Quickstep secures contract with global automotive manufacturer

A production order is expected within weeks from a leading global car manufacturer. The niche volume order to produce a series of up to 1,000 lightweight carbon fibre engine compartment parts is expected to begin production in early 2016.

Quickstep managing director, David Marino, said: “We are delighted to have secured another contract for the automotive sector. Under the contract, we will manufacture carbon fibre components in a comparatively short time frame. Importantly, this demonstrates our serial production capabilities and represents early success for the first phase of our automotive strategy. Over the next eighteen months, we will target small volume automotive projects, of about 500 to 2,000 parts per annum, as we increase our volume capability to secure larger projects.”

Quickstep has developed two patented technologies for the manufacturing of composite components. The Qure technology is a patented process which manufactures carbon fibre composite components to clients’ production and volume specifications. It uses the company’s Resin Spray Transfer (RST) technology to create carbon fibre parts with a ‘Class A’ surface finish more efficiently than traditional composite manufacturing systems. These processes are the building blocks upon which Quickstep is developing RapidQure, a higher volume, lower cost composite manufacturing process to address higher volume manufacturing opportunities. The current project represents a logical step along this pathway to becoming a significant supplier to the automotive industry.

The new contract further strengthens Quickstep’s automotive credentials, building on its letter of intent to deliver carbon fibre composite components for Thales Australia’s Hawkei protected mobility vehicle and will be first program to go into production for its newly established Automotive Division, based in Waurn Ponds, Victoria.

More information: www.quickstep.com.au