The car of the future represents a huge challenge for automobile manufacturers due to demands for greater economy and better environmental compatibility and requirements for it to be more efficient and lower priced at the same time. Challenges, however, that can be mastered by consistently advancing technology and material. "As an experienced partner to the automotive industry, ContiTech AG is continually working on innovations for sustainable mobility, thus creating technological solutions enabling visions to become realities," says Heinz-Gerhard Wente of the ContiTech Executive Board in the runup to the 63rd International Motor Show (IAA). "As the world's largest specialist in the field of rubber and plastics technology, ContiTech with its products makes a significant contribution to the realization of clever ideas and forward-looking concepts for the next generation of vehicles."
This is made possible by the advanced development and optimization of the materials used. In this way, the range of applications for ContiTech products is expanded ever more, giving rise to technologies that improve both the life cycle assessment of the vehicle as well as the ride comfort.
With a new oil-resistant specification for timing belts, for example, belts can now be used instead of chains to drive oil pumps or camshaft timing as-semblies. The advantages for the environment: substantially lower CO2 emissions, since timing belts reduce a vehicle's fuel consumption due to lower friction - while also making them quieter. Another example: the belt-driven starter generator with special ContiTech high-performance Vribbed belts reduces fuel consumption by as much as five to ten percent in city driving - ensuring less pollution emissions while waiting at traffic lights or in stop-and-go traffic during rush hours.
Lighter vehicles
Lightweight construction also plays a key role when it comes to reducing carbon dioxide emissions. With its innovative plastic transmission mount, ContiTech has introduced the use of much lighter load-bearing components to the automotive industry. When it comes to the environmental impact of production and recycling, the new transmission mount also has other advantages: Since plastic can be shaped at temperatures lower than required for aluminum, for instance, the production process requires much less energy. There is also an increased range of recycling options. This is just one way in which ContiTech is advocating more eco-friendly and economically efficient production at its nearly 80 sites throughout the world. In addition, carefully trained employees, robot technology and highly-automated production ensure top quality products and significant cost benefits at the same time.
High-performance hoses for ecological efficiency
When it comes to the automobile's centerpiece - the engine - top quality plays a key role. The goal: less exhaust gas thanks to improved combustion. That is why developers are already working on the next generation of highly-charged engines which work at pressures exceeding 3 bar - and therefore need special hoses. New materials and innovative combinations of various knitted fabric and rubber materials can achieve performances conventional materials are simply incapable of.
ContiTech hoses and hose lines connect together like lifelines all the important assemblies and components in a vehicle, thereby creating the prerequisite for a standard of mobility that is as ecological as it is high-performance. These contribute to reducing nitrogen oxide emissions, to safe transfer of new fuels based on renewable raw materials and to increasing the efficiency of air conditioning systems, which ultimately play a significant role in fuel consumption.
One single source
In the development of new ideas and technologies, ContiTech's engineers are able to draw on the know-how and experience in its other corporate divisions. For this reason, ContiTech is also the only automotive industry supplier in the world able to offer the entire materials spectrum, including elastomers, aluminum and stainless steel. This enables it to cater for all requirements without at the same time losing sight of the costs involved. For customers, this has the advantage that all parts can be purchased from a single supplier. There is just one contact person, starting with purchasing, through development of customized solutions and up to series production, making coordination of components much easier. Customers make use of this advantage and further involve ContiTech in the development of their solutions. So from the very start, the company is involved in the research, development and design - both parallel to and in cooperation with the customers - and plays a significant role in helping realize the future of the automobile.
This is made possible by the advanced development and optimization of the materials used. In this way, the range of applications for ContiTech products is expanded ever more, giving rise to technologies that improve both the life cycle assessment of the vehicle as well as the ride comfort.
With a new oil-resistant specification for timing belts, for example, belts can now be used instead of chains to drive oil pumps or camshaft timing as-semblies. The advantages for the environment: substantially lower CO2 emissions, since timing belts reduce a vehicle's fuel consumption due to lower friction - while also making them quieter. Another example: the belt-driven starter generator with special ContiTech high-performance Vribbed belts reduces fuel consumption by as much as five to ten percent in city driving - ensuring less pollution emissions while waiting at traffic lights or in stop-and-go traffic during rush hours.
Lighter vehicles
Lightweight construction also plays a key role when it comes to reducing carbon dioxide emissions. With its innovative plastic transmission mount, ContiTech has introduced the use of much lighter load-bearing components to the automotive industry. When it comes to the environmental impact of production and recycling, the new transmission mount also has other advantages: Since plastic can be shaped at temperatures lower than required for aluminum, for instance, the production process requires much less energy. There is also an increased range of recycling options. This is just one way in which ContiTech is advocating more eco-friendly and economically efficient production at its nearly 80 sites throughout the world. In addition, carefully trained employees, robot technology and highly-automated production ensure top quality products and significant cost benefits at the same time.
High-performance hoses for ecological efficiency
When it comes to the automobile's centerpiece - the engine - top quality plays a key role. The goal: less exhaust gas thanks to improved combustion. That is why developers are already working on the next generation of highly-charged engines which work at pressures exceeding 3 bar - and therefore need special hoses. New materials and innovative combinations of various knitted fabric and rubber materials can achieve performances conventional materials are simply incapable of.
ContiTech hoses and hose lines connect together like lifelines all the important assemblies and components in a vehicle, thereby creating the prerequisite for a standard of mobility that is as ecological as it is high-performance. These contribute to reducing nitrogen oxide emissions, to safe transfer of new fuels based on renewable raw materials and to increasing the efficiency of air conditioning systems, which ultimately play a significant role in fuel consumption.
One single source
In the development of new ideas and technologies, ContiTech's engineers are able to draw on the know-how and experience in its other corporate divisions. For this reason, ContiTech is also the only automotive industry supplier in the world able to offer the entire materials spectrum, including elastomers, aluminum and stainless steel. This enables it to cater for all requirements without at the same time losing sight of the costs involved. For customers, this has the advantage that all parts can be purchased from a single supplier. There is just one contact person, starting with purchasing, through development of customized solutions and up to series production, making coordination of components much easier. Customers make use of this advantage and further involve ContiTech in the development of their solutions. So from the very start, the company is involved in the research, development and design - both parallel to and in cooperation with the customers - and plays a significant role in helping realize the future of the automobile.
