Continental has launched the production of Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) for passenger cars, at its Bangalore plant. With the localisation of TPMS, Continental is steadfast in its commitment to supporting the local OEMs in India. In the next three years, Continental aims to rapidly scale up the TPMS production capacity. At present, the company is the first Tier 1 supplier to manufacture TPMS in India, providing safer, more sustainable, and inclusive mobility. The current production will cater to the local market and in the next two years the scope will be expanded to the export markets as well.
As per Ramnath Sivaraman, Head of Motion Technologies and Services, Continental Automotive India, Continental is committed to India and its growing market needs. At present, safe mobility is a high-interest topic among consumers who are consistent in their expectations for the latest safety technologies in vehicles. The launch of TPMS will complement the overall vision for safe mobility in India. In addition, TPMS will also aid the cause of clean mobility by indicating the driver on maintaining optimal tire pressure. With this, the company is in a good position to support local OEMs with respect to growing demands for advanced technologies at an affordable cost.
TPMS measures the pressure, temperature, and detects the motion of the tire from the inside of it, and transmits the information through radio frequency and the vehicle communication network to a display in the instrument cluster. Providing accurate and timely information to the driver about the status of the tires, for example, the tire pressure and temperature for each wheel position. This information is crucial for the driver to maintain optimal air pressure to maintain vehicle safety and also efficiency.
Phanindra Karody, Head of Bangalore Plant, Continental Automotive India, informs that Continental has a determined focus for localisation. The newly launched TPMS line features state-of-the-art smart manufacturing processes. This includes a fully automated assembly line with collaborative robots (cobots) and a system that enables digital traceability. According to him, the company will continue to expand the production of the TPMS line based on market demand. In the next three years, it aims to rapidly scale up the production capacity and advance the export scope. The smart manufacturing system at the plant will help in achieving the expansion goals in line with yearly targets.
To enhance TPMS usability and benefits for the end user, Continental offers innovative add-on TPMS features, such as advanced ‘problem tire’ localisation functions and ultra convenient smartphone apps such as Filling Assistant and Tire Data.
With a reliable and absolute measured tire pressure and temperature, TPMS offers cost savings due to optimised tire usage due to driving at recommended tire pressure for optimal rolling resistance, enhanced driving safety, reduced fuel consumption, less CO₂ emission, and an extended battery range for electric vehicles. Additionally, TPMS boasts of increased mobility safety by early leakage detection and it can be implemented as a stand-alone or integrated system solution. TPMS has a lifetime of up to 10 years, its operating temperature is -40 to 120°C, and it weighs 37 g.