Rubber manufacturers

Tono62 · May 7, 2022

Just out of curiosity, I was trying to understand a bit of the business of table tennis equipment - specifically, rubber manufacturing. I know there are a small number of rubber factories that manufacture for different brands, according to different specifications as to pimple geometry, sponge hardness/density, tension, rubber formulas, etc. My incomplete list of manufacturers is the following:

- Tamasu Company Ltd., headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. They own Butterfly, and produce their own rubbers.
- Shanghai Double Happiness Co. Ltd., Shanghai, China. They own DHS and produce their own rubbers.
- Tianjin Rubber Industry Research Institute, Tianjin, China. They produce rubbers for Friendship/729 (others?). RITC in 729 rubbers stands for "Rubber Institute Tianjin China". Also, "729" gets the name because the company was launched in September, 1972.
- ESN German Table Tennis Technology GmbH, Frankfurt (Hofheim), Germany. Produce rubbers for TIBHAR, Yasaka, Andro, Stiga, Donic, Joola, GEWO, XIOM (others?).
- Daiki Rubber Co. Ltd., Saitama, Japan. Produce rubbers for Nittaku, Victas, Stiga, Mizuno, JUIC, (Neottec?).
- Sumitomo Riko Co. Ltd., Nagoya, Japan. Produce rubbers for Mizuno.

Please help me with anything important that I may have missed in my google searches, or with any wrong or inaccurate information in this short list. Also, if anyone knows where the (very good!) Neottec rubbers are manufactured (if not Daiki) please confirm.

I realize a lot of people don't care about this and just want to play, but a few who are interested in the business side of things may be curious. I have not seen a comprehensive list of rubber manufacturers, so I thought we might be able to put one together as public information.

Tony's Table Tennis · May 7, 2022

You have a couple of Chinese brands that produce they own rubbers. ie Yinhe
Then of your "other brands", when you see "Made in China" - those tacky rubbers, are made by DHS
ESN also make some rubbers for smaller brands that you didn't list.

Other than that, I think you pretty spot on.

May I ask, what interest you in the "business side" of things?

Tono62 · May 7, 2022

May I ask, what interest you in the "business side" of things?

Just general interest. I like table tennis as a hobby, and I've worked in technical business for 40 years - defining technical specs; researching and selecting suppliers based on quality first, then by price; doing quality control... I suppose these habits die hard.

ttarc · May 7, 2022

Shanghai Double Happiness is largely owned by Li-Ning. 57.5% since 2007 http://ir.lining.com/en/media/press_popup.php?file=inside-3_1_31.html until 2015 https://www.scmp.com/business/china...82/chinas-li-ning-sell-stake-double-happiness when Li-Ning sold 10%.
Some Yasaka rubbers are still made in Japan like the famous Mark V, some like the Rising Dragon are made in China but I don't know who produces them.
Same for the Victas Triple Extra and Triple Double Extra rubbers that are made in China or 729 Visnatura and Pango that are made in Japan...

NTT https://nttennis.com/?page_id=11667&lang=en also seems to produce rubbers in Estonia

Missing brands that sell rubbers from ESN: DHS (e.g. GoldArc 8), Mizuno (GF T), Nittaku (e.g. FastArc), TSP/Victas (e.g. Ventus series, V>11, V>15...), Palio Blitz (according to some this is the same rubber as Rakza 7), 729 DERWIND Rayhe and Stolz

Btw Li-Ning/DHS also works with NIO the EV manufacturer https://www.nio.com/nio-life https://cnevpost.com/2020/10/03/is-nio-life-being-overlooked-by-investors/ Some co-branded TT equipment

Michael Zhuang · May 8, 2022

I didn't know Daiki made rubbers for Nittaku and Victas. Which Nittaku rubbers are Daiki?

I believe Fastarc is ESN, right?

How are Daiki rubbers compared to ESN?

igorponger · May 8, 2022

[size=+1] Ask question from Cole Ely/ He runs a trading business with China/[/size]

Kuba Hajto · May 8, 2022

Michael Zhuang said:
I didn't know Daiki made rubbers for Nittaku and Victas. Which Nittaku rubbers are Daiki?

I believe Fastarc is ESN, right?

How are Daiki rubbers compared to ESN?

Yes fastarc is ESN

igorponger · May 8, 2022

[size=+2]Experienced chemist engineer, versed very well in making tt-rubber products Mr..Opotchinsky kindly answers your every question[/size]

TO THOSE INTERESTED HOW CHINESE TACKY RUBBER IS MADE AT THE DHS FACTORY..
There are three technological ways. The most used way is this
— Raw rubber mass is subjected to thermal vulcanization at temperatures of 140-150 * C. The result is a ready-made SHEET of rubber, durable and elastic, with moderate adhesion on the playing side. If one side of the mold is cooled all along the vulcanization, then the raw mass on this side retains its original properties of raw rubber, that is very strong adhesion (tackiness). The outward adhesive layer is extremely thin, hundredths of a millimeter, so the DHS Hurricane rubbers all lose their original tackiness due to mechanical abrasion on the playing surface and it is never possible to restore the original adhesion anyway at all. Whoever claims that he knows some good remedy, he talks granny tales and lies like a gray dog.

KNOWLEDGE IS POWER, MONEY and PLEASURE.

Tono62 · May 8, 2022

Michael Zhuang said:
I didn't know Daiki made rubbers for Nittaku and Victas. Which Nittaku rubbers are Daiki?

I believe Fastarc is ESN, right?

How are Daiki rubbers compared to ESN?

Daiki lists it customers as: NIPPON TAKKYU Co.,LTD / VICTAS　Co.,LTD / STIGA AB / MIZUNO Co.,LTD / JUIC Co., LTD. / KATO RUBBER Co.,LTD. / KAEI TRADING Co.,LTD / MORISHIKI Co.,LTD in their web site. https://daikirubber.jp/company_en.html

Nippon Takkyu is Nittaku. And yes, Fastarc is an ESN rubber. I would also like to know what specific rubbers are made in the Daiki factory, in order to have a better idea of their quality. I think Stiga Mantra are made in the Daiki factory, so that gives us an idea.

Tinykin · May 8, 2022

What about, Sunflex? I see their name pop up every now and then as making rubbers and blades for several brands.
From the old days, Dunlop were the biggest TT rubber manfacturer. Are they still in the TT business or simply manufacture the rolls of rubber and sponge that would be used by DHS etc?

Tono62 · May 8, 2022

Tinykin said:
What about, Sunflex? I see their name pop up every now and then as making rubbers and blades for several brands.
From the old days, Dunlop were the biggest TT rubber manfacturer. Are they still in the TT business or simply manufacture the rolls of rubber and sponge that would be used by DHS etc?

I don't know about Sunflex. Dunlop is a brand of Sumitomo Rubber Industries (SRI). Nowadays, SRI lists products for tennis and golf (as well as Dunlop and Falken tires), but nothing for table tennis https://www.srigroup.co.jp/english/products/index.html . It would appear that the Sumitomo table tennis products have been moved to Sumitomo Riko ( https://www.sumitomoriko.co.jp/ri200/themes/srk_en/pdf/company/comic15.pdf see page 6). But, other than Mizuno Q, I don't know what other rubbers they produce.

Tinykin · May 8, 2022

Well done for that dive. It looks like Dunlop is just another brand these days

aliastheaka · May 8, 2022

Does anyone have some info about Tuttle. It seems that that they levelled up in quality regarding the lasts rubbers they selling ? It is also one of the brands that can produce specific thicknesses on demand

Airoc · May 9, 2022

I think Stiga Mantra are made in the Daiki factory, so that gives us an idea.

Then the NEXY Etika would also be manufactured there.

Rinforzando · May 9, 2022

Some japanese brands like Nittaku have ESN rubbers made in Germany (Fastarc series) and they have Made in Japan rubbers aswell (the New Hammond Z2, Do Knuckle and other pips out...)

Tony's Table Tennis · May 9, 2022

Tono62 said:
I think Stiga Mantra are made in the Daiki factory, so that gives us an idea.

Correct

Tony's Table Tennis · May 9, 2022

Tinykin said:
What about, Sunflex? I see their name pop up every now and then as making rubbers and blades for several brands.
From the old days, Dunlop were the biggest TT rubber manfacturer. Are they still in the TT business or simply manufacture the rolls of rubber and sponge that would be used by DHS etc?

Sunflex mostly make hobby bats rubbers

Tony's Table Tennis · May 9, 2022

Michael Zhuang said:
How are Daiki rubbers compared to ESN?

ESN currently has the upper hand

Michael Zhuang · May 9, 2022

Tony's Table Tennis said:
ESN currently has the upper hand

Is there a big difference or small difference? For example to me, the difference between Tamasu rubbers and ESN rubbers is really small, like 1-2% difference. The difference between ESN and Friendship rubbers is big, like 30% difference. And the difference between Friendship and DHS rubber is again small, like 3-5%.

So where would Daiki rubbers fall?

Tony's Table Tennis · May 9, 2022

Michael Zhuang said:
Is there a big difference or small difference? For example to me, the difference between Tamasu rubbers and ESN rubbers is really small, like 1-2% difference. The difference between ESN and Friendship rubbers is big, like 30% difference. And the difference between Friendship and DHS rubber is again small, like 3-5%.

So where would Daiki rubbers fall?

I don't think I can agree to your measurements, I think there is way too much personal preference involved (especially the higher level you go, the bigger the difference it would become)
DHS and Friendship is night and day if you comparing flagship products...

If you take Stiga DNA Pro vs Stiga Mantra, its maybe 10~20%

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