Continental Produces One Millionth Automatic Transmission Control Unit in China

Tianjin, April 26 (Gasgoo.com)  Continental, a leading international automotive supplier, held a celebration ceremony at its Tianjin Manufacturing Plant to commemorate the production milestone of one million automatic transmission control units (TCU) in China.

In 1998 Continental produced the first transmission control unit in China at its Changchun plant.  This was the first TCU to be ever produced in China and it is still in production for a 4 speed stepped automatic transmission. In 2007, production started at the Tianjin plant, of an electro-hydraulic control module for a 6-speed automatic transmission, which is also known as the GM T76 module. This highly sophisticated product is a showcase of the transmission control technologies for which Continental is the global market leader: combining the hydraulics actuators, sensors and LTCC electronics into a compact housing which is directly mounted on the gearbox. The 32-bit microcontroller based circuitry, and the embedded software ensures an optimal, reliable and safe transmission performance under extreme conditions, and compensates for the normal wear in components such as clutch plates over the complete lifetime of the vehicle.

"This great achievement of one million production milestone is evidence of the development and growth of China's automotive industry on one side, together with proving the commitment of Continental Automotive to support the development of the car industry. Over the past years, our Business Unit Transmission invested heavily on production and local research and development in China. This milestone is a great encouragement for us, and we are ready for more challenges and opportunities", said Mr. Eric Lemaire, Vice President of Continental Business Unit Transmission Asia, Division Powertrain.  

With innovative strengths and manufacturing expertise, the Transmission team from Continental is capable to provide vehicle manufacturers with solutions for all types of transmissions and all-wheel drive applications. As a global TCU expert, Continental understands and satisfies the requirements of different markets, ranging from high value and high performance to high efficiency but optimized cost.

Founded in 1995, Continental Automotive Systems (Tianjin) Co., Ltd. is a foreign-owned enterprise, located in Tianjin Economic-Technological Development Area (TEDA) with more than 1,000 employees and 26, 000 square meters of space. Continental Automotive Systems (Tianjin) Co., Ltd. is the second fastest-growing company in TEDA, and one of the largest automotive suppliers in China. The main product portfolio covers most fields of automotive electronics including blue tooth systems, radios, engine controllers, body controllers and transmission controllers for many major car manufacturers worldwide such as General Motors, Ford, Volkswagen and Chrysler.  Over the past year, Continental Tianjin has introduced new technologies to produce state of the art radios and transmission controllers. Wire bonding, clean room, and plastics have been established in the plant to widen the product portfolio.  At the same time, Continental Tianjin has attracted a lot of experienced talent to ensure a solid foundation for additional growth.

With strong commitment and confidence in China, Continental is dedicated to localization strategy to increase its presence and business here. Local engineering and production activities enable the development of automatic transmission market in China. Mr. Richard Anderson, Plant Manager of Continental Automotive Systems（Tianjin）Co., Ltd. said, "The local production facility allows us to swiftly respond to the needs of our customers, and better support all the vehicle manufacturers in particular local OEMs. Based on our comprehensive engineering know-how and local manufacturing presence, we are able to provide products with superior quality, high performance and innovative technology at affordable price."