VW Joins Detroit-Based Lightweighting Consortium

Volkswagen AG has joined the LIFT (Lightweight Innovations for Tomorrow) institute, making it the first carmaker member in the Detroit-based consortium.  

Created in early 2014, LIFT is operated by the American Lightweight Materials Manufacturing Innovation Institute. The industry-led group, which is funded by the U.S. government, focuses on applied development for lightweight metal alloy production and component manufacturing technologies.

LIFT aims to bridge basic research and product commercialization of lightweight materials and advanced manufacturing technologies and practices. VW’s participation, which will include the U.S. operations of its Audi, Bentley, Bugatti, Lamborghini and Volkswagen units, will focus on developing lightweight powertrain components that can improve efficiency and overall performance while reducing manufacturing costs.

With more than 200 affiliated companies, universities, non-profit research agencies and workforce development groups nationwide, LIFT currently is involved in research projects totaling more than $100 million. Focus areas are listed as agile processing, coatings, joining and assembly, melt processing, powder processing and thermos-mechanical processing.