South Korean automaker Hyundai Motor Group this week announced it has developed the world's first automated system for designing press moulds for vehicle body parts which dramatically reduces design times and improves quality and efficiency, according to local reports.

The press moulds, or dies, are tools used to produce steel body panels for vehicles, including door panels, trunk lids and hoods, which typically require between three and five stamping processes using different moulds in each step.

HMG revealed it has standardized the “technical documents and design conditions” for designing moulds and has integrated the separate design processes into a single system. Designers can now input the relevant values step by step into the system, which then automatically generates the optimal design blueprint for the press mould.

The automaker claims the system can help reduce mould design times by up to 75% compared with traditional processes, while also eliminating designed errors and improving overall quality. The group’s two vehicle-making units, Hyundai Motor and Kia Corporation, are said to have partially implemented the new system since 2020 and have now completed the full development of the system.