TPV hosted the final presentation of the results of the MARTINA project
On 6 June 2019 the TPV Group hosted the final presentation of the results of the research and development project MARTINA (Materials and Technologies for New Applications) in Novo mesto. 16 partners from industry, institutes and universities with a complete multidisciplinary approach participated in the development of five areas of materials including new tool steel for work in hot environment, new high-strength steel, new aluminum alloy with a higher share of recycled aluminum, development of multicomponent materials and 3D printing of parts of the tool.
Participating partners are: Kolektor, Impol, Sij Metal Ravne, Talum, Štore Steel, TPV Group, Zlatarna Celje, Jesenice Development Center, Tecos, Vesolje-Si, Chemical Institute, Institute of Metals and Technology, Faculty of Natural Sciences and Engineering of the University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering of the University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering of the University of Maribor, and the Slovenian Construction Institute of Ljubljana.
The MARTINA project began on August 1, 2016 and will end on July 31, 2019, the value of the project is 9.6 million EUR, and the leading partner in the project is the Institute for Metals Materials and Technologies from Ljubljana. The project, which is being carried out within the Strategic Development and Innovation Partnership Materials as Final Products (SRIP MATPRO), is an example of an extremely successful model of cooperation between the economy and knowledge institutions in the field of smart specialization strategy. The project was created on the initiative of the Strategic Council for Metallurgy, which also held its regular meeting on 6 June in the premises of the TPV Group in Novo mesto.
TPV, as a development supplier in the automotive industry and a connector of innovative solutions in the project, has an important role in designing development starting points, as well as in the development itself and the development of prototypes and their testing in a laboratory environment. TPV has been directly involved in the development of a new high-strength steel for automotive seat components, in the development of a new aluminum alloy for lightweight components with load capacity as part of the chassis and bodywork of the vehicle, as well as in the development of components that are a combination of metallic and non-metallic materials. Developers from TPV have thus acquired new knowledge and competences in the field of new materials and technologies of design and merging. “In the automotive industry, new solutions are constantly being sought by using new materials and technologies. “Lightweight”, that is, reducing the mass of vehicles and, consequently, reducing energy, fuel and emissions, is one of the main development guidelines for the development of new vehicles. Regardless of the type of fuel that will be used by the vehicle in the future, the vehicle will have to be easier. In the MARTINA project, TPV has acquired valuable knowledge and competences in the field of new materials and technologies of design and merging, which are crucial in responding quickly to the demands and needs of the market, as well as in the acquisition of new development activities, especially with vehicle manufacturers. “ Marko Gorjup, President – Director of TPV Group.
For future projects and transactions, the value chain is important, and above all the trust that has developed between participating researchers and partners.
Main results of the MARTINA project in figures:
• 211.77 FTE (1 FTE = 1700 hours) of research activities carried out
• 19,415 FTE performed research activities by new employees.
• 122 innovations
• 86 process solutions
• 8 new products
• 2,926,007 EUR of new investments
• 3,606,766 EUR of new investment in R & D
• 46 new mentors
• 106 scientific publications
ABOUT TPV GROUP:
TPV Group is one of the leading development suppliers operating on the global market of automotive industry. Their core activity, whose main driver is the company TPV d.o.o., is development and production of different components for automotive industry, such as body and chassis assemblies, car seat components and parts, and engine gaskets. Moreover, they develop and provide comprehensive solutions for production logistics management, where the automated guided vehicles, which are result of their own development, are one of the key products. The company is located in five sites in Slovenia– Novo mesto, Brežice, Suhor, Velika Loka and Ptuj – and one site in Kragujevac, Serbia. Due to the needs of customers, they intend to extend their production processes to new markets in the following years.
They are globally recognized as a development and pre-development supplier in the automotive industry. Their development services are purchased by most demanding OEMs for their premium brands like BMW, Mercedes Benz, Volvo, Rolls Royce, Jaguar, Land Rover, Renault etc. TPV develops products which have a significant impact on the driving dynamics, safety, ecology and driving comfort.
The TPV Group is besides TPV d.o.o. composed of TPV Prikolice d.o.o., TPV Avto d.o.o. and TPV Šumadija d.o.o,, extending their field of operation to sales of new and used cars, program of comprehensive services for car users and program of light car trailers. The latter are developed and produced jointly with the German partner Böckmann. TPV is also one of the partners in the development company called SiEVA, who develops technological competencies and takes part in various research projects.
