Dortmund, January 31, 2018
Developed in 1996, Continental’s magnetic passive position sensor has been produced in Dortmund since 2001 and is celebrating the production of the 100 millionth MAPPS. The sensor is used to gauge the fill level in the vehicle tank, and is currently the only system of this type that offers a leakproof seal and is thus absolutely corrosion-proof. This makes the MAPPS equally suitable for all fuel types and usable worldwide. It can also withstand aggressive additives and fuel contamination. This robustness and the wide usage spectrum are the decisive advantages compared with conventional open sensor systems. Its corrosion protection consists of special alloys, each of which has been adapted to the regional fuels and their proportion of sulfur, ethanol or methanol.
“Thanks to its high reliability, the MAPPS continues to impress new customers who have used other systems in the past,” says Dr Markus Distelhoff, Head of the Continental Fuel and Exhaust Management business unit, which is headquartered in Dortmund. “As a result, almost all premium manufacturers have now switched over to Continental’s sensor system. Robust products form the basis of our commercial success, even in the era of digitalisation and electrification. The MAPPS is the best example of this. It is Continental’s unique selling proposition and has made a major contribution to allowing our company to assume a leading position on the market of fuel delivery modules.”
Production of the high-tech sensor is a sensitive, challenging process and still takes place exclusively in Dortmund. Due to the ever-increasing demand, a second production line was set up there years ago and will be joined shortly by a third one. “The third production line has already been installed and is currently undergoing tests,” said Sibylle Büttner, Continental location manager in Dortmund. About eight million Euros have been invested for the expansion of the MAPPS production in Dortmund the last three years.
The production and development location in Dortmund Arminiusstrasse is also Continental’s center of excellence for fuel delivery modules. From here, the Fuel and Exhaust Management business unit supports its global locations. It develops new manufacturing technologies, runs trials on production facilities and testing equipment, trains and instructs employees from the international production network and provides on-site assistance at plants starting up new production lines.
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