Atlanta’s rolled and recycled aluminium firm Novelis Inc. yesterday announced plans to establish a worldwide network of Customer Solution Centers (CSCs) in an effort at fostering greater cooperation between and among itself and automakers in ushering in the next generation of vehicle design.
Per the firm’s press release, the CSCs will house researchers, designers, and engineers who will be tasked to discover aluminium solutions for the automotive industry that will meet the industry’s needs for a lightweight alternative for denser materials often used in manufacturing, including steel.
The centers, which will be located near automakers’ facilities in North America, the People’s Republic of China, and Europe, will be testing grounds for demonstrating product concepts, and simulating customer processes and performance in use. The sites will also leverage data in order to educate stakeholders along the entirety of the automotive supply chain about aluminium topics including forming, costing, and several other issues.
President and CEO of Novelis Inc. Steve Fisher noted that CSCs are part of the firm’s strategy for offering newer and better aluminium products to the automotive industry.
“The global auto industry is experiencing disruptive change in nearly every dimension, including electrification, autonomy and accelerated development times. To meet rapidly evolving demands, we are developing the CSCs to help our customers innovate with aluminum for tomorrow’s lighter, safer and better performing vehicles.”
The company did not release a timetable for the introduction of CSC sites, but it did confirm that the first center will be located in Novi, Michigan.
Novelis’ Vice President of Global Automotive Pierre Labat greeted the plan as the next step in a partnership to boost innovation with the automotive industry.
“The automotive industry is entering a period of transformative change and relying on partners to provide solutions to help them build the cars of the future. By creating another new way to engage with automakers, along with a physical space that inspires innovation, we are better prepared to make our customers more successful.”
Novelis is a subsidiary of Mumbai’s Hindalco Industries Ltd. Based in Atlanta, the firm accounts for almost half of Hindalco’s consolidated revenue. The world’s largest recycler of aluminium, Novelis conducts operations in ten different countries, employs around eleven thousand people, and reported US$10 billion in revenue for the most recent fiscal year.