Category: News

Air-Seal Products had the pleasure of supporting one of our trade customers, Harpers Feeds, at Yealmpton Show on the 26th of July 2023. There was an excellent turnout for the one-day show in Plymouth, despite the very wet weather!

Many locals entered the livestock competitions with their cattle, sheep, and horses, or took part in the gun dog and classic car displays. There were many smiling faces as individuals walked away from the show with rosettes and trophies, the tough competition making the win even more satisfying.

Attendees also had the opportunity to witness Jamie Squibb and his team performing incredible freestyle stunts while enjoying lunch from one of the various food stands offering local delicacies. Other trade stands included handmade crafts and agricultural merchants, machinery, and horticultural equipment.

Harpers Feeds is a long-established family owned business with over 140 years of experience in the rural and farming sector. They are your one-stop shop for all your farming and countryside needs and offer a range of innovative products and trusted farming brands, including Air-Seal Products premier tyre sealant.

UK Business Development Manager, Eddie Hutchings, exhibited alongside Harpers Feeds and demonstrated the effectiveness of our tyre sealant range to attendees. He had this to say: “It was great to support one of our trade customers at Yealmpton Show! It’s a shame about the weather but certainly didn’t stop punters from making the most of what we had to offer.” Harpers Feeds even walked away with first place for the most eye-catching and attractive agricultural merchant, machinery and horticultural equipment trade stand!

The Yealmpton Show will be back again next year on the last Wednesday of July. If you would like to find out more about the show, click here. If you would like more information on our range of premier tyre sealants, click here.

The Air-Seal Products team exhibited at a very wet and muddy Mid Devon Show on the 22nd of July. The show has been running since 1993 and celebrates the best of farming and rural life in Mid Devon. There are a wide variety of attractions, competitions, and entertainment for all ages.

One of the main highlights of the Mid Devon Show was the livestock displays where farmers showcased their finest cattle, pigs, goats, and horses. The livestock competitions posed challenging decisions for the judges in selecting the champions from among the high quality entries. The local show also offered an array of stalls, featuring local artisans, crafters, food vendors, and information stands from various charities and organisations.

For the first time, Air-Seal Products exhibited at the one day show and demonstrated the benefits of our range of premier products to the community. Despite the rain, the team thoroughly enjoyed showcasing our products to the visitors and entertaining families with our famous tyre sealant demonstration. Ben Collard, general manager of Air-Seal Products had this to say: “The rain certainly hasn’t kept people away, it’s nice to see the community coming together to support the show and local businesses despite the wet weather!”.

The president of the show, Rose Chanin, commented on this years Mid Devon Show stating: “It’s been terribly wet, it was forecast, and people have come with raincoats, fairly well prepared for what promised to be a wet day sadly, but I’ve seen people making the most of it. They came prepared, families have been enjoying themselves, getting involved in the activities that have been on offer, going into all the features under the marquees so they can shelter from the rain.”

If you missed Air-Seal Products at the Mid Devon show, then take a look at our other upcoming events and the chance to witness our tyre sealant demonstration in person, or click here to find out more about the show.

Air-Seal Products are proud to announce the launch of our brand-new website, providing customers with an enhanced online experience and easy access to information on our premier tyre sealant range. The modern website showcases Air-Seal Products’ commitment to offering long-term solutions for puncture repair and tyre maintenance.

Our user-friendly site gives comprehensive information about our range of products and the benefits they offer for a wide variety of applications, such as on-road and off-road vehicles. The product pages highlight the unique qualities of each grade of tyre sealant, such as puncture repair capabilities, long-lasting formula, and ability to maintain tyre pressures over an extended period.

In addition to the informative content on our product range, the website offers an intuitive ordering system, allowing customers to conveniently purchase Air-Seal Products tyre sealants online. The streamlined checkout process ensures a hassle-free experience with multiple payment options available for added convenience. You can visit the shop directly by clicking here.

“We are thrilled to launch our new website and present our new branding to our customers. It reflects our dedication to providing high-quality tyre sealant solutions and exceptional customer service” said Alex Burnand, Managing Director of Air-Seal Products. “With the redesigned website, we aim to make it easier for customers to access information on our range of premier products with just a few clicks. We are confident that the user-friendly interface will greatly enhance our customer’s online experience.”

Air-Seal Products aims to expand its reach and serve customers more effectively by providing an online platform that offers convenience, information, and an enhanced shopping experience. Whether it’s for personal vehicles, commercial fleets, or off-road machinery, our tyre sealant range will revolutionise tyre maintenance and bring peace of mind to operators across the globe.

For more information about Air-Seal Products and to explore our range of tyre sealants, visit our new website at www.air-sealproducts.com.

The automotive industry has faced various unprecedented challenges over the last few years due to Covid-19, Brexit and supply chain issues caused by the Russian invasion of Ukraine. These challenges are particularly evident for fleet owners who are struggling to combat rising costs and long lead times as a result.

What Are The Challenges?

Parts & Vehicles Shortages
The shortage of critical components such as semiconductor chips mean that vehicle manufacturers cannot build new fleet vehicles and fulfil orders. These integral parts are only produced in a handful of specialist factories that have been severely impacted by global issues and has therefore created an ever-increasing gap between supply and demand.

With demand racing ahead of supply, fleets are facing longer delivery times, higher list prices and reduced discounts on new parts and vehicles. The average delivery time between ordering and delivery has tripled since the start of 2020!

Energy Costs
Fuel prices have fallen slightly since the £2 per litre peak in July 2022 but diesel is still proving more expensive that it was a year ago, and electric vehicle charging costs have also doubled in the same period.

The increasing fuel and energy prices affect operating costs for all businesses, but vehicle manufacturers specifically, will reflect this in higher prices for parts, vehicles and workshop time. Not only do fleet owners have to deal with the higher operating costs of their business but also accommodate the increased prices imposed by manufacturers.

Repairs, Maintenance and Tyres
Due to longer lead times and increased prices, vehicle manufacturers are prioritising components for new vehicles, whilst workshops are holding less stock and instead choosing to order on demand. Staff shortages because of the pandemic, decreased immigration and a skills shortage with electric vehicles, is also contributing to the longer lead times. The combination of these pressures has resulted in repair costs skyrocketing for fleets.

How Can These Challenges Be Mitigated?

It is going to take time for these challenges to be resolved and so minimising costs and downtime where possible has become even more important for fleets. The use of Air-Seal Products tyre sealant can help cut fuel costs and extend tyre life by maintaining optimum tyre pressure and avoid costly downtime waiting for tyre repair or replacements.

A fleet of ten trucks and trailers could see savings between
£17,000 – £30,000 per year as a direct result of using our tyre sealant range. Smiths (Gloucester) Ltd said the following:

“We keep records on all tyres which include full tyre life, repair, and replacement. These figures show the monthly repair costs on the treated tyres over the initial nine-month trial were reduced by almost two-thirds from £3,500 to £1,200, a saving of £20,700. When the tyres of all our vehicles have been treated, the total savings are expected to reach £27,600, before downtime costs.”

Still not convinced? Speak to a member of our technical team on +44 (0)1823 674411 or contact us online to find out more.

Out of 2,000 UK drivers, only 14% described tyres as the most crucial safety feature on their cars in a recent survey conducted by Bridgestone. 24% of motorists deemed airbags to be more important than the only contact points between a vehicle and the road, despite tyres being directly responsible for 491 casualties and 12 deaths in 2021.

Only 42% of motorists knew the legal tread limit of 1.6mm, and a staggering 54% didn’t believe that driving on illegal tyres is an extremely dangerous act. Bridgestone believe this lack of awareness on the importance of tyres is putting lives at risk. The tyre manufacturer is reminding motorists that any safety feature on a vehicle is only as good as the quality of the tyre beneath it.

Andrea Manenti, Bridgestone’s North Region Vice President, said; “the survey indicated there seems to be a lack of understanding of the critical role that tyres play on a car, and we at Bridgestone are determined to bring this to the forefront of minds. For example, the research also revealed that only 46% of motorists would call out a friend if they knew they were driving on illegal tyres, when the very act of doing this could be the difference between life and death.”

“Tyre awareness remains a huge issue in regard to road safety, but not an insurmountable one and we’ll be doing all we can to keep the issue of tyre safety at the forefront of motorists’ minds”. Read the full article here.

Air-Seal Products tyre sealant is often employed as an effective tyre management strategy for on-road fleets to help maintain optimum tyre pressure and prolong tyre life. Though it does not remove the need to check tyre pressure and tread depth, use of our tyre sealant range will reduce tyre replacement costs and remove unnecessary downtime. See more on fleet savings here.

Air-Seal Products had a busy few days at The Commercial Vehicle Show at the NEC in Birmingham last week. The show is the largest and most comprehensive road freight transport, distribution, and logistics event in Britain, making it unmissable for anyone operating commercial vehicles as part of their business.

Punctures are an inconvenience for any fleet manager as the multiple costs involved can have a large financial impact on any operation. The repair cost of a puncture is minimal when compared to other associated factors such as downtime, call-out, and the cost of a new tyre. Therefore, Air-Seal Products exhibits at the CV Show each year to demonstrate the effectiveness of our tyre sealants in reducing these issues.

The three-day show saw a multitude of our existing customers stopping by to let us know how happy they were with the performance of our tyre sealants. Both MRL Grab & Tip Ltd and Oliver Landpower Ltd have been using our products for over 15 years, and Mike Potts Haulage says our product is so good he never needs to replace tyres!

We also took the opportunity to catch up with some of our larger customers such as Argos and the Royal Mail Ltd, to whom we are the sole suppliers of tyre sealant.

Alongside catching up with familiar faces, Air-Seal Products also converted some non-believers into customers with our impressive tyre sealant demonstration. One new customer, J & R Car and Van Hire, was so impressed with our tyre sealant demo they bought three of our brand-new 4 litre jugs from the stand!

The Commercial Vehicle Show will be back again next year from the 23^rd-25^th April but if you can’t wait that long to see our infamous demo then click here. If you would like to purchase a product from our premier tyre sealant range, you can visit our online shop here.

Electric vehicles (EVs) appear to have the upper hand over Hydrogen vehicles at present, though this could be explained by the technology and infrastructure not being as developed for Hydrogen Fuel Cell Vehicles (HFCVs). There is still every chance that Hydrogen could challenge Electric as the future of clean transport.

How do they work?
Electric vehicles are powered by a lithium-ion battery which then powers the motor of the vehicle, these batteries are then recharged by plugging into the electricity grid. Hydrogen vehicles also contain an electric motor fuelled by Hydrogen fuel cells which then react with oxygen to produce electricity and water vapour. These vehicles are refuelled in a similar way to petrol and diesel vehicles at Hydrogen specific service stations.

Pros and cons?
The infrastructure for Electric vehicles is far more advanced than Hydrogen with grants being offered by the UK towards the purchase and installation of domestic charging points. However, the infrastructure for Hydrogen vehicles is thought to be relatively straightforward to scale up with the right investment and support.

Electric is also generally cheaper to purchase with the cost of recharging less during off-peak grid times making them a good long-term investment. Although the lengthy charging times and shorter ranges of the Electric vehicles make the higher cost of Hydrogen refuelling, not dissimilar to current fuel prices, easier to accept.

Both vehicle options produce no emissions from the exhausts, but Co2 is released during the manufacturing processes, meaning that neither option is a completely zero emission product.

It seems that both Electric vehicles and Hydrogen vehicles need further research and development. Electric needs a solution for efficient recycling of batteries, quicker charging times, and increased ranges. While Hydrogen needs improved infrastructure and reduced costs for the extraction of Hydrogen for refuelling. Both options could be major solutions to ‘green’ transport and help meet the ambitious target of ending sales of non-zero emission cars and vans in 2035.

Both Air-Seal Products directors and our office manager were over the pond exhibiting at the largest construction show in North America last week. CONEXPO 2023 was held at the convention centre in Las Vegas from the 14th-18th March.  

The five-day show surpassed estimated attendance numbers and drew in over 139,000 construction professionals from over 133 countries, making this show 6% larger than 2020. With over 3 million net square feet of exhibit space covered by 2,400 exhibitors, you certainly needed the whole week to see the whole show. Even Managing Director, Alex, was amazed by some of the never seen before equipment that was on display and was told that if you walked every floor of the show then you would cover over 70 miles!  

Air-Seal Products met many new faces at CONEXPO, but it took travelling over 5000+ miles to catch-up with a familiar face from the UK. Existing customer Richard Melton from BSP International Foundations Ltd, world leaders in the manufacturing of hydraulic piling hammers, Rapid Impact Compactors (RICS) and road maintenance machinery, was also exhibiting at the show. 

As the construction show draws in attendees from around the world, this was a perfect opportunity for Air-Seal to expand its export business. Many interesting conversations were held regarding distribution opportunities in over 30 countries including China, Brazil, and Mexico. 

Air-Seal Director, Kerstin Burnand, caught up with huge social media influencer, Stanley “Dirt Monkey” Genadek who has been in the landscaping / excavating business for 20 years and is considered the voice of the industry by his peers. Stanley had nothing but great things to say about our range of premier products, having previously used them himself!

This impressive trade show is held every three years in Las Vegas so is set to return to the convention centre once again in 2026.  

Alex Burnand, Managing Director of Air-Seal Products, had a fantastic week exhibiting at IDEX 2023. The international defence exhibition took place at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre from the 20^th-24^th February and Air-Seal were front and centre with co-exhibitors Remah International Group (RIG).

Air-Seal had the opportunity to demonstrate its range of premier products to many influential individuals at the show.

His Exellency (HE) Mohamed Al Qemsi, Chairman and Owner of co-exhibitor Remah International Group (RIG) and it’s 40+ associated companies had a lengthy discussion with Alex regarding Air-Seals range of products.

Major General Abdulrahmen Sabt, Assistant Chief of Joint Capabilities of the United Arab Emirates Ministry of Defence enjoyed Air-Seals big spike demonstration so much, he then requested to see it a second time along with a technical  discussion on how it works.

His Highness (HH) Sheikh Mansour, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Court also visited stand CP-249, although he unfortunately missed the demonstration of the premier tyre sealant.

If you missed Alex at the show and would like some further information on our range of premier tyre sealants, click here.

There is an ‘unknown’ tyre rule regarding mixing and matching your tyres on the same axle that could result in serious consequences. Most people are feeling the cost-of-living strain with inflation, but UK drivers are being warned about cutting costs on their tyre maintenance as it could cost them a £100 fine and 3 penalty points on their licence!

Even though it may be tempting to choose the most affordable option when getting a new tyre, it could be a costly mistake. According to the law, the tyres on the front axles must match, as should the tyres on the rear. Though you can have different tyre types on the front axle compared to the rear axle.

Graham Conway, managing director at Select Car Leasing, warned motorists that “there are big differences between the types of tyres available – beyond just the brand – and mixing and matching them can be dangerous and illegal.”

It is important that the matching tyres have the same ‘construction’ i.e. the same ply type. This is most commonly ‘radial-ply’ or ‘cross-ply’ and refers to the layers of construction that sit under the surface rubber and gives the tyre strength. They should also have the same tread pattern and depth which can vary widely between manufacturers.

Not only is having unmatching tyres considered an offence in the eyes of the law, it could also lead to inconsistent performance, poor handling, a higher chance of catastrophic blowouts, and skidding due to poor water displacement. If you have extremely mismatched tyres on the same axle then it could even cause damage to your wheel bearings and clutch, as well as costing you more in fuel!

Stay up to date with tyre related news and avoid costly penalties through our events and news page here.

The largest indoor agricultural exhibition, LAMMA, was a huge success for Air-Seal Products on the 10^th and 11^th January 2023. The NEC in Birmingham saw nearly 34,000 visitors through the doors to see new features and the latest innovations on show.

Some have even reported that it was the “strongest show yet” with 65% of the almost 600 exhibitors confirming their return for 2024, Air-Seal being one of them. The trusty demonstration tyre was in constant use as farmers flocked to stand 656 in hall 18 to watch impressive 15mm punctures being instantly sealed by the premier tyre sealant.

There were multiple reports from visitors that the company’s video sensation which went viral with over 50 million views across social media platforms, was a driving force bringing them to the stand to check if the product “actually works”. These visitors were left suitably astonished to find that the product does what it says on the tin, with its fibre technology providing the ideal solution for saving time and money on their operations.

The Air-Seal team enjoyed catching up with over 25 existing customers such as R & D Agri Services, Avant South East, Morgan Pell Farms, Martin Hoare Digger Hire, T W Ives Livestock, R J & J White & Son, and J M A Pickford, to name a few that have had huge success with using the company’s range of premier tyre sealants.

Air-Seal’s Marketing Executive even had the pleasure of catching up with Kaleb Cooper, well-known for his appearance on Clarkson’s Farm, and passed on a bottle of sealant and Air-Seal hat!

The agricultural machinery exhibition will return to the NEC on the 17^th and 18^th of January 2024, but if you can’t wait that long to start saving on your puncture problems, then  you can visit the team onstand E60 at Dairy Tech on the 1^st February, or call +44 (0)1823 674411 to find out more.