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Brose | Change to the Supervisory Board
After 35 years as Managing Director and 18 years as chairman of the shareholders' meeting, Michael Stoschek, the grandson of company founder Max Brose, has handed over the chairmanship of the supervisory board of Brose SE to Dr. Rolf Breidenbach. Breidenbach has been a member of the advisory board of the family-owned company since 2022. At the same time, Maximilian Stoschek will take over as chairman of the shareholders' meeting and become deputy chairman of the supervisory board. “I am pleased that these changes represent the completion of the generational handover in the leadership of our family business,” said Michael Stoschek.
Hirschvogel | Grah Becomes Vice President Corporate Sales
The Vice President Corporate Sales at Hirschvogel, Armin Ihle, has moved into the release phase of his retirement. He joined the automotive industry supplier in 1997 as sales manager and has been a member of the executive committee since 2021. The new Vice President Corporate Sales is Thorsten Grah, who studied international business administration and has over 20 years' experience in the automotive industry. He began his career as a key account manager at Formel D. In 2004, he joined automotive supplier Faurecia where he held a variety of management positions, including global account manager, a role which involved responsibility for the BMW Group account.
Vienna University of Technology | Grebe Becomes New Head of the IFA
Uwe Dieter Grebe will become the head of the Institute of Powertrains and Automotive Technology (IFA) at Vienna University of Technology (Austria) as a new professor with effect from September 1, 2024. At the same time, the university will introduce a new model for innovation and industry cooperation by founding the consulting company AME GmbH (Automotive & Mobility Engineering GmbH), which will act as a platform for technology transfer with partners from industry. In March, Grebe, who has been Executive Vice President at AVL, was elected as a Fellow of the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE). This is the organization's highest honor and only a handful of members are awarded it each year by a special committee.
Valeo | Schwab Heads German National Directorate
Holger Schwab has become head of the Valeo German National Directorate as National President Germany. He succeeds Andreas Heinrich, who has decided to leave the company. Schwab started his career at Valeo in 1993 and worked in Germany, France and North America. In 2007, he became Vice President of the Wiper division. In 2012, he moved to the Modine Manufacturing Company, where he managed the European business. He was appointed CEO of the joint venture Valeo Siemens eAutomotive in 2019 and when this organization was fully integrated into Valeo in 2022, he became Vice President of the Powertrain Electrified Mobility product group.
Hyundai | Harrer Appointed Executive Vice President
The Hyundai Motor Group has announced the appointment of Manfred Harrer as Executive Vice President and Head of the newly established Genesis & Performance Development tech unit. This unit forms part of the Research & Development division of the Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai Motor) and the Kia Corporation (Kia). Harrer's expertise and leadership capabilities will bolster the group's competitiveness and drive the development of Genesis products. Harrer has accumulated 25 years of experience in the automotive and technology industry, working on a variety of different projects such as chassis development, electronic systems, software development, full vehicle integration and ADAS at companies including Audi, BMW, Porsche and Apple. “I am extremely grateful for the trust the company has placed in me,“ said Harrer following his appointment.
Toyota | Development Center Comes into Operation
The car manufacturer Toyota has officially opened the latest phase of its research and development center at Shimoyama (Japan). In addition to a visitor area, the new building adjacent to the in-house high-speed test course will house the development team for new Lexus models. It is a place where employees from many different functions, including planning, development, design, prototyping and evaluation, will in the future come together in one place to develop new models for Lexus and Gazoo Racing. In addition to assessing vehicles on the test course, they will use digital tools to promote agile development and to integrate physical car manufacturing methods and digital technology. The natural environment was a prime consideration during the construction of the center. The original trees and green spaces, plus newly created green areas, cover approximately 60 % of the 650-ha site.
Vector | Optimized Test Platform
Vector has launched the VN8917 real-time execution platform. It consists of a base device and a variety of interface plug-in modules and is designed to optimize tests involving complex Matlab simulations and CANoe configurations. The device is a high-performance solution, in particular for extensive test environments in the lab. The VN8917 base device features an integrated 11th-generation Intel Xeon processor. The new CPU makes it ideal for multichannel configurations and extensive FlexRay and Ethernet simulations. In addition, the network interface optimizes high-performance Matlab simulations and allows for co-simulations on the test bench. The platform also enables standalone operation of CANoe simulations, allowing these to be conducted autonomously in a test bench environment, for example, without the need for an operating PC.
Asahi Kasei | Copolymer for Vehicle Interiors
Asahi Kasei has developed a thermoplastic styrene block copolymer (SEBS) for automotive interior surfaces, where a soft feel is needed. While conventional approaches involve using different materials and production technologies for skin, foam and core layers, the new material is suitable for both the skin and the underlying foam layer. The SEBS therefore helps to reduce the total number of materials used, to simplify the manufacturing process and to improve the recyclability of interior components.
Vibracoustic | Air Spring System for SUV from XPeng
Vibracoustic has collaborated with the Chinese vehicle manufacturer XPeng to design, develop and manufacture switchable two-chamber air springs for the front and rear axle of XPeng‘s G9 battery electric SUV. The solution provides two distinct levels of stiffness, which allows the vehicle to adapt to different loads and road conditions and offers a more dynamic or a more comfortable mode. The spring system also optimizes the airflow under the car to provide passive battery cooling and to maintain a minimum ground clearance for battery protection.
SAF-Holland | Axle Weight Reduced
With its new ten-spoke wheel end design, SAF-Holland has optimized the weight of its SAF Intradisc plus Integral axle. When this is combined with the SBS 2220 H 01 brake caliper, the trailer axle weighs 8 kg less. In order to reduce the weight of the disc brake, the specialist chassis company has adapted the topology of the cast parts while maintaining the performance and service life of the system. The SBS 2220 H01 22.5" brake, developed jointly with Haldex, is designed for axle loads of up to 9 t.
VI-grade | | Full Spectrum Simulator Launched
VI-grade, the global provider of human-centric simulation-driven vehicle development solutions, has announced the launch of its Driver-in-Motion Full Spectrum (DiM FSS) simulator. This is a real-time simulator that offers a comprehensive driving experience with accurate motion, vibration and sound over a complete frequency spectrum from 0 to 20 kHz. It can generate vehicle movements with nine degrees of freedom over a workspace covering several meters, together with precise sound and vibration, for a fully immersive driving experience. The simulator uses a three-stage approach. The lower stage delivers the primary vehicle motion, while the middle stage provides full six degrees of freedom of movement and the hyperdock stage features an optimized carbon-fiber cockpit that delivers high-frequency vibration through transducers at key driver touchpoints, while sound is transmitted into the cockpit via speakers or headphones.
Fraunhofer IOF | Projecting Turn Signals
Researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Optics and Precision Engineering (IOF) have developed a projecting turn signal that is only 35 x 35 x 55 mm in size and yet has an illuminance of more than 700 lx on the road. The turn signal does not have the buried, absorptive mask layers of conventional projection systems. Instead, the pattern generation and beam shaping have been shifted to microlens arrays (MLA). The two-sided MLA consists of an arrangement of chevron-shaped microlenses (lenslets) on the light input side and smaller square lenslets on the output side. By illuminating the MLA at different angles of incidence, light paths are directed between specific combinations of input and output lenslets. This intentional channel crosstalk enables a dynamic sequence of chevrons to be projected onto the road.
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Companies + products. ATZ Worldw 126, 30–33 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s38311-024-1975-7
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s38311-024-1975-7
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