ContiTech Press Releases

Hanover, April 2010High expertise in materials enables maximum weight reduction, from the engine to the vehicle interior.

Scarcity of resources, environmental pollution and increasing energy prices: reducing fuel consumption and thus emissions is gaining importance in all fields of technology. The automotive industry is also facing major challenges. Its customers want vehicles that are not only more eco-friendly and efficient, but also lower-priced and at the same time more comfortable. One of the key technologies for cost-saving, eco- and climate-friendly cars is lightweight design. With ContiTech’s decades of experience in rubber and plastics technology, it opens up new application areas for its customers and is at the forefront when it comes to lightweight design. Engine mounts, hose line systems for flowing media or surface materials for vehicle interiors – each individual component from ContiTech contributes to lightweight design. ContiTech will be presenting a selection of such components at the Lightweight Design theme park in hall 6 at the Hannover Messe 2010.

Heavy-duty power unit mounts made of plastic
One of the most important approaches to lightweight design and weight reduction is the substitution of metals with plastics. ContiTech is rigorously pursing this path and is the first automotive supplier to introduce heavy-duty power unit mounts made of plastic, thus enabling the use of much lighter load-bearing components in the automotive industry. The components include engine and transmission mounts, stabilizers and torque reaction mounts which are up to 50% lighter and require less energy to produce. The new kind of mounts can be found in current GM models such as the Opel Insignia as well as in luxury cars: a sleeve bearing for transmission mounting is installed as standard equipment in the BMW 740i and 750i.

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, the production process requires much less energy. There is also a broader range of recycling options. Even the logistics is minimized. Normally, mount manufacturers on the global market obtain metallic components from specialized production plants (e.g. foundries). This means that materials are transported over very long distances. However, the new power unit mounts from ContiTech are produced on-site in Hanover in a highly automated volume production process.

Performance and environmental awareness in harmony
Long gone are the days when environmental compatibility was achieved at the cost of performance. Take for instance the Porsche Panamera. The four-door premium grand tour class car is more than 400 kg lighter than comparable models. The weight reduction was achieved by making massive use of lightweight components, in which several solutions from ContiTech play a role. One of them is the innovative torque rod support. Made of a high-strength polyamide and a function-optimized natural rubber compound, the high-load composite component ensures sturdy suspension for engine torques of up to 650 Nm. At the same time it guarantees excellent acoustic performance and a secure mount for the vehicle engine. Installing this component in place of a metal part, the sports car maker stands to get comparable functionality for a weight savings of 35 percent.

ContiTech Fluid Technology also does its part to reduce weight in the Porsche Panamera. Previously, the transmission oil cooler line on the Cayenne tipped the scales at 2 kg, but the new line weighs a mere 900 g. It comprises a thin-walled aluminum tube. What’s more, the number of components has also been reduced. The connections are all formed instead of soldered, and the hose portion has been minimized in length.

Manufacturers rely on plastic
In contrast to Porsche and its Panamera, many car makers reduce weight by using hoses made of plastic for the transmission oil cooler lines. ContiTech offers both single- and multi-layer solutions for the plastic lines. The multi-layer versions with extruded plastic tubing, bonding agent and a cover extruded on have almost the same flexibility as elastomer hosing, but with less weight. In the production of charge-air lines, ContiTech relies ever more often on plastic, such as for the new solutions on the basis of 3-D blow molding.

Innovative surface materials
When it comes to the reduction of fuel consumption and pollutant emissions, Benecke-Kaliko also places particular emphasis on the development of light materials. TEPEO® and TEPEO 2®, both recyclable and halogen-free TPO interior foils, are used in the new Mercedes-Benz E-Class (door trim) and the new MBW 5 Series (instrument panel). These foils, depending on their design, weigh between 25 and 50 percent less than conventional PVC foils for instance, because these polyolefin based TEPEO materials have a lower density. Depending on the application, these foils can easily reduce weight by more than 2 kg per vehicle. And they can do without plasticizers entirely since the required flexibility is given to them via the composition of the polymer recipe components. Benova®, a product with a real leather feel that also helps reduce weight in the Porsche Panamera and the new Audio A8, is halogen-free with no need for plasticizers. It, too, has a much lower weight per unit area owing to its higher material strength.