Technology for economical cars: Opel CEO Michael Lohscheller inaugurates hot-forming plant in Kaiserslautern

• Hot-forming steel enables the production of high-strength body parts
• Requirements for crash safety and lightweight construction in harmony
• CO2 emissions while driving are reduced thanks to consistent lightweight construction

Innovative technology for light and economical cars: Opel CEO Michael Lohscheller officially commissioned a state-of-the-art facility for hot-forming steel at the Kaiserslautern site on Thursday. This process is used to manufacture high-strength components for car bodies. Hot-formed components significantly reduce the weight of a body without compromising safety. This also makes vehicles lighter overall and emits less fuel and CO2 .

“We are very pleased about the commissioning of this modern system for hot forming of steel in Kaiserslautern. By manufacturing and processing high-strength components for car bodies, the material thickness and thus the weight of the vehicle can be reduced - without compromising on safety. This lowers the CO2 emissions. This system is therefore another important component in our goal of offering efficient cars for clean driving fun, ”said Opel boss Michael Lohscheller.

In the past few months, the complete press line 2, two incorporation machines and the waste belts in the press cellar were dismantled in the K-19 press shop at the production site in the west of the Palatinate. This created space for the new hot forming system, which includes a press table weighing around 80 tons, an oven around 40 meters long and a 25-meter high chimney.

With hot forming, the sheet to be processed is slowly heated to a temperature of around 930 degrees Celsius over several minutes in an oven. The hot sheet is then placed in the tool and cooled very quickly during the pressing process. This gives it its high strength. Another advantage of the process is that the steel can be formed better.

Plant manager Thierry Vingtans: “We are delighted with the investment in the hot forming system at the Kaiserslautern location. This shows that the plant continues to play an important role in the company's production network. The parts that we manufacture here will in future be built into several vehicle models from various Group brands - including the new Opel Mokka. "