Press Release ContiTech Benecke-Kaliko Three New Product Innovations with Unique Properties Acella Go opens the door to a world of premium surfaces Acella Light cover material – ultra-light and ultra-high-quality Acella Protect remains flexible in extreme cold, even after years of use Frankfurt, September 2015. With three new products – Acella Go, Acella Light and Acella Protect – Benecke-Kaliko has broadened its spectrum of surface materials for automotive interiors. Acella Go reduced-weight cover material for decorative surfaces, door panels and secondary seating surfaces is the Acella product family’s starter material. It promises to increase access for Benecke-Kaliko’s sophisticated premium surfaces to growth markets beyond Europe. The material also allows entry-level models to stand out in the crowd with high-quality interior materials. Ultra-light Acella Light’s look and feel enhance the impression of value, thanks to an optimized varnish and a particularly high-quality textile backing. Use of a new foaming agent helped to optimize the production process. By combining a weight-reduced foam layer with a particularly light upper material and weight-reduced textile backing, it was possible to make the product 20 percent lighter than conventional cover materials – about 1 kg per vehicle. Benecke-Kaliko helps to make the vehicle lighter, to reduce fuel consumption and thus to reduce CO2 emissions. Both materials are impressive for their dirt resistance, easy cleaning and high durability. Acella Protect is well suited to heavily stressed vehicle areas such as seat surfaces and side bolsters. Compared to conventional cover materials, it stands out for its 100 to 150 percent better crack resistance in cold environments, because it stays flexible even in extreme temperature fluctuations. This is achieved through a low-migration plasticizer system that also considerably decreases emissions. All Acella products – Go, Light and Protect – were designed to be environmentally friendly from the get-go. They contain no reproductive toxic plasticizers or heavy-metal stabilizers. They can be customized for the intended use with a comprehensive portfolio that Benecke-Kaliko's distributes under the name F.O.C.U.S. (Feature Optimized Customer Unique Solutions) and they are made with high-quality processing on a global scale. 1/2 Your contact: Antje Lewe, phone: +49 511 938-1304 -2What is more, their diverse design options give the cover materials particularly good abrasion properties. Like all Benecke-Kaliko products, they exhibit ultra high-quality workmanship. Caption ContiTech_pp_Acella.jpg The new Acella products Go and Light upgrade modern car interiors with unique properties and improve brand perception and customer loyalty by increasing satisfaction among car buyers. Photo: Daimler Continental develops intelligent technologies for transporting people and their goods. As a reliable partner, the international automotive supplier, tire manufacturer, and industrial partner provides sustainable, safe, comfortable, individual, and affordable solutions. In 2014, the corporation generated sales of approximately €34.5 billion with its five divisions, Chassis & Safety, Interior, Powertrain, Tire, and ContiTech. Continental currently employs more than 205,000 people in 53 countries. The ContiTech division is one of the world's leading suppliers of technical elastomer products and is a specialist in plastics technology. It develops and produces functional parts, components, and systems for machine and plant engineering, mining, the automotive industry, and other important industries. Together with U.S. company Veyance Technologies Inc., which was acquired at the beginning of 2015, ContiTech generated sales of approximately €5.4 billion (pro forma basis) in 2014 and currently employs approximately 43,000 people in 34 countries worldwide. Contact for journalists Antje Lewe Spokeswoman Head of Media & Public Relations ContiTech AG Phone: +49 511 938-1304 E-mail: antje.lewe@contitech.de www.contitech.de Kerstin Porsiel-Voges Head of Communications Benecke-Kaliko Group ContiTech AG Phone: +49 511 938-1121 E-mail: kerstin.porsiel@contitech.de www.contitech.de This press release is available in the following languages: German, English Links Press releases and photos are available for download at www.contitech.de/press Your contact: Antje Lewe, phone: +49 511 938-1304