Brose at the 2009 International Frankfurt Motor Show: creating the automotive future efficiently
The Brose Group’s tradition of attending the IAA goes back to the twenties of the previous century, when company founder Max Brose had a booth at the automotive industry’s most illustrious trade fair. Given such a backdrop, it goes without saying that the international automotive supplier, even in difficult economic times, will participate at the 2009 IAA, underlining its role as an efficient and reliable partner of the automotive industry.
The focus is on innovative product solutions which make an essential contribution toward weight savings and energy efficiency. Two examples: a system designed to regulate the supply of cooling air improves the car’s aerodynamics and subsequently helps to reduce CO2 emissions, as well as a lightweight door module encompassing the greatest range of functions to date and providing significant weight benefits due to a combination of new materials. Brose meets the demand for higher energy efficiency, among other things, with a new generation of smaller and lighter electric motors. New concepts are to be presented enabling manual adjuster solutions for the vehicle seat to be replaced by electric drives – with barely any increase in weight.
There will also be new drive concepts presented for HVAC blowers and cooling-fan modules which result in significant CO2 savings. One example: the brushless driven cooling-fan module provides benefits in terms of installation space and weight. As a result, fuel consumption and CO2 emissions can be reduced at full load by up to approx. 3 grams per kilometer. Other economical and benefit-oriented adjuster- and drive solutions for the car body and interior will be presented in Hall 4, Room “Europa” at the 63rd International Frankfurt Motor Show.
Considerably expanded product portfolio
Its acquisition of the electric motor business from Continental in 2008 marked a further step by the Brose Group toward extending its value chain and building up its mechatronic expertise in the area of electrification. At the 63rd International Frankfurt Motor Show, the automotive supplier will, for the first time, be presenting its expanded product portfolio to professional trade visitors. Electric motors and their different areas of application in the vehicle allow Brose to meet increasing requirements even better regarding emission reduction and cost effectiveness: drives for automated manual transmission help reduce fuel consumption; motors for electronic braking systems
increase occupant safety. Motors for power window regulators or vehicle climate control enhance comfort.
Product innovations hands-on – economical and benefit-oriented
A hands-on experience of how Brose’s new product solutions function is provided in two concept vehicles to be exhibited at the 2009 IAA. A major contribution toward reducing emissions is made by the system called Airgate® designed to regulate the supply of cooling air depending on the amount actually needed. This brings about a significant improvement in aerodynamics, reducing CO2 emissions – for example, in a car driven at a constant speed of 130 kilometers per hour – by approx. 4 grams per kilometer.
Moreover, the automotive supplier is presenting a lightweight door module encompassing the greatest range of functionalities to
date, providing significant weight benefits through the use of new materials as well as fulfilling the most ambitious demands regarding the level of precision in production. It will see first-time use in the Porsche Panamera. The door developed by Porsche includes a magnesium window frame as well as an aluminum door inner panel. The concept works on the principle of Brose’s modular door with its wet/dry side separation. As such, the lightweight door module supplied by Brose is also the most comprehensive of its kind to date: besides window regulator, loudspeakers, electronics, wiring harness and sealings, visible elements like the painted window frame, glass, and covers are also incorporated into a pre-tested system unit ready to install. Additionally, a power driven sunblind is also integrated into the rear door module.
For visual and functional reasons, the Panamera doors are designed to represent an even surface between moving glass, covers and quarter windows. This places the toughest demands on the automotive supplier regarding the production of the door modules. The Brose products are manufactured and delivered in sequence with the customer’s vehicle assembly schedule. A minimum of effort is required at the OEM; the door systems just have to be assembled into the painted aluminum door structure.
The complex process- and logistical management in conjunction with exceptionally high precision requirements relating to the assembly of
visible components currently represents the most advanced stage of development in terms of quality, cost-effectiveness and speed regarding just-in-sequence production and delivery of door systems.
You can find further information about the Brose IAA participation here.