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First Line Celebrates Re-Launch
The management team took charge of the business from Finelist on the 22nd of December 2000 and said that they were looking forward to re-establishing First Line as a major force in the automotive components market once more. Pictured are the management team of (left to right) Andy Simpson, Steve McCormick, Bob Knight, John Madden, Peter Joyner and Alan Wood. Continental Demonstrates the '30m Car' After setting up a task force a year ago to implement the 'Reduced Stopping Distance' project, Continental has recently constructed a '30m car'. In other words, a road-going compact car that has a stopping distance of 30 metres - reduced from 38.5m - when travelling at a speed of 62mph. The car, a Golf 1.6 MkIV automatic, features newly developed tyres in conjunction with modifications to the suspension and shock absorbers, plus the use of a new electrohydraulic brake, all produced by the Continental Corporation. According to Continental the 30-metre mark is the maximum potential for mass-produced cars, at present it can only be achieved by compromising on everyday characteristics like tyre wear resistance. Top priority was given to achieving the shortest possible braking distance in dry conditions with the car travelling straight ahead. The car uses Continental's latest tyre, the ContiPremiumContact, whose contact patch expands whilst braking. Further improvements were made to the tyre as part of the project, including an enlarged footprint and a more uniform distribution of pressure, enabling the tyre to transmit greater radial forces without premature breakaway. The casing provided additional vibration damping to reduce the disruptive interaction between the tyres and the brakes when pressure is modulated by the ABS controller. Magnetized sidewalls allow the tyre to supply information on the frictional forces transmitted to the ABS computer. The information is used to keep brake pressure constant at each wheel so the tyre can transmit the maximum braking force. This system of magnetizing the sidewalls, alternately poled in 96 sectors, together with sensors on the chassis, is known as SWT or sidewall torsion sensor technology. Continental's project predicts that future driver assistance systems will provide a substantial reduction in time between recognising a dangerous situation and the moment at which the wheel brakes are working at maximum pressure. It was found that
braking distance could be lowered by an extra few percent by matching
the anti-lock braking system precisely to the braking behaviour of
the tyre. Continental's new electrohydraulic brake (EHB) features sensor-assisted electronics to determine the driver's intended amount of deceleration and applies the appropriate brake pressure. EHB's 'brake-by-wire' technology separates the brake pedal from the brake system by running the pedal into a spring mechanism known as the pedal feel simulator. Sensors measure how quickly and how heavily the driver depresses the brake pedal, and the electronics use those variables to calculate the driver's intended amount of brake application. The control commands are supplied by the electronic control unit (ECU), which takes into account external signals about driving conditions from the ABS, ESP, electronic brake-power distribution (EBD) or the automatic cruise control (ACC). A logical combination of all signals within the ECU of the EHB gives a precise picture of the brake pressures needed for optimum braking performance and driving stability. Information from the electrohydraulic brake (which will be mass produced by Continental Teves in 2003 at the latest), the chassis and tyre sidewall torsion sensors is exchanged via a CAN bus. This serial electronic data transfer enables all the systems to work together reliably and efficiently. On long-distance runs the air springs will lower the vehicle body and hence the centre of gravity. This leads to fewer vehicle movements and makes brake pressure control easier and more stable. According to Continental, the 30-metre car's chassis offers good ride comfort as well as precise handling and reliable response right up the breakaway limits due to its air springs and adjustable shock absorbers. The electronically controlled chassis minimises the effects of dynamic load shifting to the front wheels during braking. The electronics lower the body of the car when it is travelling at high speed by dropping the pressure level in the air springs, improving driving dynamics and allowing the rear wheels to transmit more braking power. The electronics of the 30-metre car also control the shock absorbers. To reduce the braking distance, their compression and rebound travel is modulated for each individual wheel so that wheel-load fluctuations caused by vehicle body pitching motion and road irregularities are minimised. Continental say that, although the components and systems installed in the 30-metre car were developed under conditions close to those of mainstream products, they are not ready for production as they stand today. The car demonstrates what Continental's cross-linked chassis, car and brake technology can do and the knowledge gained from the project will now be applied to individual production components to bring an overall reduction in braking distance. Mahle Appoints New Sales Manager The Mahle Group has begun to implement its new global aftermarket strategy of handling all products through a single sales organisation by appointing a National Sales Manager for Pistons and Engine Components in the UK. Taking up the new position will be Paul Grosvenor, who will be based at the UK headquarters of Mahle Filter Systems Ltd in Wednesbury, West Midlands. He will work alongside the company's established aftermarket filter sales team headed by Sales Director, Ian Stanworth. Ferodo Trophy for David Coulthard As British Competition Driver of the Year, David Coulthard was awarded the 'Ferodo Gold Trophy' at the recent Autosport Awards in London. The brake manufacturer awards the trophy annually to a British racing driver who has achieved outstanding success in motorsport. Coulthard first won the trophy in 1994 and now rejoins a list of names that include Jim Clark, James Hunt, Damon Hill, Eddie Irvine and Dario Franchitti. Romwire Celebrates £4.75m Order Specialist wire manufacturer Romwire Ltd has secured its largest order to date, since merging its Lichfield industrial wire manufacturing facilities with the new Kidderminster site last year. Romwire will be supplying one of the world's top five tyre manufacturers with £4.75 million of beadwire during 2001. The company, which previously supplied three plants in Eastern Europe and the UK, will now supply to several European sites. Survey Names Kwik-Fit Best UK Fast Fit Company For the eighth consecutive year, Kwik-Fit has been voted the best fast-fit company in the UK by a survey carried out by industry publications, Top Fleet, Fleet Management and Business Car. The readers of these magazines comprise the fleet management companies and personnel responsible for the maintenance of the majority of company cars on Britain's roads. Champion Names Kart Rankings Winners for 2000 Champion has named Lewis Hamilton and Ben Hanley as winners of the Champion World and British Kart Rankings respectively after successful 2000 campaigns. Hamilton, widely tipped to be in Formula One in a few years time, won the European Formula A Kart Championship on his CRG/Parilla. The Stevenage driver runs with McLaren/Mercedes support. Ben Hanley from Ramsbottom in Lancashire, competed in the UK as well as on the Continent and won the British Junior Championship, the results on which his Champion rankings success was assessed. New Peugeot BTCC signing Matt Neal presented the drivers with their awards on 13th January at the Autosport International, NEC, Birmingham. |
The
European Automotive Trade Show provided a re-launch platform for First
Line, following the company's recent management buy out.