Tenneco Unveils The Future In Suspension Technology
Company Showcases Next Generation of Electronic Suspension Systems
Targets Full Range of Platforms and Powertrains
Nuneaton, UK, June 21, 2011 – Tenneco Inc., a leading tier-one global supplier of emission control and ride control systems and products for light, commercial and specialty vehicles, today showcased its next generation of advanced semi- and fully-active suspension systems. These innovative lightweight and therefore fuel-efficient, electronic suspension systems successfully balance the compromise between performance, comfort, ride and handling, while also responding to requirements for improved fuel efficiency and the resultant reduced CO2 emissions, as well as active safety.
The company, which was recently named ‘2011 Supplier of the Year’ by Vehicle Dynamics International Magazine for outstanding achievement in global automotive suspension and chassis engineering, showed its award-winning Kinetic® H2/CES semi-active suspension system that recently went into series production on a British supercar. It also demonstrated its fully-active suspension system, or ACOCAR™, that targets the next generation of conventional, hybrid or electric luxury vehicles and is planned for series production from 2015.
“We are constantly striving to provide the latest advances in ride control technologies,” said Sandro Paparelli, vice president and general manager, Ride Control Europe. “Safety and the feel of a vehicle’s ride remain among the top influencers in consumer buying decisions. Tenneco’s reputation for helping OEMs deliver better handling and the ride that consumers prefer has driven greater demand for our electronic suspension systems.”
Tenneco’s suspension portfolio includes electronic damper technologies for all vehicle segments from supercars through luxury vehicles to small and midsized models – regardless of the powertrain.
Josep Fornos, senior vice president, Europe, South America and India, said: “The suspension system is an important competitive differentiator. As an early entrant to the electronic damping market in 2003, Tenneco is leveraging its experience to the benefit of the volume vehicle market as it combines its advanced engineering capabilities, global supply chain and manufacturing expertise to reduce the cost of these advanced systems.”
Tenneco’s continuously controlled electronic suspension system, or CES, is at the heart of its new generation of advanced technologies. The ability to combine CES with air suspension, anti-roll technology and hydraulic leveling systems provides a wide range of innovative suspension possibilities. Common to all of these is the ability to meet the OEM criteria of performance using lightweight components with low energy consumption at an affordable system cost.
The first generation of CES went into production in 2003 as standard equipment on the Volvo R-line and as an option on the S80, V70 and S60. Today, CES shocks are available on Audi Q3; Ford S-Max, Galaxy and Mondeo; Mercedes-Benz C-Class, E-Class, AMG E-Class, SLK and CLS; BMW X3; Volkswagen Golf, Golf GTI, Scirocco, Passat, Passat CC, Eos, Tiguan, Touran and Sharan and Volvo V70, S80, XC70, XC60, S60 and V60.
KINETIC® H2/CES
Building on the success of CES technology, Kinetic® H2/CES integrates the Kinetic® H2 system with CES technology. The system combines advanced mechanical and hydraulic systems with intelligent electronics, leading to a new suspension concept that improves vehicle dynamics, compared with other active anti-roll systems available on the market today.
The front and rear anti-roll bars and four shock absorbers have been replaced with four double-acting hydraulic cylinders and two integrated CES damper valves, two roll accumulators, an automatic pressure maintenance unit (APMU), a comfort valve with integrated comfort accumulators and interconnected hydraulic lines. Two CES damper valves at each corner restrict the flow between cylinders and accumulators to electronically control roll, bounce and pitch modes, allowing decoupling of transient ride and handling performance.
This interconnected passive-reactive system provides continuously controlled damping and high roll stiffness with reduced warp and articulation stiffness. Vertical tire loads are more equalized, resulting in significantly improved road traction and performance. The continuously controlled damping works with the skyhook principle for body control with added algorithms for wheel hop control, steering, braking and acceleration. Use of the electronically controlled CES damper valves in combination with intelligent control algorithms, allows independent control of body and wheel motions.
Active Suspension Car (ACOCAR™)
The ACOCAR™ fully-active system features the addition of hydraulic pumps to the shock absorbers to bring energy to the suspension. This results in better control of damping and spring forces. Oil is constantly circulated through the shock absorbers whose damping valves can each be closed independently to make the car body move up when it would otherwise be moving down, and vice versa. The system works to keep the car body flat at all times while controlling wheel movements in order to improve tire to road contact. The addition of a pump at each corner means the system does not depend on the movement of the wheels to generate damping force. The result is that the ACOCAR™ system controls roll, pitch and heave, resulting in superior benefits in terms of handling, safety and comfort.
Other technologies introduced today included the company‘s Dual Mode Damper technology. This „on/off“ system is aimed at the small and midsized vehicle segments and provides two damper settings via a button on the dashboard.
Conventional systems using Tenneco’s Frequency Selective Damping (FSD) technology, provide an enhanced ride experience at minimal system cost for the small and midsized vehicle segment. FSD offers enhanced comfort and improved tire grip at high frequencies and good car body control at low frequencies.
Tenneco’s Monroe Engineering & Technology Centre (METC) in Sint Truiden, Belgium and Tenneco Innovación, part of the Automotive Intelligence Centre (AIC) in Ermua, Spain, are the main engineering hubs for electronic damping worldwide. Production is at the company’s manufacturing facilities in Sint Truiden, Belgium, and Ermua, Spain.
About Tenneco?
Tenneco is a $5.9 billion global manufacturing company with headquarters in Lake Forest, Illinois and approximately 22,000 employees worldwide. Tenneco is one of the world’s largest designers, manufacturers and marketers of emission control and ride control products and systems for the automotive and commercial vehicle original equipment markets and the aftermarket. Tenneco markets its products principally under the Monroe®, Walker®, Gillet™ and Clevite®Elastomer brand names.
This press release contains forward-looking statements. Words such as “anticipate,” “expects,” "will", "continue" and similar expressions identify forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are based on the current expectations of the company (including its subsidiaries). Because these forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties, the company's plans, actions and actual results could differ materially. Among the factors that could cause these plans, actions and results to differ materially from current expectations are: (i) changes in automotive manufacturers' production rates and their actual and forecasted requirements for the company's products, including the company's resultant inability to realize the sales represented by its awarded book of business; (ii) changes in consumer demand and prices, including decreases in demand for automobiles which include the company's products, and the potential negative impact on the company's revenues and margins from such products; (iii) the general political, economic and competitive conditions in markets where the company and its subsidiaries operate; (iv) workforce factors such as strikes or labor interruptions; (v) material substitutions and increases in the costs of raw materials; and (vi) the company's ability to develop and profitably commercialize new products and technologies, and the acceptance of such new products and technologies by the company's customers. The company undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statement to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this press release.
CES is a registered trademark of Öhlins Racing AB CORPORATION SWEDEN. All other trademarks, service marks and logos used herein are the trademarks, service marks, or logos of their respective owners.
CONTACT:
Jane Ostrander
Media Inquiries
(1) 847 482-5607
jostrander@tenneco.com
Linae Golla
Investor Inquiries
(1) 847 482-5162
lgolla@tenneco.com