• Cooperation contract between Institute for Aircraft Design and Daimler AG
• Joint research into new design, simulation and process techniques in FRP/CRP lightweight
construction
• The cooperation underpins the research activities of the two partners in the ARENA2036
Research Campus project
In future researchers from the fields of business and science will be working in the ARENA2036 Research Campus project at the University of Stuttgart on topics related to "flexible production and function-integrated lightweight construction". The aim of the consortium is to dovetail product-oriented lightweight construction development with production research right from the outset. Alongside six institutes at the University of Stuttgart and Daimler, numerous further representatives from the worlds of business and science in Baden-Württemberg are involved in the long-term Campus, which is funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research.
In order to support the activities planned by the Research Campus, Daimler and the University of
Stuttgart have today signed an additional long-term cooperation agreement. This involves doctoral
candidates and employees from the Institute for Aircraft Design carrying out joint research with
lightweight construction experts from Daimler into fundamental matters in the field of production,
simulation and design of FRP/CRP lightweight construction components.
According to Professor Herbert Kohler, Vice President Group Research and Sustainability;
Chief Environmental Officer Daimler AG: "An intelligent material mix and lightweight construction
have been an integral part of Mercedes-Benz vehicle construction for decades. In addition to
high-strength steels we also use other materials in order to reduce the weight of our vehicles and
thus further enhance efficiency. We are confident about the intelligent use of FRP/CRP components –
always in accordance with the principle "the right material in the right place". The challenge is
to use FRP and also CRP in the series-production vehicle in such an economically efficient manner
that the overall costs remain attractive for the customers. We are addressing this together within
the framework of our cooperation."
Professor Peter Middendorf, Head of the Institute for Aircraft Design at the University of
Stuttgart, remarked: "At the Institute for Aircraft Design we have been developing fibre-reinforced
lightweight construction structures for aviation for many years now. Our research focuses on
preform technology/liquid composite moulding and the virtual representation of the entire process
chain, offering high transfer potential for the automotive industry. Together with Daimler, in the
future we primarily want to investigate faster and more cost-effective procedures in order to meet
the challenges of large-scale production with new technologies."
The right material in the right place
Lightweight construction is an integral component of Daimler’s strategy on the road to
sustainable mobility. One of the company’s development aims is to reduce the body weight of all
Mercedes-Benz vehicles by approximately 10 percent compared with the predecessor models. This means
that fuel efficiency can be improved even further, and emissions cut even more. In order to achieve
this goal, Daimler is concentrating on developing new technologies – based on the principle "the
right material in the right place".
The ARENA2036 Research Campus
In ARENA2036 (Active Research Environment for the Next Generation of Automobiles), scientists
and other experts carry out fundamental research into lightweight construction technologies and
production models for the car of the future in the year 2036, the 150th anniversary of the
invention of the automobile.
The ARENA2036 Research Campus is among the winners of the "Research Campus – public/private
partnership for innovations" competition organised by the Federal Ministry of Education and
Research (BMBF). The ARENA2036 entry came in ahead of numerous other applications. It impressed
with its exemplary innovation potential for versatile future production regarding
function-integrated lightweight construction, and the experimental concept of cooperation between
various partners under one "research factory roof". The Arena is the only one of the ten winners
already to have reached the main phase.
Further information from Daimler is available at: www.media.daimler.com and www.daimler.com
Further information from the University of Stuttgart is available at:
http://www.uni-stuttgart.de/hkom
About Daimler
Daimler AG is one of the world’s most successful automotive companies. With its divisions
Mercedes-Benz Cars, Daimler Trucks, Mercedes-Benz Vans, Daimler Buses and Daimler Financial
Services, the Daimler Group is one of the biggest producers of premium cars and the world’s
biggest manufacturer of commercial vehicles with a global reach. Daimler Financial Services
provides financing, leasing, fleet management, insurance and innovative mobility services.
The company’s founders, Gottlieb Daimler and Carl Benz, made history with the invention of
the
automobile in the year 1886. As a pioneer of automotive engineering, Daimler continues to
shape
the future of mobility today: The Group’s focus is on innovative and green technologies as
well as
on safe and superior automobiles that appeal to and fascinate its customers. For many years
now,
Daimler has been investing continually in the development of alternative drive systems with
the
goal of making emission-free driving possible in the long term. So in addition to vehicles
with
hybrid drive, Daimler now has the broadest range of locally emission-free electric vehicles
powered
by batteries and fuel cells. This is just one example of how Daimler willingly accepts the
challenge
of meeting its responsibility towards society and the environment. Daimler sells its vehicles
and
services in nearly all the countries of the world and has production facilities on five
continents. Its
current brand portfolio includes, in addition to the world’s most valuable premium automotive
brand, Mercedes-Benz, the brands smart, Freightliner, Western Star, BharatBenz, Fuso, Setra
and
Thomas Built Buses. The company is listed on the stock exchanges of Frankfurt and Stuttgart
(stock exchange symbol DAI). In 2012, the Group sold 2.2 million vehicles and employed a
workforce of 275,000 people; revenue totaled €114.3 billion and EBIT amounted to €8.6
billion.
About University of Stuttgart
The University of Stuttgart is a research-intensive university which has its focus on
Engineering and Natural Sciences, with an unique profile that concentrates on networking these
disciplines with the Humanities and Social Sciences. Around 24,600 students are enrolled in the
courses of the university offered by 150 institutes in 10 different faculties.
Contact: Telephone:
Matthias Brock + 49 711 1791404
Melanie Cecotti + 49 711 1776423
Dr. Hans-Herwig Geyer + 49 711 68582555