09:41, November 20 0
The process of designing and manufacturing tires is very long and expensive, but it is this process that ensures the best results in creating new models of automobile “shoes.”. Let's look at how tires from Continental, a leading manufacturer of automobile rubber, are developed and tested..
Before production, tires undergo rigorous testing and testing to ensure their quality, safety and performance.. Continental, as a leading tire manufacturer, uses high-tech testing methods to develop tires with the best performance.
New tires are “born” in the laboratory. More than 40 chemicals and materials are used to create tires. The basis for tires is rubber, which can be natural or synthetic.. The rubber is then reinforced with carbon black to increase abrasion resistance.. Other components and additives can improve the properties of the tire and bring them into line with the specified parameters.
Test tracks
One of the largest test tracks for winter tires is located in Lapland. There are seven test tracks to simulate all possible types of surfaces.. Hills, snow, ice, lots of dry and wet turns and even a frozen lake that can withstand trucks. This ensures that the tires will withstand all possible conditions that may arise during actual use.
Before proving its suitability for sale, the new winter tire from Continental must withstand 500 thousand kilometers of testing and pass about twenty test disciplines.
The Contidrom's home test track, located near Hannover, has a history of more than 50 years.. The most interesting and ancient section of this track is a 2.8-kilometer oval for testing tires for speed and wear.. There are also other tracks, such as a 1.8 km wet test track and a 3.8 km dry test track.. Tests are even carried out indoors – using the all-weather Automated Indoor Braking Analyzer (AIBA). Up to 100,000 braking tests are performed on it per year – on dry, wet and even icy road surfaces.
Each new winter tire from Continental must withstand 500 thousand kilometers of testing and pass about twenty test disciplines.
Aquaplaning tests are carried out separately.. One circle is mainly used to simulate hydroplaning when cornering, while the other has different road surfaces that can be irrigated by irrigation systems. In real-world driving conditions, tire aquaplaning is a critical scenario and therefore requires particularly careful testing during tire development.
Another test on the ring road allows us to draw conclusions regarding the safety reserves of a tire with a puncture. A car drives on a highway at a speed of 55 km/h. With each lap, the tire pressure is reduced by 1/10 of a bar until the tire literally comes off the rim.
A lot of resources and time are spent on tire testing.
There is also an off-road tire testing track near Hanover. With its varied gradients, center track and water pool, it is ideal for testing off-road tires on 4WD vehicles.
Simulator testing
Continental's latest development in tire testing is the Dynamic Driving Simulator. This is the most advanced dynamic driving simulator, allowing you to develop premium tires, using all the company's experience accumulated since 1871. Testing is conducted virtually.
Tire testing on a simulator speeds up the process and saves money
“Developing and testing premium tires is an extremely complex and time-consuming process.. Using the new dynamic driving simulator, we will make this process more efficient in the future,” says Dr. Boris Mergell, Head of Research and Development at Continental. The new simulator combines the latest technology with the vast experience of our professional test drivers. Continental is one of the pioneers in the use of this innovative hybrid testing technology,” notes Boris Mergell.
The development of digital tires has resulted in the reduction of approximately 100,000 test kilometers per year. Decisive development steps and related testing measures are transferred to the virtual world, saving time, costs and valuable resources in the real world. For example, logistical costs for various physical tests are significantly reduced since key parameters can be tested in a simulator.
The simulator allows you to get better results in less time
The device contains the characteristics of each specific car model for which a new tire is being developed.. This is complemented by Continental data on rubber compound, tire architecture and tread design. Each tire parameter can be changed virtually; this technology can significantly reduce the consumption of resources and time for testing and at the same time obtain the best result.
conclusions
Tire testing is one of the most expensive and time-consuming stages of tire production.. Premium tire brands spend a huge amount of resources on tire development, which is why Continental tires perform so well in independent comparison tests.
High-tech tires always have the advantage of safety on the road
When choosing tires for your car, remember that this is primarily a matter of safety.. And when hundreds of the best engineers on the planet worked on rubber, using the best technologies, the result of such work is always excellent.
