Winners of the 2010 Automechanika Innovation Awards Unveiled

Enhancing credibility to technological innovation at one of the world's most respected and high-profile automotive trade fairs continues, where creative minds are honored for innovating products that unfailingly take the industry to higher ground. The Automechanika Innovation Awards is just one more reason to attend the Automechanika in Frankfurt, a global auto-parts, accessory, and repair equipment exhibition that attracts about 4,500 exhibitors and some 160,000 global visitors every two years. This auto trade event enjoys the advantage of being on a continent that is home to the world's most coveted auto brands, such as Porsche, Audi, BMW, Mercedes, Ferrari etc., and hence fitting to be expected as the breeding ground for the next trend-setter in automotive product and service.

Held among several key activities alongside the biennial Automechanika in Frankfurt, the Automechanika Innovation Awards typically builds anticipation among industry professionals as they look forward to seeing not only technological advances, but also perhaps potential moneymakers for their businesses.

The winners of the 2010 Automechanika Innovation Awards were announced a few days before the show. An independent eight-member jury selected the eight winners from 147 entries at a meeting in late August. Seventy-four of the products entered came from Germany and 73 from 16 other countries, especially France, Italy, The Netherlands, Austria and Denmark.

The official presentation of the Awards was held during the Automechanika Opening Ceremony on Sept. 14, 2010. The five best products in each category were exhibited at the Innovation Awards special show in the foyer of Hall 4.1 during the show period.

Nine Categories
Launched in 1996, the internationally recognized award is given in nine categories: Parts, Systems, Tuning, Accessories, Repair/Diagnostics, Repair/Maintenance, IT & Management, Service Station & Car Wash, OE Products & Services. This year, however, the jury did not consider any entry worthy of an award in the IT & Management category.

A jury of renowned experts evaluate entries in accordance with the criteria of innovative content and quality of solution; functionality: economic efficiency, user benefit and application areas; aftermarket relevance; safety and quality; and contribution to environmental protection, resource conservation and sustainability.

The below summarizes all the winners, including their categories, companies, product and brief descriptions.

Category: Parts
Company: IQ Power GmbH
Product: Eco Car Battery
The iQ Power Batteries has a new kind of automatic electrolyte mixing system that results in lower CO2 emissions over the battery life cycle. This innovation prevents acid stratification, the biggest power killer in car batteries, thus helping to protect the environment and conserve resources as well as offer a longer service life and greater cycle stability.

Category: Systems
Company: Steelmate Co. Ltd.
Product: Steelmate all-in-one safety
The Steelmate all-in-one™ safety GPS is a multifunctional, portable vehicle satellite navigation device with TPMS, parking sensor, back-up camera and multimedia features. A single touch screen on the dashboard controls all functions, e.g., navigation, reversing, tire-pressure monitoring and entertainment, saving costs and space for installation and operation. With this multi-functional satellite navigation, drivers benefit from greater driving pleasure and safety.

Category: Tuning
Company: Osram GmbH
Product: Osram Ultra Life
The name of the OSRAM Ultra Life headlamps says it all. These extra-durable lamps are the ideal solution for anyone who spends a lot of time driving, has daytime running lights on, often drive at night or has vehicles with difficult to replace lamps. OSRAM is the first manufacturer to guarantee its Ultra Life headlamps from failure due to production or material defects for at least three years.

Category: Accessories
Company: Pewag Schneeketten GmbH
Product: Pewag snox pro
The Pewag snox pro makes driving in rough wintry weather easier. These are snow chains with a fully-automatic tensioning system, without eyelets, hooks nor manual tensioning, instead is perfectly and fully automatically tensioned by a new system in the ‘pewag snox-box' to realize very smooth driving.

Category: Repair / Diagnostics
Company: Texa S.p.A.
Product: OBD Matrix
The OBD Matrix is the world's first device that monitors all of a vehicle's electronic systems while on the road. It is a very small unit, hardly any bigger than the OBD diagnostic socket in which it is plugged, that is not at all intrusive in the passenger cabin.

Category: Repair / Maintenance
Company: Kristal Coatings B.V.
Product: Kristal TimeClear
KRISTAL TimeClear is the latest and most innovative product from Kristal Coatings B.V., the manufacturer of post-painting products based in The Netherlands. TimeClear is based on air-drying technology, with the clear coating fully hardening at a temperature of only 20°C. After 10 minutes, it is dust-dry and extremely clear.

Category: Service Station & Car Wash
Company: Birchmeier Sprühtechnik AG
Product: Granulate and Salt Spreader
This is a completely new hand spreader for distributing granules evenly and in desired quantities over small to medium-sized areas up to 2 meters wide. Filling, carrying, dosing and spreading are now achieved easily with excellent results. Carrying and spreading are combined so it is easy to work in a wide variety of positions. Fine sand, salt, oil-binding agents, coarse grit or granules (up to 4 mm grain size) can be spread evenly and with an exact flow rate.

New category: OE Products & Service
Company: Robert Bosch GmbH
Product: P2 Parallel Strong Hybrid System
Bosch is the world's first manufacturer to successfully begin volume production of a P2 Hybrid System. Using the new system, it is feasible to turn existing models as the VW Touareg and Porsche Cayenne into hybrids.