The Formula for Harmony

May 2010The relationship between design and production is one of careful planning and flawless execution. While design involves intense problem-solving and exceptional creativity, actual production must include meticulous process and deliberate methodology.

Collectively, however, the ideal marriage — one of genuine cooperation and open communication — will result in aesthetically pleasing, high quality products with extraordinary value.

As the days of the monolithic automotive manufacturer have been replaced by an environment in which suppliers, fabricators, designers, manufacturers, and specialists strive to collaborate seamlessly, Benecke-Kaliko is well positioned in the NAFTA marketplace as the result of both superior product and a keen expertise in process gained from global experience with nearly all of the industry’s most demanding brands.

Grain + Material + Partner = Harmony

A memorable, high quality interior — designed with inspiration and attention — can only be brought to life when all partners in the process work in perfect sync. When focusing on specific areas such as decorative and functional surface materials, Benecke-Kaliko has pioneered a successful process for harmony when it comes to the interior trim of a vehicle. Its formula for success?
Grain + Material + Partner = Harmony.

“We have the ability to transfer years of customer accomplishment and know-how that is unique throughout the world,” said Peter Evans, Vice President, NAFTA, Benecke-Kaliko. “This enables us to offer the North American market product achievements that have already been realized by some of the world’s most prestigious automakers.”

Recently, Evans was chosen to represent Benecke-Kaliko as a key panel participant at this year’s Ward’s Auto Interior Conference. The conference theme, “Envision - Engineer - Execute,” symbolizing the steps a vehicle interior goes through from concept to reality. Benecke-Kaliko takes a lead role alongside journalists, designers, engineers and other influential members of the automotive interior community.

TEPEO 2®

An example of true product harmony can be found on the new GMC Terrain. In concert with General Motors and Faurecia, Benecke-Kaliko led the charge to help harmonize both the development process and final appearance of the vehicle’s interior through North America’s first production application of the company’s unique TEPEO 2® tipped product sheeting.

The focus in the design phase of the Terrain was to have the flexibility to meet GM’s desire to have different tip and non-tipped creative effects on the IP feature area. TEPEO 2® was then tailored to the customer’s expectations with respect to surface design, material properties, component design and processing methods.

TEPEO 2®, together with Benecke-Kaliko’s “equation for harmony,” is a prime example of how the company supplies manufacturers such as GM with a material that allows them to respond quickly and flexibly to increasingly short development times, to the diversification of vehicle and product line-ups and to shorter model lifecycles. And, it does so at a lower cost for an essential — yet consumer critical — element of a vehicle interior.