Top Supplier Company
In January, the ZKW branch located in the Chinese city of Dalian received the Shanghai General Motors Best Improvement Award. This award honors the special achievements of the project team who developed the front headlamps for the Buick Regal – particularly their outstanding collaboration with SGM. In Europe, General Motors recognized ZKW for its outstanding performance as a supplier with the Supplier Quality Excellence Award 2019. The lighting system manufacturer received the prize, which honors consistent, high production quality, for the eighth time in a row. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, however, in-person handovers of the certificates were delayed. Certificates of recognition were issued instead.

Award-Winning Light Technology
ZKW received the German Design Award in the Automotive Parts & Accessories category for its innovative stripeZ LED light module, which mimics the function of an eye. The decisive factor for the jury was the particularly compact design of the lighting element, which allows for new design options for the main headlamps and front end of the vehicle. The stripeZ module consists of an LED element with a low lens height and an integrated cooling element. The technology requires little room, creating additional space inside the headlamp housing that can be used, for instance, to integrate sensors used in autonomous driving.

Outstanding Product Design
The unique design of the stripeZ light module also impressed judges in the Automotive Brand Contest 2020. ZKW won the Future, Mobility & Parts category for its outstanding product and communication design. The Automotive Brand Contest is the only international design competition for automotive brands, and is considered an important industry event. The prize is awarded by the German Design Council (Rat für Formgebung), which is one of the world’s leading centers of competence for communication and knowledge transfer in the area of brand, design, and innovation.

“These awards are very important to us, as the topic of design is becoming increasingly important in automotive lighting and sensor systems. Automotive manufacturers are facing growing requirements for vehicle and headlamp appearance, which means we must develop forward-thinking designs,” says Schubert.