MEYLE has received a 2018 Automechanika Innovation Award for the MEYLE-HD slot bushing kit.
The award, presented Sept. 11 at Automechanika Frankfurt, was for the Repair & Maintenance category.
“With the MEYLE-HD slot bushing kit including tool, the company was able to assert itself against numerous competitors, including well-known OE and aftermarket manufacturers,” Hamburg-based MEYLE said. “With the service kit, consisting of the pre-compressed and ready-to-install MEYLE‑HD slot bushings and a suitable installation tool, MEYLE offers an economical and ecological alternative to replacing the complete BMW rear-axle control arm. This enables selective replacement of the bushings in selected BMW 5 Series, 6 Series, 7 Series and X5 models.”
Now in their 25th year, the Automechanika Innovation Awards recognize progressive and forward-looking innovations in the automotive industry.
“We are pleased to present MEYLE with the award in the Repair & Maintenance category,” said Olaf Mußhoff, director of Automechanika Frankfurt. “The MEYLE-HD kit meets all award criteria for an environmentally friendly, sustainable and service-oriented solution – a real innovation, which we are therefore pleased to honor with an award.”
Engineers and product managers from the MEYLE chassis and steering team developed the MEYLE-HD kit. Based on the MEYLE-HD concept “Better than OE,” the impetus for the product came from the analysis of the repair on the BMW control arm, according to MEYLE. In contrast to the OE version, defective bushings on the BMW rear control arm can be replaced separately in pairs with the MEYLE kit – a repair solution that’s not yet available from the OE side with the appropriate tool. Previously, the only way to repair defective bushings was to replace the entire control arm.
“The Innovation Award is a very special award for us, of which we are very proud,” said André Sobottka, board member for sales, marketing and communication at MEYLE. “Especially in our anniversary year, in which we also celebrate the 60th anniversary of the holding company Wulf Gaertner Autoparts AG, the award is a great recognition for the good and close cooperation of our MEYLE engineers in Hamburg and in our production facilities.
“Due to our high technical understanding and our know-how as a manufacturer, we are in a position to offer further developed parts for the market and to create tailor-made solutions. We know the market requirements and the daily routine in the workshop very well and therefore focus our product development on solutions that are precisely tailored to the needs of the workshop employee. With the MEYLE-HD kit we have once again proven this and offer as MEYLE another exclusive solution for the aftermarket, with which workshop employees quickly become the ‘Driver’s Best Friend.’”
