Plastic instead of metal in air spring and hose systems
Lightweight components in which ultra-strong plastics replace previously-used metals make a major contribution to weight reduction - and thus to lower fuel consumption and, accordingly, lower pollutant emissions. For instance, ContiTech has developed a new air spring system in which the vulcanized beveled plate is not made of metal but of plastic instead. The system has been in production for a large commercial vehicle manufacturer since July 2010. A new piston made of plastic is already undergoing field testing and will be put into production shortly.
By using plastic, the weight of lines for fluid media in commercial vehicles can also be reduced. ContiTech's developers managed to manufacture lines for transmission oil cooling made of extruded plastic tubing with a cover extruded. This line is roughly as flexible as an elastomer hose, but weighs less.
For the eco-friendly SCR exhaust gas purification technology, ContiTech will offer three types of line systems in order to provide manufacturers with just the right solution for various applications. A new generation of lines with modified, high-quality rubber hose and heated quick connectors with optimized contact ensures that the carbamide is fully thawed, also in the area of the plug-in connectors. In addition, a plastic line was developed that weighs as much as 30% less and is well suited for SCR systems with carbamide retractive suction. The third type is the standard solution, which has been tried-and-test a million times over. SCR exhaust gas purification, which uses a carbamide solution to convert harmful nitrogen oxide into water vapor and nitrogen, makes it possible to comply with stringent emission standards which have already been introduced in many parts of the world and are constantly being tightened further.
Lighter weight surface materials with the same comfort
With Yorn® Light PVC laminates from Benecke-Kaliko, several kilograms of weight can be saved on door trim alone, since the polyolefin foam applied to the film is about six times lighter than a PVC foam. The recyclable, halogen-free TEPEO® and TEPEO 2® interior foils achieve weight benefits of 25 to 50% over standard PVC foil. They are flexible without requiring any plasticizers. Benova® is also halogen-free, avoids plasticizers and, thanks to its material strength, has a significantly lower area weight than genuine leather - with the same surface feel. What's more, Benecke-Kaliko materials already have a renewable raw material content of more than 20%. The Acella® Eco Natural PVC materials are even manufactured with a renewable raw material content exceeding 50%.
ContiTech not only uses raw materials responsibly, it also sees to it that their extraction does not pollute the environment unnecessarily. All product solutions, from exhaust gas purification to lightweight construction, were developed such that they can also be used in agricultural vehicles. Agricultural machinery manufacturers such as ACGO-Fendt already rely on ContiTech's know-how, using it to make tractors and combine harvesters a bit more eco-friendly.