Continental opens new, high-tech engine components plant in Russia

Continental has opened a new facility of its Automotive Divisions at the company’s Russian production site in Kaluga. The high-tech production facility, in which the global automotive supplier has invested 24 million euros (Rs 194 crore), has a capacity of up to one million engine control units (ECUs) as well as 500,000 fuel supply units and 500,000 fuel rail systems.

“With the new plant, we have increased our production capacity in Russia, and that will enable us to serve customers in Russia on a long-term basis with products manufactured in Russia. This is a further strategic step to positioning ourselves in the rapidly growing Russian automotive market as one of the world’s leading supplier of electronics,” said José Avila, member of the Executive Board of Continental and President of the Powertrain Division.

The Continental site in the Kaluga South industrial park is located in the immediate vicinity of the assembly plants of Volkswagen, Volvo Trucks and PSA. The new facility, which was completed in just 16 months, occupies 7,200 square metres and is equipped with state-of-the-art production technology. The production lines are extremely flexible, so they can quickly be adapted to meet new customer requirements.  

“The new production facility in every way meets the high standards of quality Continental enforces at all of its international sites, and this applies both to the production lines themselves and to the systems and components produced here,” said Christian Kögl, head of Continental Powertrain Russia and CEO of Continental Automotive Systems RUS. “Since establishing the site in 2007, we have greatly expanded the range and volume of products manufactured here. Among other things, the new facility will help to meet the demand for efficient, electronically controlled engine systems, which is growing rapidly in response to Russia’s stricter emissions standards.” From 2015 on, the Euro 5 emission standard will apply to new cars.

The innovative 32-bit Easy-U engine control unit, which Continental produces at the new facility, was specially developed to meet the needs of emerging markets, such as Russia. This highly efficient as well as cost-effective system is based on a modular design and – with modified software – can be integrated into a variety of applications.

The fuel supply units produced in Kaluga for petrol engines with either a direct or a manifold injection system are made up of a number of different components (fuel supply pump, level gauge, tubes and lines, and also electric cables), which together form a module that is built into the tank. By increasing its production capacity, Continental says it can now cover all demand for fuel supply units for the Russian market from its Russian manufacture. Production of these systems started at the new facility at the beginning of the year. Since then, the production lines for engine control units and fuel rail systems have also gone into operation.

Photograph (L-R): Anatoly Artamonov, governor Kaluga Region, Christian Kögl, José Avila and Prof. Siegfried Wolf (Member of the Supervisory Board of Continental.