Startup of New Production Line

June 2011 ContiTech expands Changshu plant and now also manufactures sleeve-type air springs there for the Chinese market.

ContiTech Air Spring Systems has added a new production line to its Chinese plant in Changshu. At the end of May the ContiTech business unit inaugurated the new line together with its customers. The line will be used to make sleeve-type air springs for driver cab and seat suspension applications for the Chinese market.

“This is a great step forward for our segment. The new production line will enable us to supply our numerous Chinese customers with sleeve-type air springs from Chinese production in the usual ContiTech premium standard of quality, and will help us to reinforce our leading position on the Chinese market!”, said Holger Brüning, who is in charge of the driver cab and seat air springs business.

ContiTech Air Spring Systems is a leading manufacturer of air springs for the Chinese OEM commercial vehicle market. The business unit makes more than 95 percent of all axle air springs for the Chinese market at its ultra-modern manufacturing facility which opened in Changshu in 2010. “The Chinese commercial vehicle market has a very large potential for development”, said Dieter Gramsch, the Changshu site manager.

2011 is expected to see output in China amounting to more than 1.5 million trucks and 450,000 buses. Air springs for commercial vehicles are a standard feature on the European and U.S. markets, and the Chinese manufacturers currently install them mainly for their export market. “So now’s the right time to get in and support the OEMs in the development of their air suspension systems”, added Dr. Thomas Johannsen, head of the ContiTech Air Spring Systems business unit.