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ContiTech Schwingmetall
Newsletter No. 02
News in the Vibration Control Newsletter
- In-depth customer support: Vibration control technology training
- Interesting exhibit: Vibration control at CeMAT 2008
- Innovative vibration control technology: Everything about vibration isolation in industry
Markedly customer-driven: Training in vibration control technology
With its SCHWINGMETALL® and MEGI® brands, ContiTech Vibration Control offers two strong product lines for plant and machine engineering applications. Our maintenance-free rubber-to-metal-bonded components absorb percussions and structure-borne sound, insolate machine vibration, reduce acceleration and provide protection from noise.
Knowledge transfer between manufacturer and dealer
Alongside items manufactured specifically for original equipment, ContiTech Vibration Control, as a partner to retail establishments, carries a range of more than 1,000 standard products for the replacement market. “The applications our products serve are highly demanding. The products themselves are the result of decades of development work and have to be up to tackling extremely complex tasks in certain cases,“ explains Hendrik Heitjans, project engineer at ContiTech Vibration Control. “To pick the right application from our comprehensive range, the dealer has to be knowledgeable about the product and generally well-versed in vibration technology,“ underlines the engineer.
The elastomer specialist attaches particular importance to the transfer of knowledge between the manufacturer and the dealer. In line with this, ContiTech Vibration Control offers sales organizations regular training in technological- and product-related matters. “We address all of our partner’s staff, both those in technical capacities and those dealing with commercial aspects,” says Heitjans, who conducts the training sessions.
Technical and product training sessions in three modules
As a rule, the seminars last a day and are broken down into three modules. First the basics of vibration control technology and vibration isolation are discussed. The group looks at whether the propagation of vibration can be controlled or even stopped and what rubber-plastic product is suitable for doing so.
In the second part, the SCHWINGMETALL® and MEGI® products are presented, with recourse always being made to the wealth of experience the participants have already gathered. “On the basis of typical applications we discuss which of our products are best suited. The participants are encouraged to share their own experience with the group. In this way, there is always a valuable exchange of information,“ notes Heitjans.
Theory for highly practical solution approaches
The third module is completely devoted to hands-on activity. Here the participants are expected to do the calculations for specific bearings on their own. “We indicate which tools the participants can draw on to quickly and easily determine an application’s design parameters. In so doing, we encourage the participants to bring up examples from their own on-the-job experience.” In the event that the training session takes place at ContiTech, we round off the seminar with a tour of production, the development workshop and the milling room.
ContiTech Vibration Control runs a technical session every four months or so – more often where the need arises. Should a customer be especially interested, Hendrik Heitjans also offers sessions at the customer’s location – anywhere in the world. “Among other things, these seminars are intended as flanking measures for targeted expansion of new partnerships,“ notes Frank Dahmen, head of sales at ContiTech Vibration Control. The seminars are conducted in German and English and are free of charge.
Interested parties should contact:
Frank Dahmen Head of sales for the Industry segment Phone: +49 (0) 511 - 976 - 6008 eMail: frank.dahmen@vc.contitech.de
Interesting Exhibit: Vibration Control at the CeMAT 2008
At CeMAT in Hanover, ContiTech Vibration Control presented an active vibration system that can precisely and flexibly neutralize a drive's inherent vibration by means of counter vibration.
“Active vibration control systems are a good idea wherever structure-borne sound interferes with the operation of systems, machines and vehicles,“ explains Dr. Hans-Jürgen Karkosch, head of advanced development at ContiTech Vibration Control. At its trade show booth the company used a large-scale model to graphically demonstrate to visitors for the first-time the working principle of active vibration technology.
An active vibration control system consists of four components: a force-generating actuator, an electronic control unit, a power amplifier and an acceleration sensor. The company holds a key patent for an electromagnetic actuator. The design of actuators and the functional development of active systems lie within the specific core competency of ContiTech Vibration Control. For the development of control devices and sensors, the company can draw on the competency of other areas in the Continental Corporation. Active vibration control systems have already been successfully trialed on many different manufacturers’ test vehicles.
“The active vibration control system employs electric energy to get the actuator vibrating. This vibration is fed, for example, into the body of a passenger car. Under certain physical conditions it functions as counter vibration, canceling out the engine’s structure-borne noise,” says Karkosch, explaining the working principle. An active vibration control system can neutralize vibration over a broad frequency range. Systems consisting, for instance, of a hydromount with integrated actuator are especially good at smothering low-frequency interference. This kind of excitation may occur, for instance, when an industrial vehicle is in idle.
Everything about vibration isolation in industry
The 8-page ContiTech brochure entitled “Innovative Vibration Control Technology for Industry” highlights the industrial vibration-isolation applications covered by the SCHWINGMETALL ®, MEGI ® , und ROTAFIX ® product ranges. “The brochure provides our customers a quick overview of our complete portfolio of services, from standard catalog articles through to system design and development of customized products,” says Frank Dahmen, head of sales for the Industry segment at ContiTech Vibration Control. Available in German and English, it can be ordered free of charge at service@contitech.de or on the Internet at www.contitech.de. Order number WT 6226 should be cited.
