GF Piping Systems, a division of GF, will supply the fluid transport systems for the next cruise liners to be built by STX France. The five-year contract received from the leading shipyard amounts to more than EUR 40 million.

In the next five years, GF Piping Systems will deliver corrosion-free, lightweight plastic piping systems to equip ten new cruise liners from STX France. The order includes pipes, fittings and jointing technology as well as comprehensive services such as logistics and stock management for just-in-time delivery. GF Piping Systems will be responsible for the safe and efficient transport of all fluids on the new vessels. The products are manufactured at GF facilities in Switzerland, Germany and Italy.

GF Piping Systems is well experienced in the marine sector, and the division’s innovative solutions have already been installed since 2013 on the largest cruise liners, such as the Harmony of the Seas or the Quantum of the Seas. In addition to its system solutions, GF Piping Systems provides comprehensive maintenance services as well as trainings for the installers of the piping systems.

GF Piping Systems is a leading supplier of piping systems made of plastics and metal. The division focuses on solutions for the safe transport of water, chemicals and gas as well as on the corresponding services. Its product range includes fittings, valves, pipes, automation and jointing technologies and covers all applications throughout the water cycle.

GF Automotive, a division of GF, has received an important order from a French car manufacturer for the battery housing of a new hybrid vehicle. The contract for this new customer amounts to EUR 77 million.

The battery housings made of aluminum with an integrated cooling system will be produced in Germany as of 2019. This recent major order underscores the development and manufacturing skills of GF Automotive in the growing market for E-mobility. With an eye to maximizing the vehicle’s range, the lightweight design is a particularly important factor.

GF Automotive is one of the world’s leading automotive suppliers and a technologically pioneering development partner and manufacturer for components of passenger cars, trucks and industrial applications. Each year the division manufactures some 600 000 tons of iron, aluminum and magnesium at eleven production plants in Germany, Austria, China and the US.

GF Machining Solutions, a division of GF, and EOS, Krailling (Germany), have entered into a strategic cooperation agreement to offer customers innovative solutions combining both companies’ technologies. The two companies have agreed to focus on the mold and die sector. They will develop exclusive solutions for mold makers, a market in which GF holds a leading position thanks to its EDM, high speed milling and automation technologies.

The additive manufacturing technology offers for such customers the possibility to generate metal inserts featuring cooling close to the surface, thus allowing for a shorter mold cooling sequence and therefore a much faster plastic injection cycle time. GF and EOS will undertake the integration of the additive manufacturing machines into the production process of mold inserts, including the necessary software and automation link with downstream machine-tools and measuring devices.

“We welcome very much this strategic partnership”, says GF CEO Yves Serra. “GF and EOS complement each other very well to offer the large customer base of GF Machining Solutions a unique set of technologies.” “The cooperation allows us to increase the value for customers within the mold and die sector, by integrating conventional and additive technologies. This is a large step towards seamless production and we join forces with a strong and experienced partner.” says EOS founder and CEO, Dr. Hans J. Langer. The first solutions will be shown at the EMO 2015 to take place early October in Milan (Italy).