Asia – Page 12
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Working from home
Ian Henry looks at how Japan’s OEMs are faring in their native land as they intensify supply to their own domestic market The domestic manufacturing networks of the major Japanese car companies have been stable in comparison to the extensive reorganisation, expansion and product re-allocations that have taken place ...
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Scania sets sights on Thailand
Thailand - Scania has opened a new assembly facility for truck cabs, truck chassis and bus chassis in the Bangkok Free Trade Zone, Thailand. The Swedish OEM says that the move is an important part of its plan to strengthen its presence in the region. “With this new industrial establishment ...
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Tesla starts building China factory
Tesla unveiled plans to build a factory in China back in 2014. The EV maker has now taken its first step to construct the facility after breaking ground on the site in Shanghai. The move comes amidst a series of regulatory changes made by government which could have a significant ...
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Asia’s other powerhouse
Already a dynamic and rapidly growing manufacturing hub, South-East Asia’s automotive industry is finding further opportunity in the growth of battery and hybrid vehicle production Two nations dominate South-East Asia vehicle production, namely Thailand (approximately 2m units per annum (upa)) and Indonesia (c1.1m upa). There is one mid-sized producer ...
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New chapter, different story?
International expansion continues but, as Ian Henry reports, Audi’s long-term role within the VW Group is now under scrutiny Audi is expanding globally, notably in China, as it seeks to escape from its recent controversial past. Having been complicit in the diesel scandal affecting Volkswagen Group, it has been hit ...
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High performance for next-gen at NIO
Lightweighting, multi-metal compatibility and a focus on aluminium substrates is how thin-film, pretreatment technologies fulfil the requirements for NIO’s next generation of electric vehicles With its advanced thin-film Oxsilan technology, the Surface Treatment global business unit of BASF’s coatings division operating under the Chemetall brand, ensures a perfect surface treatment ...
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Paint technology and investments
We report on the new technology, techniques and investments in the world of paintshop being implemented by vehicle-makers around the world… Eisenmann’s E-Shuttle 200 pre-treatment/electrocoating system will be part of the Leipzig upgrade Expansion at BMW Leipzig Eisenmann says it has been given overall responsibility for expanding ...
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AGVs drive industry revolution
JBT is working with automotive manufacturers to offer a range of a provider of automated guided vehicle solutions, in line with the transformation to Industry 4.0 Automotive manufacturers have become experts on automation. However, from the vantage point of automation suppliers, the needs of their automotive clients are ...
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Unease in the East
Falling sales, electrification and mega mergers: Nick Gibbs provides an overview of the current automotive industry trends in China A fascinating year for China’s automotive industry has seen the world’s largest car market undergo a series of seismic shifts as it moves to a new level of maturity, bringing both ...
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Power from plastics
James Bakewell speaks to thermoset plastics specialists Pieter Vanderstraeten and Hendrik De Keyser about the increasing scope for composite powertrain components While the use of advanced composites in structural applications has hogged the limelight in recent years, these lightweight materials also have many advantages for the manufacture of components for ...
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Academic circles
Mike Farish visits Oxford-based start-up YASA, a special electric motor company sprung from academia that’s now attracting the attention of premium OEMsEarly this year a bland-looking industrial estate a few miles to the north of Oxford officially became the manufacturing site for what one of its residents believes to be ...
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Piecing it all together
Ian Henry identifies six themes from the moves, mergers and makeovers underway in the global automotive tier supply sector Six themes characterise the automotive supply sector at present, namely: ongoing M&A, the financial challenges faced by the supply base, restructuring and realignment of product portfolios, investment in new facilities, the ...
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Toyota makes hybrid transaxles
Poland - The OEM has started production of its hybrid electric transaxles at its plant in Wałbrzych, situated in the south west of the country. They will be fitted to the new Corolla Hybrid, which is being built at Toyota's Burnaston factory in the UK, and the C-HR Hybrid, which ...
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Daimler hits milestone in India
India - Daimler India Commercial Vehicles (DICV), which is part of Mitsubishi Fuso Truck and Bus Corporation (MFTBC), has made 100,000 vehicles at its plant in Oragadam - an industrial town located near Chennai on the south east coast. The news comes just two years after the facility hit the ...
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Slim nozzle torch body
Its new torch body for robotic welding devices features the MTB 350’s gas nozzle, which has a diameter that is 20% smaller than conventional torches, claims Fronius. The 20mm nozzle allows the welding torch to reach the interface more easily when working with challenging component geometries, and offers a high ...
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A European focus
The third edition of the French automotive forum offered insights into the region’s production footprint and OEM e-mobility strategies. Nick Holt reports The 3rd FEAL Auto forum placed its focus on the Hauts-de-France, seen as a primary region for automotive manufacturing. The event highlighted the strong commitment from both regional ...
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Expanding and restructuring
As the move to electrified and autonomous vehicles accelerates, Toyota is expanding in both technology areas and restructuring its operations. Ian Henry reports Toyota is making a number of key organisational changes to simplify and rationalise its operations in response to the fast-changing automotive market. As of the end of ...
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Eberspaecher and Yuchai build plant
China - The two companies have announced the formation of a joint venture (JV) to produce and sell exhaust emission control systems for commercial vehicles. These will be made at a new plant in Yulin, which is located in southern China."As the market leader for commercial vehicle emission control technologies ...
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Welcome to Naperville
With the increasing use of schwartz’s roller hearth furnaces for press-hardening in North America, a relocation helps the US subsidiary to meet demand The globally active schwartz Group, the world market leader* in heat-treatment equipment for press-hardening, has evolved into a key supplier to the automotive industry. In order to ...
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Ford announces manufacturing lead
US - Bruce Hettle, Ford's group vice president of manufacturing and labor affairs, is due to retire on 1 October, and will be replaced by Gary Johnson. In this role, Johnson will manage the operations of 67 assembly, stamping and powertrain production plants across the world."Under Bruce’s leadership, Ford has ...