Case Study: Leading Automaking Company achieves cost-effective fuel efficiency and fail-safe active grille shutters with Flex

Leading Automaking Company - Customer Case Study

Leading Automaking Company sought to improve vehicle fuel efficiency by adopting active grille shutters but faced challenges with the new technology’s safety, durability and integration early in the design process. The customer engaged Flex and its Sketch-to-Scale™ ecosystem, including Flex MCi (Mirror Controls International), to develop a reliable, production-ready active grille shutter solution that would not compromise engine cooling or introduce new failure risks.

Flex implemented an integrated grille-shutter design using Flex MCi actuators and its Smart Control architecture to centralize control and reduce part count, plus a fail‑safe default‑open mode to prevent overheating if power or signals are lost. The result: the Leading Automaking Company met its fuel-efficiency targets cost‑effectively by cutting aerodynamic drag, achieved key safety and durability goals (reducing potential recall risk), and gained quieter motor and cabin performance—delivering measurable improvements in efficiency, reliability and customer experience under the Flex solution.