ContiTech Railway Engineering - Railway Suspension Systems

The ContiTech Group as one of the world's leading development partners and original equipment manufacturers in railway technology not only supplies high-tech products for suspensions, interior trims and resilient track support but also offers a close-knit sales network for fast help when problems crop up.

United, we take up the challenge of addressing suspension technology requirements for modern rail vehicles, either operating in local, commuter or in high-speed rail traffic. Components and systems for suspension and vibration-control technology are the basis to create complete suspension design concepts, for all primary and secondary solutions as well as rubber-to-metal components for bogies.

Suspension concepts for rail transport technology

Under the umbrella of the product / market segment 'ContiTech Railway Engineering (CRE),' ContiTech air spring systems embraces all activities of the worldwide leading supplier of air springs for railway traffic. CRE's air spring product range includes: rolling lobe air springs, belted air springs, unrestricted diaphragm air springs, double-convolution air springs, customised all-in-one air spring systems (consisting of air springs and integrated auxiliary spring) and dedicated metal parts.

CRE is the world's leading supplier in this sector. ContiTech's air springs business unit develops and manufactures at eight plants in China, Germany, Hungary, Korea, Mexico, India and Turkey. The business unit can demonstrate certification to ISO 9001 and TS 16949. All plants producing for the rail transport industry are certified to IRIS.

Sensor technology

In 2010 CRE presented a contactless height and pressure sensor that can be integrated into the air spring. With its integrated height and pressure sensor, ContiTech provides the technical basis for electronically controlled air suspension systems with electrically actuated valves.This innovation makes it possible for future rail vehicles to benefit from the advantages that air-sprung road vehicles have long enjoyed: less loss of air, more exact regulation of the riding level and automatic variable-target-level adjustment. Electronic control considerably reduces the number of setting actuations required. The riding level is readjusted only when the vehicle experiences load changes due to passengers getting on or off the vehicle.

Rubber-metal spring

As a primary spring, the compact rubber-metal spring of the ContiTech MEGI® brand is used as support and wheel set control spring in the drive area of many low-floor and high-speed trains. CRE offers a wide range of springs of the cone or chevron type. As a secondary spring each of these is a component of ContiTech air suspension systems, supporting the interplay of stiffness and deflection.

Axle suspension systems

Hydrosprings are special axle suspension systems, each consisting of a rubber-metal cone spring and an integrated self-contained hydraulic system. Integrated wear-free into the system, such suspension types render any external damping superfluous.

Air suspension system with integrated wireless chip

ContiTech air spring systems' new air suspension system with the integrated wireless chip opens up entirely new possibilities in production, logistics and service. Even after years of wear and tear and fouling, it is still possible to obtain clear product information using a pistol grip scanner. This eliminates the need to vulcanise a type ID into or affix it onto an air spring. The chip also offers reliable protection from pirated copies that, despite inferior quality, bear a strong outward resemblance to ContiTech products.

Customer service

ContiTech is on track worldwide and ready to heed your call as fast as possible. For this purpose ContiTech Railway Engineering has a closely-knit sales network of experienced technicians on service 24/7 all around the globe.

This enables the company to remain within easy reach of the customers even after the air suspension systems have been installed. It can promptly respond to a call and see to it that original replacement parts are not only supplied but also immediately installed in the train.