Continental will have four technical presentations at the upcoming Tire Technology Expo, which will take place in Hannover from 4–6 March. On 4 March 2025, the conference will begin with a presentation on Continental Tires' sustainability strategy by Jorge Almeida, Head of Sustainability, and Prof Burkhard Wies, Head of Applied Research and Innovation.

The presentation's main goal is to lessen tyres' impact on the environment while they are in use. On the day of the opening and the day after, Continental will also host three more expert presentations. These include the introduction of a more ecologically friendly adhesive method for textile reinforcing materials called COKOON, the presentation of an inventive testing apparatus for determining energy losses in rubber samples and an investigation of tyre wear particles under actual settings.

Both tyre and road wear particles are among the emissions that arise from driving when a tyre is in use. In order to better understand the environmental effect of wear particles and, consequently, to create innovative ways to further minimise them, it is imperative that measuring methodologies be dependable, standardised, and especially accurate. In order to do this, Continental and the Technical University of Braunschweig, Germany, collaborated on a study. The goal of this project, which was named ‘Online Analysis of Airborne Tyre Wear Particles During their Formation and Differentiation from Particles of Other Origins’ (OLRAP in German), was to create a technique that could measure tyre wear particles during their formation under a range of circumstances, including driving style.

The findings of this study, which was supported by the German Ministry of Science and Culture, will be the main focus of Dr Benjamin Oelze's presentation. He is the Group Leader Test Method Development Tyre Wear at Continental Tires. The Continental specialist for evaluating new materials, Prof Jorge Lacayo-Pineda, will demonstrate a novel rebound testing apparatus that can show a dynamic mechanical study of the hysteresis curve in milliseconds. Dr Yasin Sen, a specialist in adhesion system development at Kordsa, and Dr Cornelia Schmaunz-Hirsch, who oversees the development of new adhesion and reinforcement technologies at Continental Tires, will present on the development of friendly COKOON bonding system.

"Continental is pursuing eager sustainability ambitions. But in the rapidly evolving tyre industry, we also know that certain overarching issues can only be solved collectively. Cross-divisional research projects, exchanges of expertise and the pooling of know-how form the foundation for this. The Tire Technology Expo conference is therefore extremely important to us," said Prof Wies.

Webfleet, Bridgestone’s globally trusted fleet management solution, has entered into a partnership with Krone, a leading trailer manufacturer in Europe, to offer an integrated telematics solution via its OEM.connect partner programme.

With factory-installed telematics, commercial fleet owners can now effortlessly link their Krone trailers to the Webfleet platform, doing away with the requirement for aftermarket hardware installations. Thus, businesses may save money and time by gaining access to robust trailer data that can increase trailer utilisation, decrease downtime and enhance general safety and security. Customers may fully utilise the sophisticated Webfleet caravan management tools thanks to this integration. Payload management, tyre pressure monitoring (TPMS), proactive maintenance, safety supervision, real-time position tracking and thorough trip logging are all included.

Jan-Maarten de Vries, President – Fleet Management Solutions, Bridgestone Mobility Solutions, said, “Utilising our OEM.connect programme is the quickest way to get trailers online and start enjoying the benefits of the Webfleet platform that supports you to efficiently manage your trailer fleet. We are excited to collaborate with Krone, a leading trailer manufacturer in Europe, combining truck and existing fleet data on one single platform to help even more businesses with actionable insights to maximise trailer performance.”

Maximilian Birle, Managing Director, Krone Digital, said, “’By cooperating with Webfleet, we are offering our customers advanced telematics features with an easy-to-use interface from one of the leading fleet management solutions in Europe. With the touch of a button, hauliers can get advanced data intelligence and insights with no expenses related to downtime or installation.”

Trelleborg Tires, a European tyre and wheel manufacturer, has long been a pioneer in providing integrated wheel-tyre systems. Because of its exceptional compatibility and performance, Trelleborg Tires is a reliable partner for professionals and OEMs.

Trelleborg’s proprietary TW rim technology redefines traditional rim design. Specifically designed for large agricultural tyres, this advanced profile offers more than just basic functionality. It guarantees a simpler and quicker tyre fitting process, speeds up low-pressure tyre inflation and boosts overall efficiency – all of which are essential for agricultural applications.

Explaining the importance of integrated wheel-tyre solutions, Pasquale Fabbricatore, Product Manager, Trelleborg Wheels, says, “When components are mismatched, the consequences can be severe – uneven wear, reduced equipment life, and safety issues. That’s why integrated solutions have become increasingly important. By offering complete systems, we not only improve performance but also ensure cost efficiency and safety. The design represents a significant leap forward in rim technology. By optimising the contour and strategically using thinner materials, we've enhanced both performance and wheel life. This is crucial under extreme conditions, where the rim faces significant stress. Moreover, the increased structural resistance actually reduces overall wheel weight, leading to lower fuel consumption and, consequently, reduced carbon emissions for agricultural equipment."

Further, Trelleborg’s THK (Trelleborg High Knurling) technology addresses the critical issue of tyre-rim slippage by enhancing the grip between the tyre and rim, even when subjected to the toughest operational environments.

Fabbricatore explains, “THK technology was specifically developed to prevent slippage, which is common under high-torque conditions. We’ve significantly improved the knurling profile to nearly double its height compared to traditional designs. This provides superior grip, particularly in high-speed and high-torque applications. In addition, we apply a non-slip coating to the rim bead seat to ensure a secure tire-to-rim connection, even under extreme conditions.”

Model Solution Co., Ltd, a total hardware platform company and a subsidiary of Hankook & Company Group, has entered into a strategic collaboration with Graphene Square Co., Ltd., a leading advanced materials company, for the development and production of innovative electronic devices powered by graphene technology across electronics, energy, healthcare and home appliances industries.

Graphene is 200 times stronger than steel and has excellent electrical conductivity. Graphene Square has patented technology that uses large-area chemical vapour deposition (CVD) to continuously produce graphene. The two businesses will create a cooperative framework for the creation and manufacturing of graphene-based electrical products through this strategic MOU, encouraging information sharing for the greatest possible benefit to both parties.

The ‘Rechargeable Transparent Multi-Cooker’ from Graphene Square, which was created in partnership with Model Solution and has won numerous international awards, including the coveted ‘2024 CES Innovation Award’ and TIME magazine's ‘Best Inventions of the Year’, makes use of graphene's special transparency to enable users to visually monitor the cooking process in real-time. A higher culinary experience is also provided by maximising the natural tastes of foods and improving heat efficiency through the use of mid-infrared wavelengths.

Operating at only 600W, the cooker achieves double the energy efficiency of typical appliances by substituting graphene for standard heating components. Its modular design, which includes a battery module and removable top and lower heaters, enables flexible operation in a range of applications. The cooker's eco-friendly features are further enhanced by its design, which minimises electromagnetic emissions.

Woo Byung-il, CEO, Model Solution, said, "This partnership with Graphene Square represents a pivotal step in integrating our cutting-edge technologies to strengthen our competitive position in the global market. We anticipate graphene-based products, with their superior energy efficiency and enhanced functionality, will deliver new value to customers across a wide range of industries.”

Bridgestone, a global leader in premium tyres and sustainable mobility solutions, has revealed plans to invest in a new driver-in-the-loop (DiL) simulator at its EMEA R&D Centre, which is located close to Rome, Italy. The company's dedication to completely digitising the tyre development process is demonstrated by the new, cutting-edge DiL simulator, which enhances its Virtual tire Development (VTD) capabilities.

The launch of a Bridgestone-owned DiL simulator enables Bridgestone engineers to replicate tyre behaviour, vehicle interaction and reaction in a variety of scenarios, all while including professional test drivers' subjective feedback. This combination, with the aid of AI technologies, facilitates the virtual trial of novel and creative design concepts and the quicker evaluation of a greater number of design possibilities, speeding up the process of reaching target tyre performance.

In addition to improving speed to market and development process efficiency, the new DiL simulator will assist Bridgestone in fostering innovation and venturing into unexplored territories. Additionally, the investment supports the company's partnership with original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and its development of high-quality original equipment (OE) and replacement goods. This is made possible by these new capabilities, which allow for the rapid joint iterations necessary to develop tyres and automobiles in simultaneously.

Additionally, on-premises DiL simulation will hasten the business's transition to sustainability. Bridgestone estimates that this expenditure will save up to 12,000 experimental tyres annually by lowering the amount of both produced tyres and physical tyre testing, which will result in a considerable decrease in CO2 emissions. The company's in-house VTD technology already reduces CO2 emissions and raw material use during the OE tyre development phase by up to 60 percent. The savings on replacement tyres are at least 25 percent.

Leveraging data-driven predictors and physics-based simulations, Bridgestone VTD capabilities are being applied to all products. This covers the company's next-generation goods in addition to premium and luxury OE advancements. A brand-new, cutting-edge dynamic driving simulator from VI-grade is being financed by the investment. The business anticipates that the DiL technique will be used for up to 50 percent of OE innovations each year with this simulator, which should be completely operational by the end of 2025. Although Bridgestone presently primarily uses the DiL technique to evaluate dry handling, the business is striving to broaden the range of tyre performance areas it can evaluate as well as the market sectors it may be used to.

Emilio Tiberio, Chief Technology Officer Bridgestone West, said, “This investment in our internal DiL simulation capabilities is a major milestone as we build a comprehensive ecosystem for accurately predicting tyre performance in the virtual world. It also gives us the capabilities to experiment with new and innovative combinations of designs and materials in a fully virtual environment. Bridgestone is a leading investor in R&D in the industry, with more than EUR 800 million invested annually across the globe. This next step is a testimonial to our Bridgestone E8 Commitment. As a sustainable solutions company, we continue to innovate while reducing our time to market. At the same time, we are improving joint development processes with OEMs and enhancing the sustainability of our R&D activities.”