Whether for trucks or trailers, Continental is a specialist in air springs, known for the high degree of reliability, innovative solutions and sustainability. Because shock absorbers are components that are subject to wear in trailers, the Air Damping System from Continental offers a crucial advantage.
“As well as the suspension function, the system is also responsible for damping and can therefore be used to replace shock absorbers altogether,” says Diethelm Bauch, head of the Commercial Vehicles Original Equipment segment at Continental’s Business Unit ContiTech Air Spring Systems.
The air spring system specially developed for trailers enables the effective and reliable damping of the chassis over its entire service life. Breakdowns caused by faulty or worn shock absorbers can be avoided, and freight is given optimum protection while the durability of the trailer components is increased, according to the company. The air spring system also helps protect the environment by eliminating oil leaks and reducing the weight of the vehicle – therefore lowering fuel consumption and CO2 emissions.
The ConSnap system also significantly reduces the weight of trailer air springs. The special feature here is that the air springs are held in place by an open metal ring instead of a lower clamping plate and a threaded rod. The ring is inserted in a keyway on the piston, where it ensures maximum pull-off force between the air bellows and the roller piston. Up to 0.5 kg of weight is saved per air spring. At the same time, significantly fewer components and materials are used for the ConSnap system. This is also an added benefit for customers in the trailer sector as ContiTech transfers the resulting cost savings to them.
In practical use, ConSnap offers improved reliability and robustness. No adjustments need to be made to the vehicle interfaces during installation, meaning that the air springs can be installed at no additional expense.
In the replacement market, Continental air springs represent original quality, benefiting from the knowledge and technical expertise of the original equipment for which they are produced and supplied. The OE program includes references for buses and passenger cars as well as trailers, the company noted.