Continental has introduced seven autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) at its ContiLifeCycle (CLC) retreading plant in Hanover-Stöcken, where the machines have been “keeping things moving since March 2025”.
The robots – which Continental appears to have built by itself in-house, perhaps with some help from external companies, whose modules may have integrated – are used to transport green tires across the facility, taking over repetitive in-plant logistics tasks and allowing workers to focus on skilled activities such as machine setup and quality control.
“Self-driving robots have been supporting our production workflow for six months now,” said Felix Hantelmann, head of the ContiLifeCycle plant.
“They handle simple, repetitive transport tasks such as moving a tire from one point to another. The robots are directly connected to our digital order system, so they know exactly where to go and how to coordinate with each other to get there.
“They are a valuable addition to our daily operations and help create a safe, efficient and ergonomically optimized production environment.”
According to Continental, the AMRs navigate “independently and safely through the production hall using advanced sensors, 360-degree camera systems and AI-based control technology”.
Operating at speeds of “up to two meters per second”, the robots move tires between key retreading stations, including the tire-building machine, curing presses and quality control.
The company says the automation reduces physical strain for workers who previously moved tires manually using cranes and heavy trolleys.
“Our employees no longer have to move tires across the hall, which means less physical strain for them,” Hantelmann said. “Instead, they can focus on more demanding tasks like machine operation and quality control.”
The rollout included a training program to help staff adapt to the new technology, and employees were invited to choose names for the robots, selecting playful titles such as Iron Tread, LifeCycle Commander, Captain Cargo, Cargo Knight and Rubber Ranger.
Continental says the adoption of AMRs at Hanover is part of a wider shift toward Industry 4.0, noting that “robotic solutions are in use at Continental tire plants worldwide,” including facilities in North America, Europe and Asia.
The CLC plant, which has been retreading truck and bus tires since 2013, has processed “more than one million tires” at the Hanover site. Across all retreading locations globally, Continental reports producing “around eight million retreaded truck and bus tires”.
