Manufacturing Magazine April 2015 | Page 56

CONTINENTAL AUTOMOTIVE GUADALAJARA
Inside the plant Continental

Continental is perceived globally , and by the general public , as a tire manufacturer . This is only one of several roles the corporation plays in the automotive industry . Aside from the different uses of rubber — in on and off-highway vehicles , conveyance systems , sealing surfaces and more — Continental also designs , develops and manufactures different components attached to vehicles ’ safety , diagnostics , and performance measurement .

Continental Automotive Guadalajara ’ s history can be traced back a few decades in which Mexico ’ s economy experienced an interesting transformation process . German multi-industry company Siemens operated in Mexico before the beginning of the 20th century . At that time , imported goods were scarce and it was before Mexico was incorporated into the GATT and the development of NAFTA in the 1990s . The Mexican automotive industry boom , which sprouted manufacturing clusters in the neighboring regions of central lowland El Bajio and western states Jalisco and Aguascalientes , became the perfect stage for the inception of Siemens VDO automotive division — first known as Siemens Automotive Systems . This business unit was acquired by Continental in 2008 . It operates plants across the country . These include three exclusive Continental Automotive Guadalajara division facilities where engineers and specialized personnel deliver cluster boards , electric and electronic sensors for vehicle operations , airbag
56 April 2015