Impression Technologies and Telos Global join forces to serve automotive OEM needs. Impression Technologies Ltd (‘ITL’), the creator of Hot Form Quench (HFQ®) Technology, the leading advanced lightweighting solution for high-strength aluminium structures, has announced a major strategic partnership with Telos Global, a leader in the manufacture and supply of tooling and components to the automotive sector.
The partnership agreement, which will make HFQ® technology available to the North American market, will see Telos Global manufacture high-strength aluminium body-in-white and chassis components, enabling the company to service OEM requirements in fast-growing markets such as SUVs, pick-up trucks and electric vehicles.
Telos will commence production of HFQ® components from its facility in Caryville, Tennessee, initially supplying automotive OEMs in North America, before expanding into Asia and Europe. This is a key next stage in ITL’s establishment of an HFQ® supply chain from mid-2020 onwards, as part of its strategy to create a global network of partners working to a common set of manufacturing, design and simulation standards, following on from the recently announced partnership between ITL and fischer group in Europe.
Commenting on the announcement, ITL’s CEO, Jonathan Watkins, said: “We are delighted to have entered this strategic partnership with Telos Global, which will offer automotive OEMs a high-volume supply base for stronger, lighter, more cost-effective structures made using HFQ® Technology to a guaranteed standard. We look forward to working with Telos to develop a global HFQ® supply chain capability in North America as well as globally.”
Rick Teague, CEO and founder of Telos Global, said: “This partnership with ITL offers Telos an exciting opportunity to supply automotive customers in North America and around the world with complex components manufactured from new, high-strength aluminium alloys. We believe HFQ® Technology, using Telos’ scalable production system, will offer significant opportunities for light-weighting and design flexibility at a competitive price.”
Telos Global was established in 2016 by Rick Teague, the former Global Director of Hot Stamp Pressing and Tool Development at Cosma International (part of Magna International), to supply the world’s largest automotive OEMs with chassis and body-in-white components manufactured using the most advanced hot stamping technologies.
For further information on HFQ®, please visit https://hfqtechnology.com/
About Impression Technologies Ltd
Impression Technologies was formed in January 2013 to commercialise HFQ® Technology. HFQ® enables standard grades of lightweight, high-strength aluminium to be formed into complex shapes in a single pressing operation. The shaped aluminium blanks are heated, formed at high speed in a stamping press, quenched in the forming tool and then undergo artificial ageing to achieve full strength. Impression Technologies currently supplies parts on six different vehicle platforms. Its team of experienced application and design engineers carry out simultaneous engineering with customers from the outset of vehicle design projects to help maximise the potential of this revolutionary technology and reduce weight, quality issues (such as spring-back), part-count and total cost. The company is fully equipped to carry out in-house prototyping and production runs to support HFQ® Technology customers, operating the world’s first HFQ® production line. One of the advantages of using HFQ® Technology is significantly increased design freedom, resulting from the use of HFQ® design tools with commercial design software and from the new design opportunities the HFQ® process affords on the material and part. HFQ® components will be supplied to OEMs to a set of common standards through a growing network of accredited and highly capable manufacturing tiers.
About Telos Global
Telos Global was founded in 2016 by Rick Teague, formally the Global Director of Hot Stamp Pressing and Tool Development at Cosma International (part of Magna International). Telos operates one of the world’s largest hot stamping lines located in Caryville, USA, supplying chassis, closures and bodyin-white components to global OEMs including Ford, Daimler, Mercedes-Benz and Honda. Telos offers OEMs and manufacturing Tier Ones including Magna, Gestamp and Martinrea a full-service capability including simulation, simultaneous engineering, tool design, prototyping and series production. Telos’ strategy is to offer its automotive OEM customers lighter, stronger and cheaper components manufactured using HFQ Technology.
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