Cooper Standard Earns Golden Scale Award for FlexiCore™ Technology
Cooper Standard has received the 2025 Golden Scale Award for Sealing System Innovation for its FlexiCore™ Thermoplastic Body Seal technology. The award, presented during the 2026 Global Automotive Closures Systems Innovation Technology Summit & Product Exhibition in Shanghai, China, honors innovation and technical achievement in automotive closures, sealing, glass, and exterior systems technologies. The selection of winners was made by a panel of industry experts from OEMs, suppliers, and academia.
Patrick Clark, president of sealing systems and chief manufacturing officer at Cooper Standard, commented on the recognition, stating, "Receiving the Golden Scale Award underscores Cooper Standard's strong commitment to innovation and customer partnership in the Chinese market, which remains a key area of growth for our Company. This recognition reflects our team's advanced capabilities in sealing system design and development, while also reinforcing the strong relationships we continue to build with our global customers and industry partners."
The FlexiCore Body Seal is characterized as a lightweight, 100% thermoplastic alternative to traditional rubber vehicle body seals, which often include heavier metal carrier components. It delivers a weight reduction of up to 44%, potentially enhancing vehicle efficiency while maintaining the same durability and performance of conventional sealing systems. The fully recyclable technology may also reduce automotive assembly time, offering both environmental and manufacturing advantages for customers.
The Golden Scale Award is the most recent accolade for FlexiCore technology, which has also received a 2026 Environment+Energy Leader Award for Innovation in Sustainability, was a finalist for the 2024 Automotive News PACE Pilot Award, and won the 2024 SPE Automotive Innovation Award. Earlier in the year, FlexiCore was launched into production with a global automotive manufacturer, marking a significant milestone for the commercialization and market adoption of the technology.
Cooper Standard is headquartered in Northville, Michigan, with operations in 20 countries, and is recognized as a leading global supplier of sealing and fluid handling systems and components. The company emphasizes innovative and sustainable engineered solutions for various transportation and industrial markets, supported by a workforce of approximately 22,000 team members who contribute to the company's success and its impact on surrounding communities.