Displaying items by tag: ContiTech

ContiTech has extended its air actuator product range: The company is the first manufacturer in the world to offer air actuators made of an ECO compound with improved resistance to chemicals and environmental influences. The new ECO² air actuators can now also be used in applications in which they are exposed to lubricating oils, corrosive vapors, and alkalis. One potential area of application, among many, is the paper industry. „Our ECO² air actuators are ideally suited to the specific demands of this environment,” explains Verena Weiss, head of the Industry segment at ContiTech Air Spring Systems.

• New and improved ECO air actuators are now lead-free
• Improved resistance to chemicals and environmental influences allows for extensive use in the paper industry
• Acid- and corrosion-resistant stainless steel plates offer increased safety in challenging areas of application

The new ECO2 air actuators are resistant to chemicals and environmental influences and can now also be used in applications in which they are exposed to lubricating oils, corrosive vapors, and alkali compounds. Photo: ContiTech

ECO² air actuators are made of the elastomer epichlorohydrin and are particularly suited to high-temperature applications. Depending on the design, they can be used at ambient temperatures of up to +130°C. ContiTech's new ECO² compound is also lead-free, in response to the European Union's REACH regulation, as lead oxide is suspected of being harmful to health. This makes it a candidate for the hazardous chemical substances black list. „That's why we switched to a lead-free ECO² compound, to ensure we would still be able to supply our products even if lead oxide is banned,” says Weiss.

The new and improved ECO² air actuators are now part of ContiTech's product range and are available for almost all the models in the C, D, and R series. Further product development remains a possibility. 

Acid- and corrosion-resistant: with new V4A stainless steel plates, ContiTech air actuators meet the specific requirements of the chemical industry. Photo: ContiTech

Solutions for demanding industry sectors

ContiTech has also adapted the air actuators' connections in order to meet the specific requirements of particularly sensitive industry sectors. The air actuator models 40 to 530 in the C series now also come with stainless steel plates that are resistant to most acids. Instead of the widely used V2A stainless steel, ContiTech uses high-grade, acid-resistant V4A stainless steel. An additional alloy means that the material is even more resistant to corrosion, especially when exposed to chemicals and environments containing chloride. „This particular feature makes our new development suitable for many industries in which corrosive chemicals and environments are encountered,” says Weiss.

For example, the air actuators with the new stainless steel plates can be used in the chemical and pharmaceutical industries, where components often come into direct contact with chemicals. Especially in areas in which heavy-duty cleaning agents are used, acid-resistant steel is a must. At the same time, in many applications the components also need to be resistant to the flow of liquids and gases. „The new connections meet both requirements fully,” says Weiss.

The paper industry makes similar demands: high humidity and extreme heat combined with chemicals pose a challenge to the materials. Stainless steel helps to avoid downtimes and their associated costs. Corrosion prevention is also extremely important in the food and beverage industry, in order to meet all the hygiene standards of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), for example. Therefore only materials with high resistance to chemicals and environmental influences are used in this sector.

The technology company presents drive and hose line systems, air springs as well as vibration control technology for industrial applications • High-tech products made of rubber and plastic

ContiTech AG presents innovative products for greater efficiency in industrial vehicles and machines at the PTC Asia from October 29 to November 1, 2012 (hall E4, booth C6-3). In Shanghai, the technology company from Hanover, Germany, presents air springs and vibration control solutions along with drive belts and industrial lines. “China is one of the key markets for the international economical success of ContiTech,” says Junsheng Liu, general manager of ContiTech China. “A highlight of this year's fair is our drive belts for the agriculture industry, an important sector of the Chinese economy.”

ContiTech has a wide range of timing belts, V-belts and V-ribbed belts for diverse industrial applications. At PTC Asia, the company is showcasing belts that are designed for the extreme requirements of agricultural technology – they impress with their energy efficiency and maintenance-free nature. The CONTI-V® VARISPEED ADVANCE wide V-belt is particularly suitable for power transmission in variomatic transmissions. The CONTI-V® ADVANCE heavy-duty wrapped V-belt transmits large amounts of power safely and reliably. An ideal alternative to chain drives is the new CONTI® SYNCHROCHAIN CARBON heavy-duty polyurethane timing belt. The carbon tension member stretches only half as much as an aramid cord under the same load. As a result, the drive transmits maximum power extremely reliably even in agricultural machinery.

With the CONTI-V® SCOOTER XT, ContiTech is also featuring a wide V-belt for the variomatic transmission of motor scooters: when the driver accelerates, the transmission ratio changes in a continuously variable manner. The ContiTech belt distinguishes itself by its longevity and length stability.

Furthermore, ContiTech is showing SCR hose line systems with heatable quick connectors. They contribute considerably to the reduction of harmful substances. ContiTech makes a major contribution towards the development of environment-friendly machines with lines for efficient air conditioning systems as well. ContiTech also offers lines that can withstand pure rapeseed oil as well as rapeseed methyl ester (RME), widely known as biodiesel, yet can also be used with conventional diesel fuel. Highly flexible hydraulic hoses made of rubber are indispensable components for hydraulically powered systems and forklift trucks, as well as lifting platforms and excavators. With complete sets comprising several lines with various nominal widths and pressure levels ranging from 150 bar low pressure to 420 bar maximum pressure, ContiTech offers complete solutions to its customers. ContiTech also provides hydraulic solutions made of plastic. Pre-formed polyamide fuel lines are a lightweight and cost-effective solution characterized by their flexibility and media resistance.

Robust bellows cylinders and air springs from ContiTech are used for pneumatic lifting and pressure functions in mechanical, apparatus and plant engineering as well as for supporting stationary machines and foundations. At PTC Asia, the company, which also supplies complete air suspension systems, is showcasing convolution air springs for a variety of application fields – from the construction industry and conveyor technology to wood processing, and from the glass industry to agricultural technology as well as the food and paper industries.

Moreover, ContiTech provides vibration control solutions and services. The products manufactured in Changshu, China, include ring elements, which are suitable for bearings in vehicles and machines. With outer diameters of 65 to 256 mm and load capacities of up to 82,000 N, they offer a wide range of applications, as the rigidity can be varied by stacking several ring elements. Bushings that can compensate torque movements and isolate vibrations in industrial vehicles, construction and agricultural machinery will also be on display at the fair. The SCHWINGMETALL® series B mounting elements, which offer good acoustic decoupling at a good price-performance ratio, complete the trade fair presentation.

D-type: The pneumatic air actuator can be disassembled into individual parts and replaced • Aluminum in the small sizes reduces weight • Replaces Dunlop “Springride”

ContiTech has added the D-type series to its air actuator product range. The unique thing about this series is that it is designed in such a way that every single component right up to the rubber bellows can be quickly and easily replaced. This simplifies the recycling process as rubber and metal parts can be separated more easily. In addition, ContiTech produces the connecting plates for the D-type series with diameters of up to 175 mm from aluminum. This is the standard material in many pneumatic products, and is now available in the ContiTech air actuators as well. “The products have been perfectly designed to meet market requirements,” says Dr. Olaf Kluth, head of the Industrial Applications segment at ContiTech Air Spring Systems. “The connecting parts have been designed in such a way that the air actuators can also be used as a replacement for bellows, as is already the case with the Dunlop ‘Springride’ in France, for example. Dunlop ‘Springride’ has now ceased production. One of the results of this is that demand for ContiTech has risen.”

Aluminum makes it more lightweight, flexible and easier to take apart and four fixing bolts ensure a firm hold: With the D-type series, ContiTech is presenting air actuators that are suitable for use in many sectors of industry.

Photo: ContiTech

The product range of the new D-types can be divided into eight different sizes, each of which is available as a one-, two- or three-convolution bellows and has dimensions of 80 mm/type 22 up to 435 mm/type 816. Without a piston rod, strokes of more than 400 mm are possible. The feasible lifting force range extends from 0.5 KN to 80 KN.

Based in Hanover, Germany, ContiTech produces its numerous air actuator designs using high-tech elastomer qualities. ContiTech air actuators are highly durable, have a long service life and are cost effective. The design of the dimensionally stable elements is comparable to that of a tire or air spring. They are used to produce extreme force in pneumatics where little space is available for installation and exceptionally harsh conditions are prevalent.

Very well-known applications of the D-types are power collectors in trains (pantographs) and paper machines. In addition, there are the comparable applications such as those with pneumatic cylinders based on a simple principle, e.g. in automation, glass, wood and agricultural engineering.