Sustainable Product Development
In the product development, we at Mannesmann take sustainability aspects into account already in the analysis of requirements and functions in order to minimize the CO2 footprint of new products over their entire life cycle.
This begins with the selection of raw materials for new grades, extends to energy consumption during production and transport at our own facilities and those of our customers, and includes the product's use phase and recycling at the end of its life cycle.
In this way, we not only make our own contribution to a more sustainable future, but also help our customers to follow this path with us. Below you will find examples of corresponding products and their areas of application.
Precision steel tubes have always played an important role in lightweight construction, as they require less material in production than solid materials and result in lower energy consumption in the use phase due to weight savings. We continue developing our products in a targeted manner with regard to strength, surface properties and the resulting fatigue resistance in order to enable our customers to achieve further material and thus also emission savings.
One example of this in the area of HPL tubes is our new grade E355 +N Duro with increased fatigue resistance for applications with particularly high requirements in terms of operating pressure and service life. A weight reduction of more than 30% is possible at the same operating pressure. Alternatively, the operating pressure can be increased by over 50% for the same dimensions compared with conventional grades. In both cases, product safety remains at the highest level.
We have also developed lightweight solutions for applications in the automotive industry. With KSG1000, you get 20% more torsional capacity with a simultaneous weight saving of 20% for each type of drive. Even for experienced automotive designers, such an improvement is a unique experience and a significant contribution to weight reduction.
The development and production of tubular components for future-proof drive systems are important components of Mannesmann Precision Tubes' product portfolio. Whether hybrid, battery or hydrogen technology: at Mannesmann you get customized, innovative solutions as well as best-practice support for your projects.
Electromobility
Components for electric drives place the highest demands on dimensional accuracy and resilience. For sideshafts, this results above all from the spontaneous operating torques. Our solutions for this are new high-strength and tough materials which we are developing together with our in-house research institute.
Rotor shafts are subjected to very high speeds during operation. There are a variety of different component designs and production chains for the corresponding hollow shafts. Our drawn tube contours and variable vertical range of manufacture with downstream machining options enable a lean process chain, lightweight construction and new degrees of freedom in component design with the tightest manufacturing tolerances. Please contact us for advice on selecting the right product for your solution.
Tubes for hydrogen apllications
Hydrogen as an energy storage medium is another important component for CO2-reduced mobility. Mannesmann is working together with partners on tank systems to store hydrogen safely and cost-efficiently in vehicles. The hydrogen stored in the tank system can be used in two ways: Either the hydrogen and a fuel cell are used to generate electricity and drive an electric motor, or the hydrogen is burned in an internal combustion engine. Mannesmann is developing the necessary pressure lines for both drive technologies.
The Group's own research institute acts as a development partner and supports us in perfecting our products. Further information on the hydrogen activities of Salzgitter Mannesmann Forschung can be found here.
