Any successful cooperation needs a regular exchange of knowledge and ongoing dialogue to arrive at optimum solutions. An example of this is the project for the French state railway SNCF.

ContiTech supplies air spring systems in cooperation with the WeP (value-added partner) Paul Bansemer GmbH.

“Rail vehicles and road vehicles differ in their development in that rail vehicles require much more complex air spring systems”, Friedrich Hoppmann, segment manager of ContiTech Railway Engineering in Hannover, explains. To stay ahead in this very dynamic and often lengthy process calls for reliable and flexible suppliers with a wealth of experience.

“And this is one of the strong points of the metal foundry Bansemer”, according to Hoppmann. In an open dialogue and a constructive exchange of knowledge, the long-time supplier of ContiTech frequently inputs its ideas into the development process. “Working together we have managed to win an order from the rail vehicle manufacturer Bombardier Transportation – our largest ever project,” Hoppmann explains with pleasure. The Société Nationale des Chemins de Fer (SNCF) is planning to sell 500 regional expresses by 2007, thereby extending its successful intercity concept of high-speed TGV trains to the French provinces. In three years development work ContiTech planed a self-supporting auxiliary air reservoir made of a lightweight alloy that convinced Bombardier.