Our Business Model
Creating a Global Standard for Sustainable Aluminium Light-weighting
Hot Form Quench (HFQ®) is the original hot forming technology that is backed by 20 years of research, development and industrialisation. As a new genre of forming for aluminium it is important to have common approaches to materials characterisation, simulation and forming process specifications. A common standard and set of quality assurance controls will ensure consistent performance, choice of supply and allow maximum light-weighting benefits.
Impression Technologies offers its HFQ® Technology and support services to tiers and OEMs via a Technology Access and Services Agreement (TASA) which provides all the know-how necessary to simulate and form lightweight HFQ® structures using an ever-widening range of high strength aluminium alloys. Under the agreement, users of the HFQ® Technology have access to all future improvements and benefit from ongoing support in design and manufacturing.
Starting with a core group of first-mover tier aluminium component manufacturing partners, Impression Technologies aims to build an accredited supply network all providing assured quality HFQ® components that match to simulation tools and material cards offered to the OEMs. These tiers will be supported by accredited alloy and equipment providers, ensuring a secure and competitive supply chain.
If you would like to be a manufacturing, alloy or equipment partner, or if you are an OEM seeking a deeper understanding of how our unique HFQ® Technology model can support your light-weighting needs, please contact us and we will be happy to work with you.
HFQ Manufacturing Partners
HFQ® Technology is available from a growing network of highly capable and competitive manufacturers that all produce to a common technical standard. Many of them form the HFQ® Partner Network, a group of likeminded businesses from the global light-weighting ecosystem world who believe that HFQ® plays a key role in the future of sustainable lightweight aluminium structures
Each of our manufacturing partners are supported by a dedicated team of HFQ® process technology specialists and design experts who can support production line specification, procurement, commissioning and ongoing part supply
We have manufacturing partners in all key markets, using our experience we have gained over the years to build our customer base
Design support
- ITL offers the benefits of its vast expertise in simultaneous engineering of high strength aluminium structures, particularly for automotive and aerospace applications
- Through early involvement of our technical specialists, ITL can reduce part count, weight and cost and provide ideas to achieve the efficient structures
- ITL’s experts can provide full design feasibility, simulation and tool face design to create the blueprints for HFQ® part volume manufacturing, helping to reduce weight and improve efficiencies
- Cost models can be developed with OEMs and tiers to validate economics of the HFQ® solution in the early stages of design. ITL’s experts can also provide guidance on alloy selection and use of tailor welded blanks to achieve optimal weight and material yield
Production and prototyping
- Tiers and OEMs are able to benefit from ITL’s in-house production and prototyping facilities
- Tool sets can be proven at ITL before shipping for volume production at the tier’s or OEM’s own press lines
- ITL’s production line also serves as a training and demonstration facility for our partners
- ITL can offer its production line aluminium suppliers to validate alloys for HFQ® production
