Conti adds vehicle-dynamics simulator to R&D arsenal

WIETZE, Germany — Continental A.G. has brought on-line a vehicle-dynamics testing simulator at its Contidrom tire test center in Wietze, an investment that Conti claims will shorten development times while also cutting costs and raw materials usage.

The new piece of testing equipment, known as a driver-in-the-loop simulator, calculates the driving dynamics parameters for both the tires and the respective test vehicle, providing Conti's test drivers with subjective driving impressions comparable with those from tire tests on a real test track, Conti said.

The use of a vehicle-dynamics simulator is considered particularly useful in developing original equipment tires, Conti said.

Conti disclosed plans in early 2021 to invest in the simulator and bring it on-line by mid-2022. Conti said it's been testing the system for the past year ahead of incorporating the technology into its tire development process fully.

"Virtual development methods enable us to offer solutions even more efficiently and more precisely tailored to the needs and requirements of our customers. Virtual test kilometers also play a major part in conserving valuable resources," Bernd Korte, head of passenger tire development for Conti's original equipment business, said.

"With our new driving simulator, we can shorten development times and minimize costs and the use of raw materials in production and logistics," Korte said, without providing specifics.

Conti is the fourth major tire maker to add a dynamic driving simulator to its tire-testing capabilities. In early 2020, Goodyear, Group Michelin and Pirelli Tyre all disclosed their investments in the technology.

Goodyear since has added a second simulator for its European R&D center in Luxembourg.

Conti's simulator — a Delta 3 model developed by Ansible Motion Ltd. — calculates the exact driving dynamics parameters for the tires and the corresponding test vehicle, providing the test driver with a dedicated tire model for a specific vehicle model variant, as was previously the case on the physical test track.

The simulator's motion platform, which measures roughly 12 feet by 20 feet, features a maximum acceleration of about 32 feet per second, which allows test drivers to experience all aspects of vehicle movement— such as longitudinal and lateral movements, stroke movement, and yaw, pitch and roll — just as they would on a test course.

The simulator can be used to simulate any drivetrain — internal combustion, electric or hybrid — as well as vehicle type, from passenger to commercial, making comparative driving impressions easier.

"The crucial advantage is that the tire parameters can be adjusted digitally at any time," Continental said. "This means that test drives can be repeated at short intervals and subjective drive impressions can be compared directly with each other."

The cost of acquiring and implementing the simulator was not disclosed.

With this piece of equipment, Continental loads the relevant tire model for the customer's specific vehicle model into the simulator. The tire model contains precise information on the tire design, tread and rubber compound.