All Article articles – Page 136
-
ArticleUpgraded scanning sensor range
Hexagon Manufacturing Intelligence says the new versions of its HP-S-X1 series of compact probes feature a new bearing system for better joint repeatability and will now accept longer horizontal styli for improved flexibility.Featuring small external dimensions and supporting stylus lengths of up to 225mm, HP-S-X1 probes enable coordinate measuring machines ...
-
ArticleAutomated small part welding cell
The QIROX QR-CC-4.1 compact robot cell has a 2-station workpiece positioner with vertical change and vertical rotation, says system builder Cloos. It offers a clamping length of up to 1,250mm and a maximum load of 250kg per side, which the company says allows a wide range of components to be ...
-
ArticleJLR opens technical centre for SVO
UK – The 20,000 sq.m facility near Coventry will house the HQ of the OEM’s Special Vehicle Operations as well as manufacturing, painting, technical, and customer commissioning and presentation areas. Jaguar Land Rover has invested £20m ($25.9m).“The SVO technical centre is a very modern facility, inspired by a Formula One ...
-
ArticlePower to the machines
While human flexibility offers special advantages in the assembly hall, modern paintshops rely heavily on automation to tackle hostile conditions and a strong need for consistency. AMS reviews the recent trendsRobotic technologies have for decades been centre stage in automotive manufacturing. The industry is top of the league for robot ...
-
ArticleSheet metal forming simulation software
ESI claims its Die Starter simulation software enables die face designers to reduce the number of iterations needed to establish a feasible tool design. The company says this system automatically designs the first complete die face including binder, addendum, bead centreline and blank contour, while taking into account minimal material ...
-
ArticleLight work of heavy loads
KUKA Robotics and Boll Automation use Binspect vision system to optimise production of axles for commercial vehicles, helping to reduce the physical strain on employees and to increase efficiencyIn recent decades, commercial vehicle manufacturers have experienced rapid changes in the production of axles. The demands on drive-train modules in terms ...
-
ArticleMonitoring vital statistics
As OEMs look to reduce energy consumption in their paintshops, the latest software can improve efficiencyPaintshops account for the greatest energy use at any automotive manufacturing operation – around 70%, says Bill Sarver, senior consultant, Global Automotive at Rockwell Automation – and that makes efficiency in this area crucial to ...
-
ArticleResistance welding system
Amada Miyachi Europe says its AWS3 Active Welding System 3, offers an integrated resistance welding solution that provides process control, monitoring, and quality analysis. The company says the system is available in either servo-motorised or pneumatic versions and can be used alone as a benchtop system or integrated into a ...
-
ArticleMeasuring high-precision master workpieces
The VideoCheck V HA is traceable and can be used to calibrate the calibration masters at the factory, say Werth. If the quality management system requires a DAkkS certificate, the machine can be calibrated by the company's own DAkkS lab in accordance with DIN EN ISO/IEC 17025.The system features a ...
-
ArticlePanamera made completely at Leipzig
Germany – The Porsche factory in Saxony will take over the production and painting of the new-generation bodies-in-white from Volkswagen Hanover, which has held this responsibility since the launch of the model in 2009. Previously, Leipzig undertook the pre-assembly and final assembly.Porsche has spent around €500m ($556.4m) on a fourth ...
-
ArticleJones to direct VW’s car division
UK – Effective from July 4, Alison Jones will replace Alex Smith as brand director of Volkswagen Passenger Cars. Smith is moving to a role elsewhere in the industry.Jones has spent ten of her 18 years at the Group with the Volkswagen brand, holding management and head-of positions in Retailer ...
-
ArticleMetrology meets automation
Portable systems have made high-accuracy measurement possible across all plant areas – the next step in this evolution is the integration of metrology with automationFrom the progressive assembly line to lean manufacturing principles, the automotive industry has always led the way in manufacturing technology. As the industry faces ever shorter ...
-
ArticleNissan cuts CO2 emissions by 22.4%
Japan – The figure was revealed on the publication of the Nissan’s annual Sustainability Report. The OEM said that progress has been accelerated by the Nissan Green Program which was introduced in 2002; the most recent version, NGP2016, laid out ambitious targets to reduce environmental impact and resource consumption by ...
-
ArticleFord of Europe now landfill-free
UK – The OEM says it has eliminated the 6,000 tonnes of waste per annum which were previously sent to landfill from manufacturing operations involved in the production of 1.2m vehicles. The target was achieved over a period of five years.Ford employed innovative strategies to avoid creating waste, such as ...
-
ArticleThyssenkrupp's damper systems plant
Mexico – The company has announced that it will build a new facility at San Miguel de Allende in Guanajuato, where it has been constructing a plant for cylinder-head covers with integrated camshafts since the beginning of the year. Investment in the site will total €150m ($166.7m).Thyssenkrupp’s components manufacturing complex ...
-
ArticleTaking a shine to plastics
As tighter legislation restricts the use of traditional electroplating materials, a new method of plastics metallisation developed by Oerlikon Balzers could provide an alternative with wide-ranging benefitsIt’s an inescapable fact: human beings like shiny things. As such, automotive designers are increasingly using parts with the appearance of metal to make ...
-
ArticleAchieving Acura-cy
As production of the 2017 Acura NSX ramps up at the dedicated Performance Manufacturing Center in Ohio, AMS investigates what technologies and processes are required to generate a finish fit for a supercarA Japanese supercar is being manufactured in rural America. The first-generation Honda NSX, which is sold under the ...
-
ArticleInterview: Klemens Bartmann, Axalta
As the coatings company turns 150 years old, its global technology director reflects on the sector’s trends, challenges and opportunities – including new materials, environmental concerns and multi-functionality Klemens Bartmann, Axalta Coating SystemsJoanne Perry (JP): Can you briefly outline the differences in requirements between coatings for light vehicles and those ...
-
ArticleNissan’s domestic production drops
Japan – The OEM released output figures for May showing a decrease of 2.5% year-on-year to 65,309 units. Production outside Japan was relatively stable, rising just 0.9% to 370,000 units, but enabled Nissan to claim a record for May, and its 13th consecutive monthly increase.Global production totalled 435,938 units (+0.4%), ...
-
Article
Transição do Sistema Swift
Quando uma empresa precisa substituir um grande sistema de TI relacionado à fabricação, tem que encontrar uma maneira que tenha mínimo impacto negativo sobre os cronogramas de produção.Quando uma empresa precisa substituir um grande sistema de TI relacionado à fabricação, tem que encontrar uma maneira que tenha mínimo impacto negativo ...