Vari-Form Announces Strategic Partnership with Deussen Acquicon to Help Expand Hydroforming Business in Europe

TROY, Mich., Oct. 2, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Vari-Form, the industry leader in Pressure-Sequence Hydroforming, today announced it has entered into a strategic agreement with Deussen Acquicon. This firm will support Vari-Form initiatives for expanding its business in Europe. Deussen Acquicon, headquartered in Mannheim, Germany, is owned by international auto industry executive Juergen Deussen. 

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20121002/DE85261 )

Deussen will introduce the cost, weight, performance, and safety benefits of Vari-Form's portfolio of hydroformed products to auto manufacturers in Europe. He also will help Vari-Form pursue opportunities there that could lead to mergers, acquisitions or manufacturing support.

"There are several inherent advantages of the hydroforming process that can deliver significant benefits to manufacturers in Europe and other customers around the world," said Stephen Dow, president of Vari-Form. "Juergen Deussen is an excellent addition to our team.  His depth of industry knowledge and his contacts at key levels of the European auto industry will be noteworthy assets in our continued global expansion, whether it is promoting our processes and products or helping develop important business relationships."

Deussen is a 30-plus-year auto industry veteran, holding senior-level management positions in sales, marketing, product programs and engineering with Delphi, General Motors and Rockwell International, among others. In addition, he has excelled in business strategy development and was key executive in a number of successful merger and acquisition projects. He is a graduate of the University of Applied Sciences in Frankfurt, earning a degree in Mechanical Engineering.

Hydroforming Provides Significant Benefits vs. Stamped Parts

Vari-Form recently announced the results of an in-depth engineering study that shows hydroforming achieves 11 percent piece cost reduction, 14 percent tooling cost reduction and 7.3 percent weight reduction compared to state-of-the-art stamping/welding processes.

The concept is called "Hydroform Intensive Body Structure" (HIBS), and a technical paper will be available for discussion in the Vari-Form exhibit twice this fall:

• October 10 to 12 at the International Suppliers Fair (IZB) in Wolfsburg, Germany
• October 16 to 18 at EuroCarBody 2012, Bad Nauheim, Germany

In addition, Vari-Form will showcase a full-scale model of a hydroformed B-pillar assembly – one example of advanced-technology body structure components launching on new North American vehicles.

Visit the Vari-Form web site at www.vari-form.com and click "What's New."

About Vari-Form

Headquartered in Troy, Michigan, with production facilities in Strathroy, Ontario, Canada, Reynosa, Mexico, and Liberty, Missouri, Vari-Form originated the concept and application of hydroforming body, chassis and other automotive structural parts. Vari-Form's technology is used to manufacture more than 7 million parts a year worldwide. The company began volume production using its patented, production-validated Pressure-Sequence Hydroforming (PSH) process in 1990. Vari-Form is the industry leader, with more than 85 million parts produced to date.

SOURCE Vari-Form