07/03/2006 Continental's runflat system wins an award at the 'Stahl-Innovationspreis 2006'

Hanover / Essen, 22nd June 2006. Continental's ContiSupportRing runflat system took third place today in the category 'Products made from steel' in the 'Stahl-Innovationspreis' competition for innovations in steel. The system won an award as it meets high demands in terms of design and at the same time offers extra safety on the road. The competition is held every three years by the Stahl-Innovationszentrum in Essen and the awards are some of the most coveted in the industry. In all some 620 products were presented to the panel and 14 awards were handed out.

Here you can download the press release as a doc-file (59 KB).

In the case of pressure loss in the tyre, Continental's ContiSupportRing (CSR) runflat system supports the weight of the vehicle and allows the motorist to continue his journey for a further 200 kms (125 miles) at a maximum speed of 80 km/h (50 mph). The system is made from special stainless steel, offering extremely high tensile strength and high ductility. The ContiSupportRing is the 'spare wheel in the wheel' and consists of a steel ring that runs on an elastic rubber support.

The CSR works with all proprietary car rims and tyres, and can be installed using standard tyre fitting equipment. Four ContiSupportRings weigh less than a normal spare wheel (rim plus tyre), so the overall vehicle weight is reduced. The CSR runflat system is mainly suited for cars and SUVs with 55 series tyres and over.

Despite its low weight, the high tensile stainless steel ring can absorb extreme plastic deformation energy. The CSR is an optional safety element in the Original Equipment on the Maybach.

Click here for more information about the ContiSupportRing...