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MOTORINDIA
l
August 2012
147
commercial
vehicle
tires annually.”
The facility, which
has just been complet-
ed, weighs a total of
about 14 tons and in-
volved an investment
of Euro 1.4 million.
CT scanning proce-
dure is most typically
used in hospitals to de-
tect diseases.
For
Continental’s
R&D this so-called
“non-destructive anal-
ysis” is very instruc-
tive, as only this meth-
od allows observance
of the behavior of the
individual components
under realistic conditions. Depend-
ing on the particular stress situation,
the internal components of the tyre
are altered, for example the steel
cords in the casing change their po-
sitions relative to each other. This
can affect the handling of a tyre in
a positive or negative way. By simu-
lating and observing the changes
which occur in a tyre while driving,
tyre developers at Continental have
the opportunity to design the best
possible new prototypes for the road
which reflect the forces which affect
them.
With the new linear electronic ac-
cumulation (LINAC) facility it is
now possible to make the internal
components of a tyre significantly
more visible. For example, the tyre’s
fit onto the rim can be precisely ana-
lyzed, or to simulate driving condi-
tions, lateral forces of up to three
tons or wheel loads of up to six tons
can be created. The wheel alignment
can be adjusted with an accuracy of
up to 5 degrees.
“We are not testing standard situa-
tions here, though,” says Baumgart.
“For us it’s also important to be able
to observe the behavior of the com-
ponents when exposed to too little
tyre pressure or overloading of the
vehicle.”
For tyre developers it is important
that their products can ensure a high
level of safety under conditions over
and above the norm. “This new fa-
cility will make a good contribution
to our safety objective,” Baumgart
adds.
w
tyres