Magna Receives Award for Most Innovative Supplier

The Center of Automotive Management (CAM) and PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) Germany honored Magna for the second time in three years with the prestigious Automotive Innovations Award. The Canadian company was recognized for its new process of welding aluminum and steel together in the chassis, car body and exterior category.

The new technique makes it possible to reduce the weight of the vehicles as aluminum components can now be joined to steel to make a multi-material vehicle structure, which is lighter compared to an all-steel version. There is no need for additional steps or assembly line machinery as Magna’s method traditional spot-welding techniques.

Commenting on the award, Gunther Apfalter, president of Magna Steyr said that the innovative technique involved cross-group collaboration within Magna, where Magna Steyr and Cosma worked together to industrialize the new process in the company’s Graz contract manufacturing facility. He added that in the future, automotive manufacturers would be able to benefit from this cost-effective lightweighting technique that Magna would offer as part of its full-vehicle expertise.

Swamy Kotagiri, Magna Chief Technology Officer said, “Innovation comes in many forms and for Magna that means both in product and process. As global automakers continue to look for ways to increase fuel efficiency and reduce emissions by making their cars and trucks lighter, the ability to join different materials becomes a market advantage.”

Back in 2015, Magna had received the Most Innovative Automotive Supplier award in the driveline technologies category for its FLEX4 technology. The FLEX4 technology is the first all-wheel drive (AWD) disconnect system that automatically shifts between true two- and four-wheel drive, thus reducing fuel consumption by up to 10 percent when compared to other AWD systems.