Siemens, Conti in strategic agreement to automate tire plants

Nuremberg, Germany – Continental Tires and Siemens have announced a strategic agreement for the supply of automation and drive technology across the tire maker's facilities worldwide.

As a “preferred supplier”, Siemens will provide “innovative control and automation technology” to further optimise Continental's global tire production, the automation vendor explained.

Building on the back of previous partnerships, the German-based partners also aim to establish standards to help make Continental's production units and equipment more efficient, throughout the lifecycle.

To this end, Continental will purchase automation systems and large parts of its drive technology for new machines and developments from Siemens.

This, said Siemens, includes equipping Continental tire factories with its Simatic controllers, I/O systems, WinCC Unified operator control units, and industrial PCs.

Siemens will also train the employees on the use of its ‘totally integrated automation’ portal and provide its ‘tire software library' for standardising control of sensors and actuators.

“This will simplify mechanical engineering as well as maintenance for machines and equipment for Continental and its machine suppliers as well,” Siemens explained.

Standardisation also enables the machines to operate uniformly, regardless of machine supplier, the German technology group further pointed out.