Swedish Steel Prize finalists
The jury has nominated four applications who stand to win the Swedish Steel Prize 2023 .
“ The nominated applications are innovative examples of cutting-edge technology , embracing the possibilities provided by the SSAB premium steel product range . The winner will be announced on 11 May 2023 at a ceremony in Stockholm , Sweden ,” Swedish steel specialist , SSAB , explained .
The Swedish Steel Prize finalists are :
Florian Huettl , CEO , Opel and Vauxhall .
GENERAL NEWS
■ DigJim from Norway ( ultra-fast maintenance system ). This user-driven innovation is a patented system designed for quick exchange of bucket protection parts on-site , lower cost of ownership and increased productivity .
■ Gestamp from Spain ( front lower control arm ) is pushing material properties for strength and formability . This vital part of the chassis is crucial to everyday operation as well as to safety performance . Utilising advanced forming technology , this front lower control arm has an optimised singleshell design , made possible by introducing a new material strength level .
■ Green Buffers from Sweden ( newgeneration train coupling technology ). Green Buffers is introducing highstrength steel for energy absorption between rail wagons for increased train safety . This new system supports its vision of zero uncontrolled derailments related to collisions .
■ Levistor from the UK and ZOOZ from Israel ( mechanical battery for fast charging ). These high-power mechanical batteries , using a new flywheel steel design , are sustainable solutions for a more sustainable world . Mechanical batteries offer increased service life , no degradation and a smaller material footprint compared to chemical batteries . Safer operation is also achieved by replacing traditional flywheel designs with layers of highstrength steel , isolating failure and limiting damage .
“ The Swedish Steel Prize celebrates engineering , cooperation and steel innovations that lead to a better and more sustainable world . It inspires engineers , designers and inventors to further explore the unlimited potential of steel ,” concluded SSAB . n
Stellantis invests € 130 million in Eisenach assembly plant
Stellantis announced recently that it will invest over € 130 million in its Eisenach Assembly Plant in Germany , producer of the Opel Grandland compact SUV , to add production of the BEV successor vehicle that will be built on the new STLA Medium platform . Production of the new BEV is scheduled to begin in the second half of 2024 .
Adding a BEV to Eisenach ’ s output supports Opel ’ s commitment to a fully electric product line-up by 2028 in Europe . The Opel Grandland currently produced at Eisenach also includes plug-in hybrid variants .
“ Eisenach , our most compact plant in Germany , has demonstrated a strong drive in quality improvements ,” said Arnaud Deboeuf , Stellantis Chief Manufacturing Officer . “ With this allocation of Stellantis ’ new fully BEV platform , STLA Medium , Eisenach plant ’ s highly skilled workforce will continue to improve the cost and the quality of the vehicles they produce to delight our customers .”
Opened in September 1992 with production of the Opel Astra , the Eisenach Assembly Plant is in the state of Thuringia , central Germany . In 2022 , the plant celebrated its 30th anniversary with an Open Day event that commemorated production of 3.7 million vehicles .
The Eisenach investment is a key step in meeting the commitments of the ‘ Dare Forward 2030 ’ strategic plan , which is led by deep emission cuts to slash CO₂ in half by 2030 , benchmarking 2021 metrics and achieve carbon net zero by 2038 with single-digit percentage compensation of the remaining emissions .
Core targets for ‘ Dare Forward 2030 ’ also include 100 % of passenger car sales in Europe and 50 % of passenger car and light-duty truck sales in the United States to be BEVs by the end of the decade ; the ambition of doubling Net Revenues by 2030 ( versus 2021 ) and sustaining double-digit Adjusted Operating Income margins throughout the decade ; and the aim to become number one in customer satisfaction for products and services in every market by 2030 .
Stellantis is investing more than € 30 billion through to 2025 in electrification and software to deliver BEVs that meet customer demands . It is one of the world ’ s leading automakers and a mobility provider . n
www . stellantis . com
The Opel Grandland GSe .
ISMR May 2023 | ismr . net | 9