Plastics News Europe - June 2019 - 30

AUTOMOTIVE

Q&A

Where materials and
technology meet

From lightweighting, to interior surfaces and new drive systems, ContiTech is adapting to the ongoing
paradigm shift in the automotive industry, says CEO Hans-Jürgen Duensing. By Shahrzad Pourriahi

Lightweighting is the buzz word of the car industry
these days. Can you tell us how this is affecting
ContiTech's operations/products?
Lightweighting is a response to numerous challenges. Less
weight means a lower energy consumption which results
in fewer pollutants being generated by combustion engines or a longer range in the case of electric vehicles.
When our developers and engineers are working on
new components such as engine mounts, hose lines or
surface material, they always have this equation at the
back of their minds.
Lightweighting is a trailblazer for driving efficiency - a
range extender. The issue also plays a key role as standards
for the efficiency of vehicles become ever more stringent.
As stricter emission limits and standards are prescribed
by law, economical, environmentally friendly driving is becoming increasingly important - both for cars and commercial vehicles.
Here, weight-reduced components, such as those
made from glass fibre-reinforced plastics, are making an
important contribution to achieving this objective.
For the transportation industry, which is always under
high cost pressure, this is a decisive argument.
This development is also crucial for electric vehicles as
every reduced kilogramme increases the range. That's why
I am convinced that we have to put our cars on a diet.

We... see strong
demand for
sustainable and
customisable
interior materials

what are the synergies between the two materials?
How can the combination of the two materials give
ContiTech the edge over its competitors?
Every material has its own characteristics with strengths
and weaknesses. The competitive edge is to combine differing materials best to increase their strengths and to reduce the materials' weaknesses.
You can surely understand that we will not reveal those
secrets, I can assure you that we are constantly working on
elastomers that are not brittle and at the same time are
not permeable.
What is even more important for the future and for our
competitiveness is the ability to integrate sensors into rubber and elastomers, to coordinate with other sensor systems nearby, and to handle the accompanying IT structures and processes.
This means we need to make materials smart and intelligent. To turn them into problem solvers in various kinds
of industrial applications.

Apart from lightweighting, what are the key drivers
of growth for the company's engineered plastics?
The changing environment, including alternative driving
types, will be key for engineered plastics.
For example, the number of different drive types is increasing. Options are no longer limited to diesel- and gasoline-powered engines only.
E-mobility, including hybrids but also fuel cell, bio-fuel
gasoline or gas-fueled engines are increasingly entering
the market.
This diversity is broadening the range of materials used.
As a global supplier to the automotive industry, we
must adapt our products in that direction. Our customers
want us to tailor materials or combinations to their individual needs no matter which drive type.
This results in different material requirements and possibilities.
For example, we have more freedom in design with
thermoplastics compared to rubber. This is necessary because smaller engines mean less space for components.
Plastic materials are more brittle than rubber but at the
same time have lower permeation rates than elastomers,
which is especially needed for liquid or gaseous media
such as fuel cells.
Other materials are characterised by a unique chemical
resistance that is often better than metals and which is necessary for NOX catalytic converters or AdBlue hose lines.

ContiTech supplies parts to a varied range of
industries globally. Within the automotive segment,
where do you expect to be the fastest growing
market for the company's products? Why?
The fastest-growing products will be those that provide
answers to all of the challenges and opportunities of future mobility.
I am talking about products that reduce weight and
CO2 emissions, that increase efficiency and thus reduce
costs, that extend the battery's life and increase safety on
and off the road. So, hoses for battery cooling systems,
thermal management and fuel cell systems will become
even more important in the future.
What we additionally see is a strong demand for

This issue of Plastics News Europe focuses on both
plastics in the car industry and elastomers. As a
company that by and large deals with both materials,

JUNE 2019

Plastics News Europe - June 2019

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