– Electronic Brake Systems business unit renamed Vehicle Dynamics
– Integration of Suspension Systems and Chassis Electronics segments to broaden and strengthen business unit’s vehicle dynamics product portfolio
International automotive supplier Continental has strengthened its electronic braking systems business in the Chassis & Safety Division effective September 1, 2013. The Suspension Systems and Chassis Electronics segments have been merged into the Electronic Brake Systems business unit from the Chassis Components unit, which has dissolved in its organizational form. In line with the expansion of its product portfolio, the business unit has changed its name from Electronic Brake Systems to Vehicle Dynamics. “The reorganization will strengthen our vehicle dynamics expertise in the direction of a system-based approach within the business unit. Integrating various functions into the same hardware components, or corresponding partitioning from a single will help to secure the future of our business”, said Frank Jourdan, head of the Vehicle Dynamics business unit. Jourdan anticipates that the combination of lateral, longitudinal and vertical dynamics, together with existing experience in the area of vehicle and other testing, will bring future product and system potential.
Continental’s active chassis control systems and electronic brakes take advantage of various opportunities to adjust a vehicle’s handling in the face of challenging road conditions such as road surface, shifting loads and cornering. The objective is to ensure optimum road contact under any conditions. This results in the driver experiencing a greater sense of comfort and safety, optimum cornering stability and sporty handling. Suspension/damping, motor control and steering all present opportunities to adjust the chassis to the driving situation. One option to achieve this is with a Chassis Domain Control Unit (CDCU). This central control unit coordinates electronic chassis- and safety systems that used to act independently of each other.
Intelligent vertical dynamics help wheels grip better
Air-suspension systems are ideally suited to adjusting a vehicle’s damping and spring characteristics to actual driving conditions within milliseconds. Active damping control not only improves tire contact with the road but also minimizes body roll as well as pitching.
Electronic brakes regulate vehicle dynamics
Electronic braking systems by Continental figure among the most reliable active safety technologies. They do duty by the millions (around 20 million annually) in every class of automobile as well as in trucks and motorcycles where they play a major role in regulating vehicle dynamics. A high degree of integration of functions and system components distinguish these products. Electronic braking systems include ABS (Anti-lock Brake System) and ESC (Electronic Stability Control) with a multitude of opportunities to expand functions and to integrate. A high degree of integration and scalability, for example, distinguish the MK 100, the latest generation of electronic brakes. The ESC sensors can already today be integrated on the circuit-board of the controller. In the future, the control of the new generation of the electric parking brake will be integrated into the ESC which results in no separate controller being required for the triggering of the integrated parking brake (IPB). A result thereof is a
minimization of the number of controllers that need to be integrated and thus an increase of available storage space in the vehicles.
In addition, integrated electro-hydraulic braking systems such as the MK C1 braking system offer a reduced number of individual components and generate braking force much quicker than common hydraulic systems due to their high degree of integration.
With sales of €32.7 billion in 2012, Continental is among the leading automotive suppliers worldwide. As a supplier of brake systems, systems and components for powertrains and chassis, instrumentation, infotainment solutions, vehicle electronics, tires, and technical elastomers, Continental contributes to enhanced driving safety and global climate protection. Continental is also an expert partner in networked automobile communication. Continental currently has almost 175,000 employees in 46 countries.
The Automotive Group with its three divisions Chassis & Safety (sales of approximately €7.0 billion in 2012, 34,500 employees), Powertrain (sales of approximately €6.1 billion in 2012, 31,000 employees) and Interior (sales of approximately €6.4 billion in 2012, 33,000 employees) achieved sales of approximately €19.5 billion in 2012. The Automotive Group is present in more than 170 locations worldwide. As a partner of the automotive and commercial vehicle industry, it develops and produces innovative products and systems for a modern automotive future, in which cars provide individual mobility and driving pleasure consistent with driving safety, environmental responsibility and cost-efficiency.
The Chassis & Safety Division develops and produces electronic and hydraulic brake and chassis control systems, sensors, driver assistance
systems, airbag electronics and -sensorics, washer systems and electronic air suspension systems. Its core competence is the integration of active and passive driving safety into ContiGuard. The Powertrain Division integrates innovative and efficient system solutions for vehicle powertrains. The comprehensive range of products includes gasoline and diesel injection systems, engine management, transmission control, including sensors and actuators, as well as fuel-supply systems and components and systems for hybrid and electric drives. Information management is at the very heart of the Interior Division, which provides a range of products that includes instrument clusters and multifunctional displays, control units, electronic car-entry systems, tire-monitoring systems, radios, multimedia and navigation systems, climate control systems, telematics solutions and cockpit modules and systems.
