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Transport/​Aerospace

Autoneum ramps up Ultra-Silent production

With the commissioning of the new production line for the manufacture of the Ultra- Silent, Autoneum is continuing the expansion of vertical integration in line with its strategy by increasing the vertical range of manufacture and utilizing the entire potential of the value chain.

7th November 2016

Innovation in Textiles
 |  Winterthur

Transport/​Aerospace

With its lightweight under-body components made from Ultra-Silent, Autoneum says it is making a decisive contribution to the weight and noise reduction of vehicles, which simultaneously serves to improve aerodynamics and reduce fuel consumption and CO2 emissions.

With the commissioning of the new production line for the manufacture of the Ultra- Silent, Autoneum is continuing the expansion of vertical integration in line with its strategy by increasing the vertical range of manufacture and utilizing the entire potential of the value chain.

Thanks to the newly installed production line, production capacity will be increased, as of 2017, by over 50% from around 5.5 million underbody components produced per year in Europe to over 8 million. Among other things this will benefit German, British, French and Japanese vehicle manufacturers, whose rising demand for lightweight underbody systems has been addressed with the capacity expansion, the company reports.

In the new 400 square metre production hall, the fully automatic production line for manufacturing the semi-finished material for Ultra-Silent underbody systems is in operation on a three shift basis without interruption. Optimum production output is said to be guaranteed by the monitoring of large numbers of process parameters resulting in the line being prepared for future Industry 4.0 applications. Serial production of the semi-finished material will start in early 2017 and production of the semi-finished material for Ultra-Silent at the Swiss plant in Sevelen (Canton of St. Gallen) will continue.

According to Auroneum with Ultra-Silent it offers the most lightweight textile underbody systems for vehicles: They are up to 50% lighter compared with corresponding components made of plastic. Ultra-Silent underbody systems also excel with a high degree of shock resistance and optimum stone chip protection, the company adds.

The mono-material made of glass-free PET is resistant against water and heat and is fully recyclable. It also absorbs noise and in doing so reduces vehicle noise by up to two decibels, Autoneum claims. Furthermore, Ultra-Silent underbody systems enhance the aerodynamics of vehicles by reducing their drag by up to 8%. This reduces fuel consumption and accordingly also CO2 emissions.

Autoneum has been producing textile underbody components made of Ultra-Silent for the European market since 2009; so far over six million vehicles of European and Japanese customers have been equipped with these products. The global market launch of Ultra-Silent outside Europe took place in 2015 in North America.

www.autoneum.com

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