Ansible Motion & Continental support connected, sustainable, simulation-driven tyre testing
08 April 2021
Compact, lightweight Delta S3 Driver-in-the-Loop simulator will support Continental to reduce real-world testing by up to 100,000km per year and use 10,000 fewer tyres for development.
Continental is the first tyre manufacturer to order Ansible Motion’s all-new advanced Driver-in-the-Loop (DIL) simulator, the Delta S3. With an increased motion space, higher resolution and the ability to benchmark tyres accurately in a virtual world, the S3 will enable Continental’s engineers test tyres repeatedly and consistently across a range of virtual terrains, locations, scenarios and seasons.
The simulator will support the company's goal is to be the most progressive tyre manufacturer in terms of environmental and socially responsible business practices by 2030, with the aim to reduce real-world testing by up to 100,000 kilometres per year and use 10,000 fewer tyres for development.
Continental has chosen Ansible Motion’s Delta S3, which utilises highly immersive simulation motion and vision systems to develop and validate an increasingly complex mix of powertrain, safety and driver technologies.
Now, looking to the future, Ansible Motion’s Delta S3 simulator will support the next generation of virtual objective and subjective testing needed for its OE car and commercial vehicle tyres.
With the ability to test and validate considerably more iterations of compound and construction, the speed and accuracy of using a high-fidelity simulator enables Continental’s engineers to find better solutions to improve grip, wear and fuel efficiency, all in a more sustainable way.
"Developing and testing premium tyres is a highly complex, time-intensive process. By using the new dynamic driving simulator, we will make this development process even more efficient in the future," says Dr. Boris Mergell, Head of Research and Development of the Tires business area at Continental.
"We want to actively shape the virtual development process in the automotive industry in the tyre sector as well. The new simulator combines state-of-the-art technology with the vast experience of our professional test drivers. Continental is one of the pioneers in the use of this innovative, hybrid test technology," he added.
For tyre development applications, the new Delta S3 platform ensures motions can be sustained for longer durations, guaranteeing more realistic experiences, such as two-lane car manoeuvres, tight and long cornering, as well as driving on different surfaces and in a multitude of weather scenarios.
Thanks to its ability to accelerate and change direction quickly, the S3 is ideal for both subjective and objective ride and vehicle dynamic testing of electric, hybrid and internal combustion powertrain vehicles, and all while satisfying the response time demands of professional development drivers.
“For passenger and commercial vehicles, tyres are the components that connect the driver to the road. Developments in simulation and modelling are enabling tyre manufacturers to quickly assess multiple iterations of their products in the simulator – many more than you could attempt in real-world testing,” says Kia Cammaerts, Founder of Ansible Motion.
“Our DIL simulator enables tyre engineers to be more creative, unlocking the key performance differentiators of grip, wear and low rolling resistance, in a more sustainable way.”
Ansible Motion, a trusted specialist in Driver-in-the-Loop vehicle simulation technology for over ten years, has made numerous improvements to its third generation Delta DIL, creating a tool specifically for engineers to deliver class-leading dynamics, immersion and motion.
The full specification of the production-ready S3 is set to be revealed later this month when the firm will announce further orders ahead of production commencing in Q4 2021.
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