Ferment in the world of drives: Bonfiglioli has acquired 100% of the social capital of Selcom Group spa, company specialized in the design, production and sale of electronic boards, electronic products, software and solutions for customers in the industrial, biomedical, automotive, intralogistics and home-appliance sectors. “We are happy we can actually rely on the presence of Selcom inside our Group. On the other hand, it will be a marvellous challenging course together and, thanks to the competences, the determination and the commitment of all, it will lead us to more and more competitive value proposals” stated Sonia Bonfiglioli, President of Bonfiglioli Spa.
Stellantis towards electric, investments in USA worth 155 million dollars
Stellantis has recently announced they will invest 155 million dollars overall in three factories at Kokomo, in Indiana, for the manufacturing of new electric drive modules (EDM) that will allow powering the electric vehicles that will be assembled in North America. The aim is hitting the target of satisfying 50% of sales in the United States with battery electric vehicles by 2030.
With over 25 releases of battery electric vehicles (BEV) planned in the United States from now until 2030, the EDM produced at Kokomo will be integrated into the vehicles based on STLA Large and STLA Frame platforms. EDM represents a complete solution for electric powertrains and is constituted by three main components – electric motor, power and transmission electronics – enclosed in a single module to offer better performances and autonomy at competitive costs. The new optimized EDM will allow each platform to reach up to 500 miles (800 kilometres) of autonomy.
Carlos Tavares, CEO of Stellantis, stated: «While we are successfully continuing our transition towards a decarbonized future in our activities in Europe, we are now setting up these same base elements for the North American market. Joining the advantages of EDM with the new BEV platforms and innovative batteries, we will be able to offer a variety of electric vehicles with unequalled performances and autonomy, at cheaper prices, to our customers. Besides, due to our in-house manufacturing skills and to our competence, we will succeed in doing that in extremely flexible and efficient manner».
Investments will concern Indiana Transmission, Kokomo Transmission and Kokomo Casting plants. The gearbox cover will be moulded at Kokomo Casting factory and machined by Kokomo Transmission plant. The gear machining and the final assembly will take place at Indiana Transmission Plant. The production start is scheduled in the third quarter of 2024, after the reconversion of plants.
Since 2020, Stellantis has invested almost 3.3 billion dollars in Indiana to promote the transition towards the electrification. This also includes an investment worth 643 million dollars, recently announced, for the production of a new motor for traditional and PHEV applications, a state-of-the-art eight-speed transmission and a gigafactory in joint venture with Samsung SDI.
H3X, new investments for the sustainable aviation
H3X has obtained an investment from Lockheed Martin Ventures, the venture arm of Lockheed Martin Corporation, to speed up the technological development and the marketing of revolutionary electric motors.
This latest funding brings the total raised by H3X to $9M, an investment that will be used to accelerate technology development and commercialization of H3X’s HPDM family of integrated motor drives and the scale-up of their new headquarters facility in Louisville, Colorado for production.
«At H3X, we are building integrated motor drives from 30kW to 3MW that are unparalleled in performance in terms of specific power (kW/kg) and efficiency. We are thrilled to have support from Lockheed Martin and are excited for the opportunity to work together and collaborate on next-generation defence technology using our motors», the witness by Jason Sylvestre, Co-Founder and CEO of H3X.
The investor has no doubts about his investment. «H3X is working on scaling transformative technologies that we believe have the potential to provide our customer with viable options for electrifying legacy, all-domain systems and components» is in fact what has affirmed Chris Moran, vice president and general manager of Lockheed Martin Ventures.
H3X has made advancements in several different areas that enable them to reach continuous specific powers of >10kW/kg and best-in-class efficiency. These areas include electromagnetics, material science, power electronics, additive manufacturing, motor control, and thermals. H3X has invested heavily in vertical integration and does design, manufacturing, and testing in-house at their headquarters in Louisville, Colorado.
H3X originally developed this technology to enable compelling fully-electric and hybrid-electric aircraft with excellent range and payload capacity while also significantly reducing noise and operational costs. “When you look at the power density and efficiency requirements that are needed for electrifying narrow-body jets, there really isn’t anything out there that is sufficient,” said Jason Sylvestre. “The Megawatt-class systems that you can buy today still use technology from the last century and are far too large, heavy, and inefficient to meet the demanding requirements of electric aviation.” Additionally, H3X has found that there are a number of other markets that can also benefit from their technology including defence, marine, specialized ground vehicles, and power generation.
Elaphe and McLaren, together to develop a new electric motor
The Slovenian manufacturer of electric motors Elaphe and McLaren Applied have established a strategic partnership. The target is developing a propulsion group that combines the motors in Elaphe wheels and the vehicle control with inverter technology by McLaren Applied. Actually, Elaphe will use the 800-V silicon carbide IPG5 inverter by McLaren. Actually, Elaphe will use the IPG5 800-V inverter made of silicon carbide by McLaren. Partners affirm that their combined electric traction would offer notable space and weight saving to automotive companies, with vehicle’s low energy consumption and five-time faster torque response than existing systems, to be ascribed to the minor installation space of the transmission.
Current Elaphe motors in wheels show torque density up to 460 Nm/litre and 100 Nm/kg. At the same time, the company affirms that their motors will offer high control bandwidth of each wheel, allowing customers to define and to modify the drive character of their electric car through the software development.
Important step for the fast charge in Italy
Atlante, the company of Nhoa Group dedicated to the infrastructure of fast and ultra-fast charge for electric vehicles, stemmed from the collaboration among Stellantis, Nhoa and Free2move eSolutions, has today inaugurated in Magenta, in Milan province, its first Italian fast charge station in the Automagenta dealership of Stellantis network.
In collaboration with Stellantis, Atlante is proactively working with a large number of dealers in all Italy, to implement in their headquarters many other fast charge stations, all powered by green renewable energy. These stations will allow electric vehicle owners to experiment the fast charge comfort.
Atlante is continuing its course towards the development of the biggest fast and ultra-fast recharge network in South Europe, as privileged Stellantis fast charge network.
“Today we see the concrete result of the partnership with a prestigious player, Atlante, which aims at making available for all citizens fast and ultra-fast charge points in spaces located inside the network of Stellantis dealerships. In this case, the implementation was enabled by the collaboration with an important entrepreneurial reality on the territory, Automagenta dealership, which has understood and perfectly matched Stellantis mission. The energy transition cannot be performed in one day, it is a process that will take certain times, but initiatives of this kind give an important cutting edge to those undertaking them, versus the future scenario that will take place,” declared Ciro Papa, Manager of the e-Mobility Business Unit of Stellantis Italia.
In France as well, Atlante and Stellantis are working in the same direction and the first fast and ultra-fast charge points will be soon online by some selected dealerships that sell Stellantis vehicles.
The use of steel restarts. What role does the component chain play?
A recent event by siderweb has revealed that steel faces a first 2023-semester of slowdown versus 2022, whereas the second part of the year is expected to end with a positive sign. On the whole, user sectors’ activity is expected to rise by 1% in the current year. More in detail, a slight recession is expected for mechanical machines and tools (-0.4%) and metal products (-0.2%), whereas constructions will increase by 2.5%.
Among the various segments concerned, automotive has been more affected by crisis bites. «In the electrification process of the mean fleet, Italy lacks a suitable offer in the field of flat steel products», declared Gianfranco Tosini from siderweb.
The general director of Anfia, Gianmarco Giorda, instead stated: «A part of new components are increasingly in-house manufactured by producers. Big OEM are for instance producing electric motors, because they deal with the problem of how managing the manpower in excess. That is a further limitation to the activity diversification by companies that today manufacture for instance tanks and exhaust systems that will be no longer produced in the European Union, or at least it will be possible to make them just for export. We are certainly perceiving a lot of proactivity in the components’ chain in looking at other technologies connected with the electric car. In Italy, there are 2,200 automotive component enterprises; 4-500 are involved in the transition to electric. A vast part is looking at other solutions or at other sectors, such as aeronautics and railway».
Tesla, expansion in Nevada for its gigafactory
Tesla Gigafactory in Nevada, where Semi electric truck and 4680 cells are produced, is further enlarged to meet the growing demand for electric vehicles and batteries. The plan provides for an investment worth 3.6 billion dollars and 3,000 employments, and for the creation of two new factories. One will work at the production of 100 GWh of 4680 cells, whereas the second will be dedicated to cars’ assembling.
It is one of the largest plants for Tesla and the batteries produced will be sufficient for 1.5 million electric cars yearly and will lead to the engagement of other 3,000 workers.
In the release that explains the expansion operation, Tesla declared they have invested 6.2 billion dollars in Nevada and they have recruited over 11,000 people.
Xtrac achieves various ESG accreditations
A company that intends to make the difference and to innovate should grant the sustainability on more fronts, from the environmental one to that concerning the work environment. As well known by Xtrac, UK’s award-winning high-performance automotive and motorsport transmission technology specialist, which in the last year has achieved three more important accreditations over the past 12 months. They include attaining the Environment, Social and Governance ESGMark, setting emissions reduction goals through the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi), and recognition as a Real Living Wage Employer.
Adrian Moore, company’s chief executive explained: «Xtrac has a longstanding commitment to ESG matters with employee wellness at the heart of its operations, as measured by our high levels of staff retention. Looking after our employees helps us look after our worldwide customers and other stakeholders, ensuring that we remain at the pinnacle of our industry as it transitions from internal combustion engines to hybrid and electric vehicles. It also ensures that we maintain our exports of around 70 per cent annually to Australia, Asia, Europe, and the Americas».
The accreditation by SBTi explains the commitment to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 42% within 2030, in compliance with the targets of the Agreement of Paris to maintain the global warming under 1.5°C. On the other hand, in the training ambit, Xtrac Academy is the feather in the cap of the company, which can rely on highly skilled technicians and professional engineers.
In the picture Freddie King (left), a first-year apprentice engineer, receives instruction on Okuma Space Turn LB300 CNC lathe from James O’Hagan, trainer and mentor.
The great operation of Comer Industries
The recent takeover of Benevelli Electric Powertrain Solutions and Sitem Motori Elettrici has been accomplished by Comer Industries, company listed at the Euronext Growth Milan segment of the Italian Stock Exchange and leader of a world Group in the design and production of advanced engineering systems and mechatronic solutions for power transmission.
What will happen? Benevelli and Sitem merge into e-comer, the new green division of Comer Industries dedicated to the market of motors and transmissions for electric vehicles. It is a NewCo into which the business branches of Benevelli Electric Powertrain Solutions and Sitem Motori Elettrici have resulted. Besides, electric motors are precisely the sector where Comer Industries is going to focus its growth and innovation course, enriching the product range offered to the market. The operation implied a cash-out at the closing date amounting to 50 million Euros.
Going back to a little over one year, it is clear that Comer’s strategy goes on: on December 1st the takeover operation of Walterscheid Powertrain Group ended, with the aim of offering more and more global services to customers, glancing at a sustainable future.
Today enthusiasm is greater than ever: «A year of growth, achievements and satisfactions. The wish to Comer Industries and all the companies of the Group is continuing towards this direction because only growing and improving every day we will make our future the longest and most prosperous possible, like General Sherman” as stated by the President & CEO Matteo Storchi.
Forvia, more strategic through AGV
One of the key weapons that an OEM has to grant more efficiency to its customers is an impeccable, fast and precise logistics. In this scenario, a piece of news comes from Forvia, reality stemmed from the takeover of Hella by Faurecia, and aiming at becoming one of primary players in world automotive components, with a soul split between original equipment and aftermarket.
Forvia has in fact increased the logistic productivity, strengthened the stability of manufacturing processes and reduced safety risks inside plants, implementing a fleet of 14 Mobile Industrial Robots (MiR). Located in Faurecia Clean Mobility factory at PĂsek, in Czech Republic, 7 of them are AMR and have allowed Forvia to reach the ROI in less than two years.
AMR carry empty pallets to assembling lines and pick up full pallets from the logistic area. The second area, where operate instead MiR250 robots, is the one of component transport, from the warehouse to assembling lines. The robots in the factory work 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, covering all three work shifts.
Before the project start, the logistics in workshop was mainly based on manual processes, forklifts and stackers, without any automation. The risk of accidents or professional illnesses was quite high, so the company decided automating the heaviest and most dangerous processes. The main goal was introducing a technology that increased the safety and the productivity level, too.