Constellium Mexico plant earns Mercedes contract

Amsterdam-based metals producer Constellium N.V. has announced it is providing front “crash management systems” and other aluminum structural components to new Mercedes-Benz A-Class vehicles from its plants in San Luis Potosí, Mexico, and Gottmadingen, Germany. Constellium says it is supplying the components to “two derivative vehicles of the Mercedes-Benz A-Class global platform.”

“We are very proud to supply the new Mercedes-Benz A-Class with our advanced structural solutions,” says Lionel Chapis, general manager of Constellium’s Automotive Structures business. “This confirms the strong relationship we have built over the years with Mercedes-Benz, and we are glad to support them globally thanks to our expanding footprint.”

Constellium’s San Luis Potosí plant opened in spring 2018 to serve automakers in Mexico. The company says it is a long-time supplier of Mercedes-Benz for both rolled products and structural components, adding, “Aluminum continues to be a material of choice for automakers to lightweight vehicles for improved fuel economy and lower emissions and is a natural choice for electric vehicles for greater range, longer battery life and crash and intrusion resistance.”

Constellium describes itself as a developer of innovative, value-added aluminum products for the automotive, aerospace, packaging and other sectors. Constellium generated €5.2 billion ($6 billion) of revenue in 2017.

A closer look at some of the firm’s recycling and sustainability efforts can be found in this 2017 Recycling Today feature article. A write-up on the firm’s 2016 Sustainability Report can be found here.