Hörmann Automotive, a German automotive supplier, is seeking for innovative applications of smart technologies in the context of body and chassis parts made of sheet metal. Goal of this challenge is to make conventional parts smart and, thus, generate added value by gathering and evaluating data.

What do we expect from your contribution?

• Your idea has to tackle the following questions: How exactly can Hörmann Automotive add value to its existing product portfolio by using smart technologies? Which (current) problems can be solved with your idea/use case?
• Potential use cases of smart body parts made of sheet metal (e.g. cross members, axis beam, body shell components, etc.)
• A detailed description of the idea/use case with focus on the smart application and the value created for a particular user group
• Cherry on top: Your submitted contribution is including a first idea of an approach on how to technologically realize your idea/use case.

Do you need some inspiration?

To provide you with some trends influencing the automotive industry, here are some examples of currents developments:

What is the playground for a contribution?

Hörmann Automotive’s focus is on specific segments of the automotive industry. Its main business concerns trucks (light and heavy commercial vehicles), agriculture machinery, e-mobility and passenger cars.

Some examples of the current product portfolio:

What are limits due to the production process?

The production process is based on metal sheet forming. Therefore, there are some restraints for potential sensors:

• The workpiece has intense tool contact with relative movement between material and tools
• Cathodic dip painting with temperatures around 180°C is part of the production process
• The processed material is always steel, differently alloyed

These restrictions apply for all production processes of targeted automotive parts. Ideally, but not necessarily, they are considered in your solution. Further, the restrictions differ depending on the process step of the production in which your particular technology is applied.