Page 19 - CTB N12 - 2015-04

COMPANY NEWS
computer- supported tests, road tests on the company tracks will still be necessar y to fine-tune the products. In the future, the weather- dependent outdoor tests will be replaced by
tests in a hall.
In 1996, Continental combined the global development activities in the Hanover Technology Center at the Stöcken plant. The aim of this concentration process was to increase the efficiency of tyre development and thus maintain the leadership in tyre technology. Today over 1,000 people work at the technology center in the area of research and development and up to 100 more join each year. The tyre tests, which are closely linked to research and development, are still conducted across the world. In addition to the Contidrom, the company has further testing grounds in Germany, Sweden, Finland, Italy, New Zealand, and the USA.
Adapting tyres to the requirements
Alone for the standard truck combination of tractor unit and trailer used on roads, Continental
has already launched three different types of tyre. Some are available in different sizes. Tyres featuring longitudinal tread rings that are only siped in the centre are used on the steering axle. As a result, the tyre developers have enabled precise steering with low
factor in the future. Based on conservative estimates, internal calculations at Continental prove that, if the rolling resistance of all tyres sold by Continental in Europe for regional and long- distance transport is optimised by five percent, around 318,000
Continental. Once a test run of the developed tyres has been manufactured, the tyre structure and rubber compound can be investigated by means of radioscopy (X-ray) and computed tomography without destroying the tyre. This allows the developers to fulfill the constantly rising quality demands in the same or in an even shorter time.
No go without practical testing
Continental set up the Contidrom in Jeversen near Celle back in 1967 for practical testing. The developers can see how the results of their work perform in practice and compare the objective values with the subjective driving feel of the test drivers. The company’s own test runs take about one year these days. In the future too, the testing of tyres in extensive driving tests will not be completely superfluous. Experts presume that even after countless, complicated
rolling resistance and a high level of stability. The outer areas of the closed shoulder ribs are made movable by means of slight chamfering so that they cannot tear when turning. The drive tyres are different: they mainly feature tread blocks, some of which have extensive siping, that transfer the traction to the road. They have larger grooves in which highly developed connections between the tread segments ensure stability. The tyres for trailers and semi-trailers have a considerably less rugged tread. Their function is mainly to support heavy loads and extreme shearing forces. For this reason, they mainly consist of tread elements with less marked siping (even more so than steering tyres) and have more prominent shoulder features.
The potential that lies in commercial vehicle tyres is far from exhausted. In future, the tyre developers will not have to just keep an eye on low rolling resistance, high mileages, sturdiness, retreadability and new pressure-retaining systems, but also on the safety and environmental aspects of the tyres. In view of the rising oil prices and the climate protection debates that are raging across the world, improving the rolling resistance will also be a central
tonnes less of CO2 will be emitted each year and fine particulate pollution will be reduced. This result is motivating the engineers at Continental to search for further ways to improve commercial vehicle tyres.
The seemingly high expenditure on research and development leads to the continuous development of new products that maximize customer benefits and bring about an innovation leap about ever y five years. Nevertheless Continental has the world’s most efficient tire development department. Continental manages to be one of the leaders with a fraction of the financial resources of the major competitors.
This is also made possible by continuously improved processes, flat hierarchy structures, and also a “culture that you will rarely find anywhere else,” Bernd Korte explains proudly.
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