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Cooling specialist targets automotive sector, providing attractive, value added features for manufacturers

Leading manufacturer of equipment cooling fans and solutions ebm-papst Automotive & Drives (UK) Ltd is targeting the automotive market in a move designed to maximise the potential for its high quality fans and small motors, adding value and appeal to a wide range of vehicles.

Long known for its high performance and long lasting products, ebm-papst has geared up its infrastructure for a direct assault on the market. The company already has strong links with the automotive sector having provided motors to BMW for active steering, and cooling fans for use in seat cooling applications in Mercedes S class and other manufacturers' vehicles. Solutions have also been provided for F1 use in a variety of pit stop cooling applications.

ebm-papst's sales team are talking to vehicle manufacturers throughout the UK to investigate potential applications, and to provide viable, cost effective solutions that not only enhance vehicles' performance, but provide considerable added value to the final product.

Potential areas in which ebm-papst products can be integrated into vehicles are sensor fans for climate control, standard and upgraded fans for engine management, miniature fans for in-car entertainment and navigation systems, and electronically and mechanically commutated motor systems for a variety of applications such as active steering, auxiliary drives, servo drives, and x by wire functions. But the number of potential applications for ebm-papst is much bigger - up to sixty applications have been identified for one manufacturer alone.

Says managing director Gareth Jones, "Automotive engineering is playing an increasingly significant role in our production program. With the company's know-how in drive technology and electronic cooling, ebm-papst is seen as an ideal partner in a growth market that is experiencing above-average development of automotive electronics and a trend towards more comfortable passenger cars."

"ebm-papst has the capability to support all automobile manufacturers with a multitude of intelligent, customer-specific developments. With our current automotive 'drive' we are now taking it a stage further by proactively talking to, and providing support plus a general 'ideas and solutions' platform to vehicle manufacturers and associated tiers 1, 2, 3 & 4 suppliers throughout the UK."

Underlining its strength as a supplier of cooling solutions for automotive applications, ebm-papst's parent company in Germany has received certification of its Quality Management System to ISO/TS16949. The certificate is based on the QA standard ISO9001, but significantly it also contains additional requirements of the most renowned automobile manufacturers throughout the world.

Certification to ISO/TS16949 is a guarantee to the automobile industry that ebm-papst is a high reliability supplier, who manufactures products of excellent quality. Recognised world-wide, the certificate represents a quality standard that is the result of attempts by the IATF (International Automotive Task Force) and national automobile associations to create a 'harmonised' standard.