Watch: Continental all-in with simulation in tire development

HANOVER, Germany—There's good reason those Continental A.G. tires fit their OE vehicles so well. They are, after all, tailor made.

And moving forward, those tailored attributes will be even more precise thanks in part to the company's virtual modeling and driver-in-the-loop simulator. After just about a year of testing, the company said it has fully incorporated the technology for its tire development.

The virtual testing methodologies not only help to reduce costs and save on raw materials—some physical prototyping is cut from the process—they also help to shorten development times. Because any major issues with a tire design can be worked out before a physical prototype is brought to the track.

"With our driving simulator, we evaluate and optimize a tire before we physically build it for the first time," said Julian Kroeber, who is responsible for the tire simulator at Continental. "This allows us to further optimize our development process. It also saves a lot of time for our customers."

According to Continental, the DIL system calculates exact driving dynamic parameters for the tires and respective test vehicle. With its high maneuverability, the simulator can provide test drivers with experiences that mimic real test tracks.

To achieve this, Continental uses loads of data, starting with a tire's measurements and data related to tire design, tread and compound. When combined with the necessary data for a customer vehicle, the simulator is able to provide accurate handling and performance experience for the test driver.

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 a vehicle just as they would on a test course. These include longitudinal and lateral movements, stroke movement, and the yaw, pitch and roll of a vehicle.

And because the simulator can be used to simulate any drivetrain—ICE, EV or hybrid—as well as vehicle type, from passenger to commercial, it makes 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."

Moreover, the simulator allows Continental to test big ideas—particularly as they relate to material science development—ahead of building a physical prototype. As new materials are added to the tire compound or structure, the new materials' properties and interactions with other materials can examined in the virtual space.

As such, Continental said, the testing helps to ensure that its tires meet the highest quality and performance standards, particularly in areas such as rolling resistance and noise development.

"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," said Bernd Korte, head of passenger tire development for Continental's original equipment business. "With our new driving simulator, we can shorten development times and optimize the use of resources in production and logistics."