With the reception of the 2014-2015 European Environmental Award in the category “Process” for NANOSLIDE® technology, Daimler has received the highest recognition given by the Europe Commission in this area. This prestigious award is yet another award for the technology that has made its way into Mercedes-Benz production vehicles as well as into Formula 1. NANOSLIDE® is also an innovation highlight of the Mercedes-Benz S 500 PLUG-IN HYBRID. The European Environmental Awards (European Business Awards for the Environment – EBAE) are awarded to eco-innovation companies that successfully combine innovation, competitiveness and outstanding environmental performance.
The European Environment Award was established in 1987 and is sponsored by the European Commission. It has since been awarded biennially in five categories. Winners in the past were mainly of the so-called ‘green technologies’ (recycling, renewable energy (including biofuels), etc.). The 16 finalists were selected from 152 submissions, originating from 22 European Member States and candidate countries. Prerequisite for participation is winning the relevant national environmental award. This year’s entries are a number of fields, including healthcare, financial services, food and drink, as well as the automotive sectors. The highest number of entries was in the product and services category.
The award submissions showcased companies’ contribution to resource efficiency in five categories: Product and Services with 50 entries; Process with 49 entries; Management with 38 entries; International Business Cooperation with 15 entries; and Business and Biodiversity with 33 entries. Daimler was awarded the Environmental Award in the Process category with the company Gebr. Heller Maschinenfabrik GmbH.
In 2013, Daimler and Gebr. Heller Maschinenfabrik GmbH received the Germany Innovation Award for Climate and Environment, which was a prerequisite to participate on the European level. In November this year, in Las Vegas, Nevada, Daimler and Heller were presented with the “Oscar of Innovation” Award, the “R&D 100 Award”, for NANOSLIDE® technology. The R&D 100 Award is giving yearly by the American specialist journal, “R&D Magazine”, for being one of the 100 most important high tech products introduced globally in the prior year.
NANOSLIDE® is an innovative technology to reduce fuel consumption of combustion engines. This corresponds to reduction in CO2 emissions. An extremely thin, low-friction coating is applied to the inner surfaces of the aluminium cylinders. This enables fuel consumption to be reduced by several percent. In 2013, Mercedes-Benz introduced its patented technology in the V6 turbocharged petrol engine. NANOSLIDE® is also being applied in the V6 diesel engines as well as the 4- and 8-cylinder high –powered engines in the latest generation of Mercedes-AMG vehicles. More motors with NANOSLIDE® are in the pipeline. The technologies’ accountable virtues are also leveraged under the most demanding conditions in the current Formula 1 turbo V6 of the Mercedes-Benz PU 106A Hybrid engine – thus the technology played a key role in winning the 2014 Formula 1 Constructors’ and Driver’s World Championship.
Daimler AG received the 2014-2015 European Environmental Award together with Heller Maschinenfabrik GmbH, from Nuertingen, Germany. Heller, a manufacturer of machine tools and complete production lines, developed all stages of the NANOSLIDE® process into a global application for mass production and industrialization. Heller integrates the process, including the process steps for preparation and review, not only in the process-chain during engine production, but also ensures high quality process and reliability.
