· New production location for cylinder-head modules in Poços de Caldas
· Further step in global establishment of new production facilities for the automotive industry
· New production process opens up growth options in Asia, South America and Europe
ThyssenKrupp today began construction of a new automotive supply plant in Brazil. In the coming months, a new production facility for assembled cylinder-head modules will be built in Poços de Caldas in the southern Brazilian state of Minas Gerais. ThyssenKrupp is investing around 40 million euros in the construction of the plant, which is expected to be completed by the end of this year. Production is scheduled to begin in early 2015. The new plant will be able to produce more than one million modules a year, which ThyssenKrupp will supply to car makers in Brazil. The new plant will create up to 170 jobs in the coming years
“The construction of our new plant for cylinder-head modules is part of our global growth strategy as a supplier of high-performance components to the automotive industry. We are following our customers into the growth markets and playing an active role in shaping the trend for lighter, more economical and more efficient vehicles with our technology,” says Dr. Karsten Kroos, CEO of the Components Technology business area at ThyssenKrupp.
The new Brazilian plant for cylinder-head modules with integrated camshafts is the fourth such plant being built or taken into operation around the world by ThyssenKrupp in the last 12 months. The company has already begun manufacturing cylinder-head modules in Dalian (China) and Ilsenburg (Saxony-Anhalt, Germany) last year, while a further plant in Changzhou (China) is to be ramped up later this year. In total, ThyssenKrupp has invested around 450 million euros in new production facilities for automotive components worldwide in the last two fiscal years.
The strong demand and high growth potential particularly for cylinder-head modules are based on a new development in camshaft technology and a production process which has been perfected by ThyssenKrupp. In a special process, the camshafts and other components are integrated directly into the closed cylinder head cover. As a result, ThyssenKrupp can now supply its customers with a complete valvetrain module instead of individual drive components as in the past. This delivers weight savings of up to 30 percent, lowers fuel consumption and reduces harmful emissions. Faster and more efficient engine assembly at the car plant is a further advantage. Valvetrains and the camshafts fitted in them are essential components of an internal combustion engine. They are responsible for the intake of air for the combustion process and evacuation of exhaust gases from the engine block.
ThyssenKrupp is already the world market leader in assembled camshafts and is continuously optimizing this established technology in line with the latest findings and requirements. Compared with conventional one-piece camshafts, assembled camshafts made from different materials are lighter and stronger offering weight savings of 40 percent compared with a conventional camshaft. That meets the car manufacturers’ demand for lightweight components and the associated reduction in fuel consumption. In total, some 2,000 ThyssenKrupp employees at currently six production sites in Germany, Liechtenstein, China and the USA turn out over 25 million camshafts a year.
ThyssenKrupp is one of the world’s leading suppliers of materials and components to the auto industry. Nine out of ten premium class cars are fitted with components made by the company. One in three trucks feature drive components from ThyssenKrupp. Around 45 percent of the company’s investment last year was spent on the automotive business, with around two thirds of that being used for car and truck components production. In the 2012/2013 fiscal year ThyssenKrupp’s sales in the automotive sector came to around ten billion euros. Customers include practically all the big auto manufacturers worldwide.
With around 27,700 employees, the companies of the Components Technology business area manufacture high-quality components and hold leading positions on the world’s markets with their products. The business area achieved sales of about six billion euros in the 2012/2013 fiscal year. Components Technology supplies a range of high-tech components for general engineering, construction equipment and wind turbines. In the auto sector its activities are focused on crankshafts, camshafts, steering systems, dampers, springs, stabilizers and the assembly of axle modules.
Internet: www.thyssenkrupp.com