AMAG recognised for its extremely innovative special aluminium AMAG TopForm® UHS

• Top spot in the large company category goes to AMAG
• AMAG TopForm^® UHS: Breakthrough in lightweight bodyshell construction
• Company matches the prize money and donates it to the Red Cross

Braunau am Inn, Austria, 18-9-2015 — /EuropaWire/ — AMAG took top spot in the Award for Innovation in the large company category this year. The Award for Innovation is sponsored by the federal state of Upper Austria. The ceremony held at ORF’s regional studio in Linz on 9 September saw the company recognised for its extremely innovative special aluminium alloy which goes by the name of AMAG TopForm^® UHS. Typical applications for the special alloy include automotive parts such as B-pillars, side impact intrusion beams and bumper beams. The jury was especially impressed by the innovative lightweight design and the applied research that went into it.

AMAG’s Chief Operating Officer Dr. Helmut Kaufmann accepted the 4,000 euro prize from the state’s Economics Minister Dr. Michael Strugl and Günter Rübig, Chairman of the Industry Section of the Upper Austrian Chamber of Commerce and Member of the Council for Research and Technology of Upper Austria.

The Award for Innovation is funded by the state of Upper Austria and Business Upper Austria and is awarded to companies headquartered in Upper Austria. This year saw the prize being bestowed for the 22nd time to the best entries out of 82 projects competing in 4 categories.

Dr. Helmut Kaufmann is delighted with the recognition the award signifies: “Innovation is one of the fundamental requirements for our company’s success. Remaining a technological trailblazer depends on us thinking outside the box. The award-winning AMAG TopForm® UHS alloy is a shining example of how we apply our expertise as a supplier to the aircraft industry for the benefit of the automotive sector.”

Exemplary cooperation with industry Partners

Alloys like this have been used in aerospace for years because of their extremely high specific strength. Working in close cooperation with voestalpine’s Metal Forming Division, the AMAG team led by engineer Torsten Grohmann managed to realise the first ever application of a high-strength material from the aerospace sector to bring even greater weight savings and safety improvements in cars.

Dr. Helmut Kaufmann explains: “AMAG’s expertise in the development of alloys for high-strength aluminium sheet with excellent surface properties is particularly significant here. The winning project saw this expertise successfully paired with the industrial know-how of voestalpine’s Metal Forming Division. Together we were able to convince a leading German automotive OEM of the material’s advantages and get a component into mass production.”

AMAG innovation replaces conventional materials in lightweight engineering

High-strength, lightweight materials are essential for vehicle safety. To be able to product lightweight cars that meet the highest safety standards, the materials applied need to be optimally suited to the requirements, primarily in respect of energy absorption in a crash scenario. This can be achieved with AMAG TopForm^® UHS (Ultra High Strength), a special aluminium alloy which makes the perfect substitute for conventional materials in this area. The alloy combines low weight, high strength, very good energy absorption capacity with excellent formability and recyclability. The strength of the alloy is about double that of the aluminium alloys used as standard in automotive construction and can be considered a breakthrough in lightweight bodyshell construction. The considerable weight saving achieved in parts made of this alloy serves to reduce fuel consumption and CO₂ emissions.

Donation

As a sustainable company, AMAG is mindful of its responsibility to society.

“The ongoing refugee crisis affects every one of us. We have therefore doubled the prize money from the innovation award and donated 8,000 euros to the Red Cross for their refugee appeal,” explained Helmut Wieser, CEO of AMAG Austria Metall AG.

About AMAG Group
AMAG is a leading Austrian premium supplier of high-quality aluminium cast and flat rolled products for various different industries such as the aircraft, automotive, sports equipment, lighting, mechanical engineering, construction and packaging industries. The Canadian smelter Alouette, in which AMAG holds a 20% interest, produces high-quality primary aluminium while safeguarding an exemplary eco-balance. With 1,638 employees, the company achieved sales of EUR 823 million and EBITDA of EUR 115 million in the 2014 fiscal year.

CONTACT

Dipl.-Ing. Leopold Pöcksteiner
+43 7722 801 2205
publicrelations@amag.at
Strategy, Communication, Marketing

SOURCE: AMAG Group

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Upper Austria’s Economics Minister Dr. Michael Strugl, AMAG COO Dr. Helmut Kaufmann, voestalpine Director Dr. Peter Schwab and Günter Rübig (Chairman of the Industry Section of the Upper Austrian Chamber of Commerce and Member of the Council for Research and Technology of Upper Austria).