AAM’s $1.4bn acquisition of GKN Automotive could mark a major shift in automotive manufacturing, strengthening its position in driveline systems and electrified vehicle production American Axle & Manufacturing’s $1.4 billion acquisition of GKN Automotive is set to reshape global automotive manufacturing, strengthening its position in driveline systems and EV production as the industry moves towards electrification Ilkhan Ozsevim
Gestamp employs gigastamping and advanced material solutions to drive lightweighting and sustainability The Spanish supplier believes it is well prepared for the transformation of the automotive industry. Innovations from a wide range of areas are intended to help. The company presented some of these at the IZB in Wolfsburg. Timo Gilgen
Watch now: How to maximise efficiency in battery tray manufacturing and integration This webinar showcased innovative, cost-efficient quality processes to assure 100% quality in battery manufacturing. New quality solutions from Hexagon enable automakers to detect defects efficiently and ensure a perfect fit into the underbody of the car.
New additive manufacturing applications for the auto industry A technology that continues to develop with new materials and applications, ArcelorMittal believes additive manufacturing has clear potential in the automotive industry to optimise global platforms and extend their longevity. ArcelorMittal
Watch Now: Next-Gen Gapfillers: Henkel’s Blueprint for Automotive Electronics This webinar explored Henkel’s latest innovations in thermal gap fillers, designed specifically for automotive electronics.
Gestamp signs agreement with Acciaieria Arvedi for the supply of low-emissions steel Gestamp will return high-quality steel scrap from stamping parts production to Acciaieria Arvedi, who will reprocess and reintroduce it into the production cycle. Nick Holt
The Sustainable Steel Automotive Manufacturing Survey 2024 Webinar looks at issues of definition, recycling and cost Thomas Hörnfeldt, VP of Sustainable Business at SSAB spoke to Nick Holt and Daniel Harrison of AMS on the survey findings. Do terminological issues serve as barriers to sustainable steel? Ilkhan Ozsevim
Ignacio Martin Gonzalez, Gestamp: “Steel is still a high-performance product” For e-mobility, suppliers like Gestamp must be willing not only to produce components, but also to contribute their expertise in terms of design. Ignacio Martin explains how the supplier is preparing for an uncertain future. Götz Fuchslocher
Cost effectiveness key barrier to sustainable steel adoption in automotive production AMS and SSAB’s industry survey reveals a growing prioritisation of sustainability in automotive manufacturing, highlighting challenges in sustainable steel adoption such as cost-effectiveness and gaps in awareness, while underlining the need for innovative solutions and collaboration to drive meaningful change… AMS
How BMW is ramping up its circular production and sustainability principles as it drives towards electrification BMW’s Dr. Irene Feige, Head of Climate Strategy and Circular Economy says that circular economy is becoming central to BMW’s automotive production landscape, part of its wider push for sustainable production and supply chains. Ilkhan Ozsevim
Changing dynamics– developing the next generation of vehicle architectures Building electric vehicles has demanded big changes in OEM production operations and increased support from tier suppliers. Gestamp’s director of R&D North America, Paul Belanger, shares some insights into the company’s development and how it’s managing the engineering challenges around EVs Nick Holt
The Centre for European Policy Studies (CEPS) publishes suggestions to stimulate demand for green steel The paper argues for stimulating demand for the green steel transition and proposes slowly phasing in ’green premiums’ so as not to upset the consumer base Ilkhan Ozsevim
Take part in the AMS / SSAB Sustainable Steel Automotive Manufacturing Survey 2024 Automotive manufacturing is on a long journey to sustainability. One of the major challenges in that endeavour is to decarbonise the steel production process. We want you to contribute your automotive manufacturing expertise and offer your industry insight. Daniel Harrison
DESIGN4PRODUCTION brings together leaders in automotive production, design, and engineering Explore the future of automotive design and manufacturing at Design4Production in Munich on 15 May and join leading designers, engineers and production leaders on Automotive design and manufacturing experts as they discuss how to accelerate innovation, efficiency and sustainability. AMS
The co-evolution of EVs, architectures and production processes Electric vehicles and batteries are influencing automotive manufacturing decisions, driving changes in vehicle architectures, production processes and material choices. Gestamp and ArcelorMittal discuss their strategies Ilkhan Ozsevim
Watch Now: Shaping the future: How electric vehicles are driving manufacturing decisions Dive into the intricacies of EV platform design with industry experts from Gestamp and ArcelorMittal. Looking at how current trends are influencing manufacturing processes and the balance between innovation, sustainability, and efficiency.
Tata Steel to close two blast furnaces in Port Talbot causing major setback to regional automotive production The closures are to have a significant impact on the automotive production environment and supply chains across the region. Is the transition to green steel upsetting traditional ecosystems? Ilkhan Ozsevim
Steel resolve: why ArcelorMittal’s Multi Part Integration is leading the charge in sustainability and efficiency PARTNER CONTENTThis content was paid for by ArcelorMittal and produced in partnership with Automotive Manufacturing SolutionsFrom simplifying assembly processes to slashing carbon emissions, ArcelorMittal’s innovative approach emerges as a key player in the race towards sustainable automotive manufacturing. ArcelorMittal
Design and manufacturing integration key to BMW’s Neue Klasse To realise large cost and emission savings on its EV architecture, BMW is redesigning vehicles and manufacturing in parallel, and rolling out rapid digital solutions. Christopher Ludwig
Managing materials choices – Fossil-free steel – AMS Expert Interview with SSAB SSAB has produced and sold its Fossil-free steel, which is now being used in limited series production by Volvo. But there is a weakness in the definition of ‘green steel’. Experts from SSAB and Volvo Group share some insights into challenges this presents to the wider acceptance of these materials and how they are managing this with greater transparency Nick Holt
Porsche partners with H2GS for green steel in sustainable production ramp up set for 2026 as auto industry pivots towards carbon free materials With steel manufacturing being a major contributor to carbon footprints across automotive, Porsche moves to scale up green steel production with H2 Green Steel deal Ilkhan Ozsevim
SSAB and Gestamp forge automotive sustainability partnership for fossil-free steel Leading Swedish steel producer, SSAB, and Spanish metal component supplier, Gestamp, partner to transform automotive steel with sustainability and performance at its core. Ilkhan Ozsevim
Managing materials choices – Fossil-free steel SSAB has produced and sold its Fossil-free steel, which is now being used in limited series production by Volvo. But there is a weakness in the definition of ‘green steel’. Experts from SSAB and Volvo Group share some insights into challenges this presents to the wider acceptance of these materials and how they are managing this with greater transparency. Nick Holt
Battery production and design need to be optimised together, says Volvo Trucks and ABB Václav Švub from ABB Robotics and Wenting Hu from Volvo Trucks pointed to the benefits of aligning battery engineering and production processes in an exclusive AMS livestream, including opportunities in automation, new materials and production processes. Ilkhan Ozsevim
Gestamp joins Catena-X to push digital and decarbonisation strategies Gestamp has joined the Catena-X data-sharing platform, which is designed to increase visibility in the supply chain and improve the flow of parts and materials. Marcus Williams
The evolution of EV battery enclosures: balancing optimisation, safety and cost-effectiveness They protect the most valuable part of an EV—but what are battery enclosures currently made of? What could they be made of? And what are their key design considerations? Martin Kahl
ArcelorMittal and Gestamp partner to enhance scrap steel utilisation in automotive manufacturing Ilkhan Ozsevim
Steel solutions for e-mobility PARTNER CONTENTThis content was paid for by ArcelorMittal and produced in partnership with Automotive Manufacturing SolutionsArcelorMittal is engaged in the development of the future mobility through the Steel E-Motive project lead by WorldAutoSteel and creating new solutions to simplify the car manufacturing operations ArcelorMittal
Forming innovations – press shops get smarter Digital tools are playing a major part in innovating every area of production. The press shop is no exception, with data gathering and AI increasing the visibility and efficiency of the forming process Mike Farish
GM and Mercedes-Benz both sign up for green steel Both General Motors (GM) and Mercedes-Benz have signed agreements for the supply of green steel for the production of their vehicles. Megan Kelly
Shaping the future – Developing electric vehicle architectures In our AMS Evolution Livestream experts from ArcelorMittal and Gestamp tackle EV production challenges and explain how digital tools, new technologies, processes and materials innovations could help solve some key issues Michael Nash
Watch: Structural change – Developing vehicle architectures optimised for EV manufacturing Transitioning to build electric vehicles in high volumes is an engineering challenge for OEMs and suppliers, but one that also presents opportunities in manufacturing processes and efficiencies.
Form and function: Developing production processes and structures for electric vehicle architectures As much as we read about battery cell development and production, in parallel the new electric vehicle architectures are also continuing to evolve as vehicle makers strive to find the optimum balance between platform flexibility to meet changing market demands for new models, while also being viable for high-volume production. To get some insights in to this ongoing process AMS spoke with Paul Belanger, Gestamp’s R&D Director for North America Nick Holt Christopher Ludwig
Developing EV architectures optimised for manufacturing There’s more to electrification than batteries. We look at some of the developments and trends in designing and manufacturing electric vehicle platforms ahead our exclusive livestream featuring Gestamp and ArcelorMittal Nick Holt
Sustainability: Fossil-free steel Car makers are setting ambitious targets to reduce their carbon footprint in production operations, key to this will be a sustainable supply chain. Experts from steel producer SSAB share some insights into how the company has responded to this important requirement with the development of fossil-free steel SSAB
Multi part integrated BIW solutions and advanced steel grades support EV production PARTNER CONTENTThis content was paid for by ArcelorMittal and produced in partnership with Automotive Manufacturing SolutionsArcelorMittal Global R&D Head of Automotive Steel Solutions, Jérôme Favero discusses how the company’s Multi Part Integration solution is an innovation that has been driven by the challenging context of Battery Electric Vehicle production ArcelorMittal
Material matters: body, forming and process transformation Michel Peña at Teknia, Jesse Paegle at ArcelorMittal and Jonas Adolfsson at SSAB joined the seventh panel at Automotive Evolution Europe to discuss how new technology and materials are ushering in new innovations in manufacturing. Christopher Ludwig
Renault advances circular economy reuse, remake, recycle business The pioneering initiative will reduce the resource, energy and emissions intensity of a car’s lifecycle since some components can have a second life as used, reconditioned parts. Peter Murphy
BMW advances global plans to increase use of CO2-reduced steel The automaker expects about one third of the steel it uses to be of the CO2-reduced variety by 2026, reducing its carbon footprint by 900,000 tonnes per year, it said. Peter Murphy
Watch: Next-gen car body building Innovations in vehicle body and module architectures are enabling more sustainable production. Experts from manufacturers including REE, and technology specialist Magswitch discuss opportunities in this AMS Livestream first broadcast on Wednesday November 16 AMS
Europe’s carmakers dim lights, turn back to coal, oil, on approach to bleak winter Automakers crimp consumption and reluctantly turn to coal and oil but options may be more limited for component and material suppliers upstream. Peter Murphy
Keeping it simple: Volta Trucks, ArcelorMittal on keys to start-up success Volta Trucks has stuck to innovating only where it counts to launch on time while upstream ArcelorMittal is seeking to simplify steel component procurement. Christopher Ludwig Peter Murphy
Watch: Are all OEMs start-up manufacturers now? Hear how start-ups are changing car production and established OEMs are reinventing themselves in manufacturing and engineering, featuring start-up EV truckmaker Volta’s co-founder and chief manufacturing officer Kjell Walöen, and automotive steel solutions director Jesse Paegle from ArcelorMittal. AMS
After tailpipes, auto industry ponders CO2 purge from its materials Three automotive industry executives from Polestar, Volvo Cars and SSAB discuss approaches to removing carbon from carmaking with neither a ready recipe nor time for trial and error. Peter Murphy
Megacasting: a chance to rethink body manufacturing The aluminium die-casting process could revolutionise body construction. Professor Wolfram Volk, the department head for forming technology and casting at the Technical University of Munich, explains the advantages and disadvantages of so-called ‘mega’- or ‘gigacasting’. Götz Fuchslocher
Watch: Vehicle lightweighting rises to the top of the agenda for designers and engineers This livestream investigates how designers and engineers at Ford, Gestamp and key suppliers are using innovative materials and creating lightweight architectures, including for models like the Ford F-150 Lightning and Maverick compact truck. AMS
Non-magnetic materials for EV motors The development of electric vehicles is seeing the increasing use of materials with particular properties. Stainless steel is one example that offers applications in body structures and drivetrains Nick Holt
Power is nothing without control Chassis components keep the wheels from falling off the EV revolution. Illya Verpraet found out how Gestamp is managing the change with material and quality control innovation Illya Verpraet
Sustainability at the core of leadership at Scania and ArcelorMittal At last week’s inaugural AMS livestream, Scania’s Mathias Wijkström was joined by ArcelorMittal’s Hugo Da Gama Campos to discuss making automotive production greener and how it is vital to put sustainability at the heart of the production system. Illya Verpraet
Watch: Strategies for Greener Production (EP.1) This AMS Livestream Hour episode discusses how automotive manufacturers are making their plants and value chains more sustainable through new processes and technology, with special guests including Scania and ArcelorMittal. Watch the full episode and download slides. AMS
Steel makes the case as the mainstay material for vehicles With OEMs demanding vehicle-structure materials that are low in mass, crash-protective and economic to use, steel grades stay true to form James Bakewell
Strong, light and formable, stainless steel re-enters the material mix Helsinki-based Outokumpu says stainless steels are ideal for lightweight, safety-critical structural parts and have put it to use in the series production of EV battery enclosures James Bakewell
Material changes guide the new additive manufacturing routes Additive manufacturing is offering not only a wider range of application techniques but also materials with polymers now joined by metals and even ceramics Mike Farish
Augmented assistance Visit any car manufacturing plant in the world and the majority of production equipment will be similar. The real differences between factories are the human workers and the way in which technology is used to optimise their environment Michael Nash
Casting a duo Two innovative metal forming techniques could have a significant impact on the press shop of the future Mike Farish
Passing the test As modern vehicles become more sophisticated, production testing technologies and processes need to keep up. Mike Farish looks at developments with both carmakers and tier suppliers Mike Farish
