Didier Leroy, President of Toyota Manufacturing France, talks to AMS about production at the Valenciennes plant, working with suppliers and the benefit of local manufacture. He shares his thoughts on automation and robotics and other challenges facing European carmakers.

Interviews with a range of auto industry suppliers including Bosch, Delphi, Magna and Denso to investigate how the movement of manufacturing bases has affected their costs, what techniques have been put in place to offset these and how efficiencies in packaging factor into the mix.

Motorsport manufacturing - Part 1
Matt Youson investigates the various technologies developed in Formula 1 and how these have found their way into mass-produced vehicles. He asks whether the sport's manufacturing elite, namely BMW, Toyota, Mercedes and Honda, have helped or hindered the free flow of innovation.

Safety bus systems
AMS charts the progress of safety bus systems and how they maintain communications between production line robots for safe operation, maintenance and material supply.

Wireless production control
Wireless production control - an in-depth look at how this technology has overcome inherent network communication issues and potential multi-channel interference.

Laser marking
Mike Farish talks to representatives from Pryor and Electrox - two companies at the forefront of laser technology - and finds out that the newest lasers offer a greater cost benefit and improved safety than those of a few years ago.

Machining steels
Steed Webzell focuses on advances in machining steels and the techniques used to maintain healthy margins in the face of low-cost alternatives produced in emerging nations.

Specialised powertrain materials
An in-depth look at how ceramics and powdered metals are being incorporated into modern powertrains and how hi-tech plastics are shaping the way companies produce a variety of engine components.