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COMPANY NEWS
ContiLifeCycle Plant Scores Record Order Numbers
The ContiLifeCycle plant at Hanover-Stöcken has reason to celebrate after posting record order numbers in 2020. The tyre factory has played a key role in the growing resurgence of retreads, with its hot and cold retreading services for truck and bus tyres, plus its industrial-scale rubber recycling facility. Reusing selected casings enables the consumption of energy and raw materials in the manufacturing process to be reduced, with the additional benefits of reduced end-of-life tyres being left for disposal, more money for fleets and an overall result of lower CO2 emissions and a cleaner environmental impact. Continental has rolled out its retreading concept around the world – in Europe, EMEA,
The Americas and the Asia- Pacific region.
In Europe, the market includes more than 6,500 service partners offering fleet customers all-encompassing tyre management. This includes retreading, new tyre sales and the Conti360° Fleet Solutions all-round service package. Continental is pushing ahead with the
growing need for greater sustainability and resource conservation by continuing to develop and add further models to its range of retreaded tyres.
An example of a recent addition to Continental’s portfolio is the ContiRe Hybrid HT3 LI164 – now with a load capacity of five metric tons and a load index of 164 – which allows customers to cut their operating costs. The new axle load of 10 tons allows the maximum capacity of a trailer with one or two single axles. Other additions to the range include the ContiRe HDW2 Coach Bus tyre for long-distance passenger transport, the ContiRe Coach Regio HD3 and the ContiRe Crosstrac Line 315/80R22.5 and 385/65R22.5. Rounding off the ContiTread portfolio are the ContiTread Scan HD3 with winter tread for 17.5-inch and 19.5-inch rims and the ContiTread Hybrid LD3 with new treads for 17.5-inch and 19.5-inch rims.
equipped with TENTE wheels and can be either powder painted or galvanised.
Key products for storing tyres include the AR10 and AR 01/6 racks. The former is intended for the storage and transport of truck and bus tyres, while the latter is suitable for all tyre types and has been specially designed for forklift transport. Both products can be stacked six units high to form a single rack and can be folded and stacked to maximise storage space. The racks are also equipped with a special locking mechanism that prevents the frames from folding up automatically. Additionally, the product dimensions are adapted to the width of semi- trailers, with special versions available for container transport. According to Smulski, the difficulties posed by the pandemic as well as other issues such as Brexit, have posed some challenges, but maintains that the overall situation is better than expected. “As the vaccination process progresses, we will definitely want to return
to more direct marketing by visiting our customers and their companies and participating in trade fairs,” he explained. “I also hope that, as this year has already shown, we will be surprised by contacts from directions with which we have not traded yet.
“Currently, the availability and prices of the material are a huge challenge. As in previous years, through further investments in modern machines and solutions, we will reduce production costs to meet the enormous increases in the steel market.
“The last year was certainly one of the most difficult for us, 2021 also seems to be full of challenges. Despite the difficulties encountered, we have learned many experiences during the pandemic, which we are tr ying to translate into real benefits for us and our clients. And, of course, we also hope to maintain our leading position in the production of tyre pallets in Europe.”
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