Constellium advances modular aluminum innovation with ARENA2036 to support next-generation mobility

Constellium, Paris, France announced the successful completion of the FlexCAR project in partnership with ARENA2036, Germany’s innovation campus for future mobility and production. The five-year, publicly funded initiative brought together leading organizations—including Mercedes-Benz, Siemens, Bosch, and the German Aerospace Center—to explore reconfigurable, modular vehicle architectures.

As part of the project, Constellium developed a modular sill structure using high-strength aluminum extrusions based on its HSA6™ alloy series. Engineered to accommodate various powertrains—including battery electric and hydrogen fuel cell systems—the design improves crash safety, lowers carbon footprint, and enables greater flexibility for evolving vehicle platforms. The aluminum extrusions also incorporate a significant percentage of recycled content, aligning with sustainability goals.

The company emphasized that modular design paired with advanced aluminum materials can extend vehicle lifespans, improve adaptability, and reduce environmental impact. The project is a continuation of Constellium’s long-standing collaboration with ARENA2036, following their work on the Digital Fingerprint project, completed in 2024.

In the earlier initiative, Constellium developed a digital twin of an aluminum component embedded with sensors to monitor performance from production through real-world use. Installed in a Mercedes-Benz test vehicle, the smart aluminum housing enabled crash data collection and lifecycle tracking, supporting predictive maintenance and connected manufacturing strategies.

Constellium supplies rolled and extruded aluminum solutions globally, helping automotive manufacturers reduce vehicle weight and improve efficiency. The company noted that ongoing collaborations such as FlexCAR reinforce its commitment to innovation, modularity, and sustainable mobility.

Read further here: https://www.constellium.com/news/constellium-modular-innovation-smart-aluminum-automotive-structures-arena2036

GTP elastomer sockets for high-speed applications

Ironwood Electronics, Eagan, Minn., is now producing elastomer sockets which include a protective “P” layer that allows for more insertions by protecting the elastomer from erosion and debris build up, extending the life of the elastomers to 200,000 plus insertions.

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Harper Furnace Technology enables high performance silicon anodes

Harper Furnace Technology, Buffalo, NY, announced the development of high temperature thermal process solutions to enable production at several silicon anode battery material companies in 2024. Silicon anode material offers significantly higher specific capacity than traditional graphite anode materials enabling higher power density, faster charge times and smaller carbon footprint than current batteries. 

 

Harper has entered engineering design and equipment supply contracts for pilot and production scale equipment with its USA-based customers, many of whom are funded in part by grants from the U.S. Department of Energy. The Harper technology includes indirect electrically heated, continuous rotary, vertical and horizontal conveyor furnace systems for each customer’s unique thermochemical processes. The Harper furnaces include tight control of the process atmosphere enabling safe and reliable continuous operation, are rated for temperatures between 800˚C and 1,800˚C and will have capacity up to 1,000 metric tons per year. Beyond the pilot-scale equipment projects, Harper is actively engineering the next generation of equipment solutions for these customers whose commercial scale plants will require capacity of 20,000 – 40,000 metric tons per year for the electric vehicle (EV) market.

 

https://www.harperintl.com/app/uploads/2024/02/Silicon-Anodes-Press-Release-February-2024.pdf