May 28, 2007Print this page
The rear end carrier Flex-Fix project and an innovative curtain airbag system with new fixation concept were recognized out of six submitted entries from Europe as being part of GM’s top innovations. The eleven awardees, who received their congratulatory notification letters on May 22, 2007, will be invited to the celebration in Detroit on June 26. The annual Boss Kettering Award is the highest internal honor for technical innovation a GM engineer or scientist can receive.
Ralf-Dieter Bechtold, Thomas Uhlendorf, Hendrik Hofmann, Frank Leopold, Sven Weinfurtner, Heiko Oetting.
The Invention is an extendable load carrier which allows carrying dirty goods like cement or plants as conventional Bicycles outside of your personal car avoiding to scratch or contaminate the cars interior. Especially for short overhang hatchback cars it allows to extend load capacity without elongating the car to keep it compact and maneuverable. The load carrier is completely integrated in the cars designed rear-end using underbody space normally used for the spare wheel.
Frank Bonarens, Matthias Brunner, Johannes Diehl, Waldemar Medla, Benjamin De Buysscher (GM Belgium)
The innovative curtain airbag system was implemented within a running vehicle program with more than 750.000 vehicles per year. The key enabler was the invention of a new attachment system with an industry first clip. The new airbag system could be introduced within the short summer plant shut down and lead to high cost savings.
The "Boss Kettering" (BK) Award is named for the legendary Charles Franklin “Boss” Kettering (1876 – 1958), who organized GM’s research and development efforts in 1920 and dedicated the company to “intensify study of the problems ahead for the automotive industry”. Kettering was the first head of GM’s Research Laboratories and the originator of more than 140 patents.
The BK Award Program was established over 28 years ago to recognize individuals from every region of the globe who have developed truly outstanding inventions or innovations which have provided identifiable and substantial benefit to General Motors. The BK Award Program underscores the importance of innovation as a core value.
gmeurope 
opel
The winners from GME Engineering are:
Rear end carrier Flex-Fix
Ralf-Dieter Bechtold, Thomas Uhlendorf, Hendrik Hofmann, Frank Leopold, Sven Weinfurtner, Heiko Oetting.
The Invention is an extendable load carrier which allows carrying dirty goods like cement or plants as conventional Bicycles outside of your personal car avoiding to scratch or contaminate the cars interior. Especially for short overhang hatchback cars it allows to extend load capacity without elongating the car to keep it compact and maneuverable. The load carrier is completely integrated in the cars designed rear-end using underbody space normally used for the spare wheel.
Innovative curtain airbag system with new fixation concept
Frank Bonarens, Matthias Brunner, Johannes Diehl, Waldemar Medla, Benjamin De Buysscher (GM Belgium)
The innovative curtain airbag system was implemented within a running vehicle program with more than 750.000 vehicles per year. The key enabler was the invention of a new attachment system with an industry first clip. The new airbag system could be introduced within the short summer plant shut down and lead to high cost savings.
The "Boss Kettering" (BK) Award is named for the legendary Charles Franklin “Boss” Kettering (1876 – 1958), who organized GM’s research and development efforts in 1920 and dedicated the company to “intensify study of the problems ahead for the automotive industry”. Kettering was the first head of GM’s Research Laboratories and the originator of more than 140 patents.
The BK Award Program was established over 28 years ago to recognize individuals from every region of the globe who have developed truly outstanding inventions or innovations which have provided identifiable and substantial benefit to General Motors. The BK Award Program underscores the importance of innovation as a core value.
gmeurope opel
Wow, great SUV !b