TRB Lightweight Structures has been recognized by Cummins Inc. with the 2020 Cummins COVID-19 Outstanding Supplier Award for its efforts to minimize the disruption caused by COVID-19.
The COVID-19 pandemic has led to significant global disruption to supply chains and travel. Despite this, TRB was able to set up a new high-volume production facility in the U.S. during the pandemic and started supplying Cummins with multiple critical battery components for electric vehicles.
TRB Lightweight Structures is a multinational company that designs, engineers and manufactures high-performance lightweight structures that support clean transportation solutions. In October, the company announced it had created a new production process to deliver continuous-fiber thermoset composite parts at high volume. TRB is making advanced composites that are being used to supply a tier 1 powertrain manufacturer with critical battery components destined for electric buses.
TRB announced in December 2019 that it was opening a composites manufacturing center in Richmond, Kentucky, as a joint venture with Toyota Tsusho America. The 40,000-square-foot facility is equipped with state-of-the-art robotics to allow high-volume production of carbon fiber components using TRB’s unique press-forming process, initially focused on the automotive sector. At the time of the announcement, Richard Holland, manufacturing director of TRB, said, “The UK is a global leader in composites, and we are very excited to bring our technology and expertise to the rapidly growing EV sector in the USA.”
Rachel Lanning, global sourcing director for electrical systems and new power at Cummins, said of the award presented to TRB, “The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted all aspects of our lives, both in business and personally. In a time when so many factors are beyond our control, Cummins is grateful to have dedicated supplier partners such as TRB. We truly are all in this together.”
Cummins Inc., headquartered in Indiana, is a global Fortune 500 company with 61,600 employees. It makes state-of-the-art diesel and natural gas-powered engines, as well as parts for those engines. It also is a provider of high-speed horsepower engines and power generation equipment. In addition, the company has five components segments that deliver integrated solutions, including Cummins Filtration, Cummins Turbo Technologies, Cummins Emission Solutions, Cummins Electronics and Fuel Systems and Eaton Cummins Automated Transmission Technologies.
