotive industry, you know how important tire and wheel balancing is to anyone who wants their vehicle to ride smoothly – and you also realize that bead seating and uniformity play important roles in smooth rides, too! Lately, we’ve been seeing more auto plants adding tire bead seating and uniformity equipment…