All Article articles – Page 198
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ArticleMMVO reaches 100,000 units
Mexico – Mazda de Mexico Vehicle Operation (MMVO) hit the total 11 months after production began. The 100,000th unit was a Mazda2 (Mazda Demio in Japan) for export to Europe.“We see this achievement as a milestone on our road towards achieving our mission of making MMVO one of the most ...
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Mazda production down at home, up abroad
Japan – Total domestic output dropped by 26.6% in November compared to the same period the year before, due to lower production of both passenger cars and commercial vehicles (CVs). Overseas output jumped by 40.7% year-on-year due to greater production of passenger vehicles.Domestic production comprised: 19,647 CX-5 units (down 24.2% ...
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ArticleFCA spends $266m on TorqueFlight at Kokomo
US – The investment will increase capacity for the eight-speed, fuel-efficient transmission, of which the plant made nearly 700,000 in the first 11 months of 2014 – up from 300,000 the year before.Capacity will be increased within the existing assembly floorspace at Kokomo Transmission Plant (KTP); the investment will go ...
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ArticleExpanded Metal buys new equipment
UK – The company has made a multimillion-pound investment in the latest metal expanding machines, ancillary processing machinery, storage and systems at its Hartlepool plant.The new equipment is already being used to make the company’s Exmesh Automotive range. Expanded Metal says these expanded metal and micro-mesh products are becoming “increasingly ...
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ArticleScania Oskarshamn now using new paintshop
Sweden – Housed in a five-storey building with a total area of 5,000 sq.m, the priming facility will enable production to increase from 60,000 to 80,000 truck cabs per year; Scania says SEK 400m ($49m) has been invested.The facility has a low environmental impact owing to its powder coating method, ...
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ArticleTurning India green
With automotive output rising, the country faces higher demands on energy and waste management India was the sixth-largest vehicle-producing country in the world in 2013, according to statistics from the International Organization of Motor Vehicle Manufacturers. Moreover, global analyst IHS Automotive predicts that the country will move up to ...
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ArticleMitsubishi Okazaki hits 5m milestone
Japan – An Outlander PHEV was the 5 millionth vehicle produced since 1977 at the facility near Nagoya. The milestone unit was presented to Yasuhiro Uchida, mayor of Okazaki City, for use as a four-wheel-drive emergency vehicle during natural disasters.Located next to Mitsubishi’s global R&D centre, the 425,000 sq.m Okazaki ...
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ArticleMaruti: Inspired by Japan
By strengthening its focus on quality, the OEM aims to keep its 44% market share despite more competitionWith sales of over 1.15m vehicles during 2013-2014 – encompassing hatchbacks, sedans, vans and SUVs – Maruti Suzuki is by any standards a major carmaker. As its name indicates, Maruti Suzuki is a ...
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ArticleIndia: Two wheels still good
Unharmed by the economic downturn, manufacturers of motorcycles and scooters are now pressing ahead with plans to increase production – building new plants and expanding existing facilitiesThe biggest motorcycle and scooter market in the world is back at full throttle after surviving India’s economic slump of the last couple of ...
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ArticleBelt conveyor preheating oven
Grieve Corporation has introduced No. 827, a 400°F electric belt conveyor oven, currently in use for preheating automotive fabric panels at a customer’s facility.Workloads travel on top of a 30” wide, mesh Teflon-coated fiberglass conveyor belt with 1/4 HP motor drive, variable speed from 0.5 to 10 feet per ...
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ArticleRotary table workstation for laser marking
FOBA says it has introduced two laser marking workstations with 2-position rotary tables for the processing of geometrically complex work pieces of varying sizes and small and large batches of parts. The automated laser class 1 rotary table workstations M2000-R and M3000-R come with a programmable Z-axis and a 2-position ...
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ArticleFaurecia inaugurates seating plant at Wentzville
US – The $13m facility in Missouri, which started production in September, will support the component supplier’s GM business by making seats for the Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon truck lines.In establishing its new, 81,844 sq.ft manufacturing site, Faurecia partnered with the Department of Economic Development and local institutions to ...
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ArticleWelding trainer for robot programmers
Virtual Welding Robotics from Fronius is now available to instructors to assist the training of robot programmers. The system shows the user whether they have programmed the robot correctly or if the welding torch was handled in the right way, says the company. A virtual instructor provides specific instructions as ...
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Article2-D barcode reading
Cognex has introduced its PowerGrid technology, a texture-based location algorithm that, the company says, takes an inside-out approach to reading 2-D matrix and Direct Part Mark (DPM) codes. While conventional feature-based algorithms start by locating the finder pattern, PowerGrid technology looks for a pattern of alternating light and dark modules ...
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ArticleExtended fieldbus options for drives
New fieldbus options provide drives’ users with fast, accurate control of processes as well as access to large amounts of data on how the process is behaving, say ABB. Its latest variable-speed drives offer two option slots for fieldbus modules. These modules can be of different types, allowing, for example, ...
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ArticleMulti-tasking machining centre
Yamazaki Mazak’s new INTEGREX i-100S multi-tasking machine, features a large machining area with compact ergonomic design. The company claims it is capable of machining both round and square workpieces from raw material with just one set up, one machine and one operator. It is also equipped with a BARTAC S ...
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ArticleEditor's note: Power to the people
For many outside the automotive industry, vehicle manufacturing is viewed as a wholly automated process – and they can be forgiven for thinking this, because the vast majority of images depict lines of robots building cars. Indeed, I receive so much information on automation and control systems that it’s easy ...
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ArticleInterview: Richard Else, JLR Halewood
The plant director has his hands full managing a factory that is running at maximum capacity thanks to demand for the Range Rover Evoque. While its new Chinese sister plant is providing additional capacity, an upcoming model and £200m of recent investment mean Else will soon be busier than ever ...
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ArticleDriving UK automotive growth
Sustained investment by global vehicle and component manufacturers, the local authorities and the government, has helped Sunderland to become a key carmaking hub in the UKLeading the UK’s new, sustainable, export-led car industry is Nissan at Sunderland. Long hailed as the most productive car manufacturing Facility in the UK, the ...
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ArticlePortable, fast & accurate measurement
Michael Lettau, product manager laser trackers at Hexagon Metrology, explains how ultra-portable high-speed laser tracker technology has developed to produce the multipurpose inspection tools that are driving better productivity in the automotive industryWith global demand continuing to rise, automotive manufacturers face a continuous challenge to enhance their productivity. The need ...