connection with Mercedes-Benz, it’s no coincidence that the ‘Chairman’ resembles the predecessor of the current S-Class – are intended to lavish this great comfort on Asia’s growing upper class. Edscha assumes responsibility for the entire system, from development to project coordination, supplying all components with the exception of the existing hinges: from motor to control unit and gas spring, from lock to closing assist. Around 75 percent of the parts come from the companies that supplied Edscha during development.

BETTER RESULTS

FROM JOINT EFFORTS

Polz is convinced that this is just the beginning of the growthof the hinge business on an appreciably broader scale: “The link

with IVM Automotive opens up entirely new opportunities for us. Whereas we previously only had

the connection points between body and door in mind, we can now design new structures and analyze and optimise them with advanced simulation tools.” Innovative body ideas are evolved in cooperation with

the IVM Automotive Design Center Rhine-Main (pages 20 f.) and serve as basis for discussions with the design and pre-development departments of the OEM. Physical models can be provided at short

notice by the model and prototype makers at IVM Automotive. And in collaboration with the Mechatronics Center that is about to be established in Remscheid (page 6), the electrics and electronics experts of IVM Automotive design and test new controls, including their software, and integrate them into existing vehicle networks. Polz takes great pride in these comprehensive skills: “This enables Edscha to offer our customers a

unique range of services.”Christiane Nadol

SHOW OBJECTS

An Edscha system was shown for the first time in public in the Volvo Versatility Concept Car; a different version will soon be seen on Korean roads in the Ssangyong Chairman. Edscha itself demonstrates the development at the converted rear lid of a 7 Series BMW.