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Audi has a development partnership with Voith to optimize the industrialization of fiber-reinforced materials through high-technology automated process for larger volume vehicle production.
Germany-based engineering major and industrial maintenance solution provider Voith has bagged a major order from the luxury car maker Audi AG for carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) components.
The car maker has placed the order for high volume production of a CFRP component with Voith to use them in its future model.
Voith Group established Voith Composites GmbH & Co in Garching, Germany way back in 2010 to develop and produce carbon fiber products. Subsequently in the next year, the group has opened its exclusive composites development and production centre at its Garching site.
The luxury car maker Audi AG and Voith will jointly chalk out a manufacturing programme for the CFRP component. Both the companies have developed state-of-the-art technology for this purpose.
Already in 2011, Audi had formed a development partnership with Voith to further optimize the industrialization of fiber-reinforced materials through high-technology automated process for larger volume vehicle production. The long term plan of the partnership was to use fiber-reinforced materials in automotive projects of Audi AG
Fiber-reinforced polymers provides an advantage of strength and Audi has already used this technology in its Audi R8 and the RS 3. With this, the car manufacturer wanted to utilize these advantage for high-volume car production.
In a statement, Voith said the order from Audi is another milestone in industrialization of composite production.
Dr Hubert Lienhard, President and Chief Executive Officer of Voith, said the company has bagged the high-volume CFRP order as a result of good cooperation and trust it developed with Audi since past five years.
He said the company has come a long way in industrializing the production processes using carbon fibers. The Audi order is an important step of this future-oriented business.”
Voith, which has its presence in the sectors like automotive, energy and raw materials, employs around 39,000 people across its operations in 50 countries including India. The company generates € 5.3 billion in sales and is one of the largest family-owned entity in Europe.
Image Source : Audi AG
