DETROIT, Aug. 1, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- American Axle & Manufacturing (NYSE: AXL) QUANTUM lightweight driveline technology is the inaugural Future of Lightweighting Altair Enlighten Award winner. The award recognizes innovative ideas, processes, materials and technologies that have significant potential to support lightweighting initiatives, but have yet to be leveraged on a production vehicle platform.

"Scalable for most vehicle segments, QUANTUM allows for at least a 30 percent reduction in vehicle mass at the same torque capacity with increased power density. For example, in a heavy-duty pickup, AAM QUANTUM cuts more than 100 lbs. in vehicle weight without any reduction in performance," said Phil Guys, AAM Vice President and Chief Technology Officer. "We are honored that AAM's QUANTUM Driveline Architecture is the 2018 Altair Enlighten Award's Future of Lightweighting winner."

QUANTUM lightweight axles provide substantial advantages including reduced mass, increased power density, improved noise vibration and harshness (NVH) and efficiency gains in a more compact system package. AAM's engineers utilized system innovation to eliminate weight by combining functions of many components and developing proprietary lubricants that would increase system efficiency and durability.

QUANTUM can be adapted for use on virtually any size truck or passenger vehicle. AAM initially designed a QUANTUM lightweight beam axle for rear-wheel drive (RWD) vehicles such as pickup trucks but has expanded QUANTUM technology to include RWD and all-wheel drive (AWD) passenger vehicles, crossovers and SUVs.

Beam Axles
QUANTUM beam axles are scalable and can be used on heavy-, medium- or light-duty RWD based pickups. It is up to 35 percent lighter and up to 30 percent more efficient when compared to a traditional axle.

AWD and RWD Modules
With typical applications including passenger cars, crossovers and SUVs, QUANTUM RWD and AWD modules can be designed and built for multiple configurations and sizes. QUANTUM RWD and AWD systems are up to 25 percent lighter and up to 30 percent more efficient compared to a traditional axle for these segments of vehicles. QUANTUM AWD and RWD modules also have a reduced packaging size allowing OEMs space flexibility for other vehicle systems.

The annual Altair Enlighten Awards honor the greatest achievements in vehicle weight savings each year. Inspiring interest from industry, policymakers, educators, students and the public, the award incentivizes automotive lightweighting advancements and provides a global platform to recognize and share technological achievements. The Enlighten award is judged by an independent panel of automotive industry experts, academia and the engineering media who selected 6 winners from a field of 57 finalists this year while the future of Lightweighting award was chosen by 2018 CAR Management Briefing Seminars (MBS) attendees in Traverse City, Mich. 

About AAM
AAM (NYSE: AXL) is a premier, global leader in design, engineering, validation and manufacturing of driveline, metal forming, powertrain, and casting technologies for automotive, commercial and industrial markets. Headquartered in Detroit, AAM has over 25,000 associates operating at more than 90 facilities in 17 countries to support our customers on global and regional platforms with a focus on quality, operational excellence and technology leadership.  To learn more, visit www.aam.com.

Media Contact:
Andrea Knapp
(313) 758-2730
[email protected]

SOURCE American Axle & Manufacturing

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