Continuous material improvement in 10 steps - a digital, collaborative cycle
10 steps to continuous material
The pace of innovation in the automotive and transportation industry has never been higher. OEMs, suppliers and testing service providers are faced with the challenge of developing products that are not only more powerful and cost-efficient, but also safer, more sustainable and compliant.
The key to this lies in the materials - and in how they can be continuously improved and optimized along the entire supply chain.
From specification to data analysis: why a closed loop is crucial
Traditional release and approval processes often run in silos. Specifications, test data and approvals are scattered across different systems and partners - leading to inefficiencies, duplication of work and unnecessary risks.
A digital improvement cycle is changing this reality:
Specifications are published centrally and made available to all partners.
Material development and laboratory tests flow seamlessly into the same process.
Component design and production are directly linked to approved materials and validated processes.
Field data and analyses are continuously fed back into the next round of development.
The result: shorter release times, fewer errors and measurable progress in quality and sustainability.
The 10 steps of continuous material improvement
The new white paper presents a structured 10-step cycle that covers the entire life cycle of a material - from initial specification to optimization in the field:
Precise material specification by the OEM
Material development and optimization by manufacturer
Material release based on verified test results
Integration into component design via CAD and Digital Twin
Detailed component description for production release
Initial production and sampling by Tier 1
Multi-stage component production in the extended supply chain
Consolidated feedback on processes and test results
Final component approval by the OEM
Continuous data analysis that triggers the next cycle
This closed loop ensures that improvements are not made selectively, but as part of a continuous, collaborative process.
A practical example: the vehicle seating system
The white paper illustrates the methodology using the example of a vehicle seating system - an assembly with a complex material mix of steel, foams, textiles, plastics, electronics and high demands on safety, ergonomics, comfort and sustainability.
But the approach goes far beyond this: it can be applied to all complex products that consist of many materials and suppliers - whether in automotive, aerospace, rail or mechanical engineering.
Who is this white paper relevant for?
Decision-makers at OEMs and Tier 1
Quality managers who require audit-proof end-to-end transparency
Engineers and developers who work with material specifications and simulations
Sustainability experts who integrate carbon footprints and circular economy KPIs into processes
Here are the download linksto the graphic and the white paper. There you can study all the individual steps of continuous material improvement in detail:
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Learn more about material.one
With material.one all stakeholders can collaborate a standardized manner in a compliance conforming way based on the "need to know". As an industry cloud platform, material.one provides information on material and material sampling, percentage of recycled material, certificates as well as CO₂ footprint information.