Many lightweighting initiatives under way to achieve CAFÉ standards Lightweighting, a concept about building cars and other vehicles lighter for better fuel efficiency and overall performance, is becoming a heavy burden on automotive industry- OEMs and tier-1 component suppliers. They have initiated several programmes and projects to achieve the Corporate Average Fuel Efficiency (CAFE) standards by lighweighting. For lightweighting, the[Read More…]

Lightweighting of automotives is necessary to improve their efficiency and to reduce the carbon footprint. It is not an easy task as it involves the use of lighter and stronger materials and new technologies both by the OEMs and components suppliers. An MIT (Massachusets Institute of Technology) review on lightweighting automobiles in 1997 has drawn attention to the growing pressure[Read More…]

Tenneco Automotive, one of the world’s largest automotive equipment supplier, manufactures ride control and clean air products in India, is taking concrete steps to reduce the weight of the products it manufactures. The US-based company is present in India since 1995, and in 2006 it became 100% subsidiary of Tenneco. In India, the company has grown in terms of manufacturing[Read More…]

The automotive Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs), especially those in the premium segment, have to optimise the existing systems and develop new ones. While public attention is mainly on the diversification of competing drive concepts, development departments of OEMs as well as Tier-1 suppliers are looking far beyond this to fuel efficiency, lightweighting and automation. Throughout the entire supply chain, companies[Read More…]

Brose India Automotive Systems, a mechatronic components and systems maker, achieves lightweighting across the components it manufactures mainly by using alternate materials. The core competency of the company is the synthesis of mechanical, electrical and electronic systems. The company focuses on 3 areas: Technology for door systems or modules, adjustment systems for front and rear seats, and electric motors and[Read More…]

Bollhoff India, a subsidiary of the Germany-based fastening solutions provider, works with customers to provide improvised and lightweight fastening solutions. Started in 2007, Bollhoff India initially imported 100% of the products from the parent group. After gradually increasing its footprint, production started in 2010. The company currently has 2 manufacturing facilities in Gurgaon where it manufactures AMTEC threads and helicoils[Read More…]

Aequs, one of the fastest growing precision engineering companies in India, plans to ramp up its technology. The company specialises in precision machining, sheet metal fabrication, aero structure assembly, closed die forging and special processing for automotive and aerospace industries. Aravind Melligeri, CEO, Aequs, said: “We are still in the initial stages of technology innovation. We have plans to ramp[Read More…]

The automotive supplier Brose manufactured the 5 millionth front seat structure since the start of production in 2012 for a joint project between Daimler and BMW. By 2026 the mechatronics specialist will produce around 32 million structures. The premium manufacturers use these in various models such as the Mercedes C-Class and E-Class or the BMW 7 Series and 5 Series.[Read More…]

Text : Bhargav TS TM Seating Systems, a 50:50 joint venture between Tata AutoComp Systems and Magna Seating, is focused on designing solutions for the commercial vehicles. The JV, headquartered in Pune, will supply seating systems to customers in India. The product portfolio covers seating system for LCVs, trucks and buses, including coach seats, intercity and city bus seats. The[Read More…]