Continental showcases extensive materials handling portfolio

The product range includes tyres, telematics and tyre pressure monitoring systems, as well as electronic displays and instrumentations. Continental also offers vibration and hose technologies as well as drive solutions. "Digitalisation and automation are the key trends in the intralogistics industry. Short downtimes, high-precision work, and maximum flexibility become even more critical as competitive factors in this environment," explains Julian Alexander, Product Line Manager Material Handling Tyres at Continental. "By offering individual solutions from a single source, we serve as a partner to our customers and help them to position themselves in the best possible way for these future challenges."

With its participation in the world's largest intralogistics trade fair in Hanover, Continental is underlining its ambitions with regard to off-highway: In the future, technologies for industrial applications will be of a greater importance for the company along with the automotive segment. Visitors can experience Continental's comprehensive product range live from May 31 to June 3 at Hall 25, booth L11.

Increased safety and efficiency for industrial vehicles

Following the motto "Tyre Intelligence", Continental is presenting two clever solutions at the trade fair, enabling increased safety and efficiency in intralogistics. The ContiFlexBox tyre management system, which will be available in 2017, will enable the collection, provision, and transfer of tyre-related data to a central server via Wi-Fi or GSM. Combined with the ContiPressureCheck tyre pressure monitoring system, it enables drivers and fleet managers to manage their vehicle fleet more efficiently, safely, and in a more environmentally friendly manner. ContiPressureCheck measures air pressure and temperature on an ongoing basis using sensors inside the tyres. The system informs the user when the tyre pressure has to be corrected. Downtimes are reduced by minimising the risk of tyre damage and by reducing the need for regular time-consuming servicing.

Wide range of products for maximum comfort and efficient work

Selecting the right tyre is extremely important with regard to safety, comfort, and cost-efficiency of vehicles in intralogistics. For the chemical industry, ports, or warehouses, Continental offers a comprehensive range of suitable pneumatic and solid tyres for a wide range of potential applications. It enables fleet managers to increase the efficiency of logistics processes, reduce costs, and also protect the environment through reduced CO2 emissions by selecting the right tyres.

The powerful pneumatic tyre TractorMaster, which is used primarily for tractors and trailers, provides excellent traction, a wear-resistant tread compound, and very high mileage. It is now available in the new tyre size 280/75 R 22.5. In the solid tyre segment, Continental CST presents the robust, high-mileage CS20 and SC20 Mileage+ as well as the retreaded solid rubber tyre Continental LifeCycle, which is particularly environmentally friendly.

Manufacturers are now also improving the quality and comfort of their vehicle cabins. This is where MultiViu Compact 4 comes in: The new primary instrumentation solution in a tablet style enables efficient, convenient work by providing drivers with a real-time overview of a wide range of vehicle information such as oil and fuel levels. It is equipped with an extremely bright 4.3-inch display, which is even legible in bright sunshine. The display can also be adapted for individual customer requirements. This makes MultiViu Compact 4 a compact, cost-efficient, flexible, and sustainable production solution.

Innovative lift drive for smart factory stacker cranes

In collaboration with the intralogistics system provider LTW Intralogistics and sales partner Synchrotech, Continental has developed a new technology for the lift drive of stacker cranes in the smart factory. The patented system positions products quickly and precisely in high-bay storage. At the heart of the development is the Synchrodrive timing belt from ContiTech. This is an impressive alternative drive concept, as ropes have a relatively short replacement interval even in the case of optimally designed lift drives and regular servicing. The redirected belt drive concept is based on the pulley principle.

A newly developed version of the belt, the Synchrodrive HTD 20M, enables even greater pallet weights, increased acceleration, and lifting heights of 30 meters and more. The Synchrodrive HTD 20M can lift up to five tons. The belt is extremely durable, low maintenance, and requires no lubrication. It thus meets the requirements of the intralogistics industry, particularly with regard to payload combined with the required high level of breakage safety.