Speaking at Automotive Megatrends USA, an annual event organised and hosted by Automotive World, Ramzi Hermiz, President and Chief Executive of Shiloh Industries, said that “there is no silver bullet to vehicle lightweighting.”
Hermiz suggests that there are multiple solutions to vehicle lightweighting, but that there should be no compromise to OEMs or suppliers. “Shiloh’s objective is to do that without a cost penalty. In the quest for one thing, we don’t want to give up something else; we want all of the above.”
All of the above
As for which method of lightweighting is the way forward for the industry, Hermiz says: “There is not going to be a winner; it’s going to be a unique combination of different solutions. It’s that material mix that will be unique in the industry, and we’re seeing this today.”
Lightweighting has to move to the top, he says. This move involves a mix of different materials, which has in turn spurred change within vehicle development. This change is “agnostic” to the powertrain, he adds: “It doesn’t matter if you have a gasoline, a diesel, or an electric vehicle (EV), lightweighting will improve the battery life.”
Increasing collaboration
Suppliers need to determine how to maximise component lightweighting alternatives to achieve greater weight savings “without compromise.” In meeting this challenge, he explains that the industry is collaborating to produce viable solutions for lightweighting high volume vehicles. “It is the supply base’s responsibility,” he observes.
To accelerate lightweighting developments, Hermiz believes that suppliers need to build stronger relationships with OEMs during the entire development phase. “We’re learning as we go and are engaging with collaborators. The industry is going to have to look at things differently, and suppliers are going to have to work together to come up with a solution,” he concluded.
Freddie Holmes
