Automation – Page 273
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Article
VW makes changes to the board
Germany – Currently speaker for the brand board of management of Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles, Eckhard Scholz has been appointed chairman of the board for the CV division. Joachim Rothenpieler has been named board member for Technical Development.Scholz joined the VW Group in 1991, and held various management positions in Technical ...
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ArticleChrysler boosts board of directors
US – The appointees include Hermann Waldemer, who was most recently CFO at Philip Morris International and replaces Douglas Steenland, who leaves the board at the expiration of his tenure.The other new board members are: Reid Bigland, who is head of US Sales for Chrysler as well as leading Chrysler ...
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ArticleJLR launches Special Operations division
UK – The new business will focus on designing and engineering high-specification vehicles, bespoke commissions, heritage products and branded goods. Led by managing director John Edwards, these activities will be housed within a state-of-the-art technical centre and a new heritage vehicle workshop in the West Midlands. Situated near to the ...
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ArticleKia’s Soul takes wing for Europe
Korea – The first units of the electric vehicle (EV) rolled off the production line at the OEM’s Gwangju plant, destined for the European countries where they will go on sale in the second half of the year.Thomas Oh, EVP and COO at Kia Motors, commented: “Although it is Kia’s ...
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ArticleRenewed Renault Sandouville celebrates 50 years
France – The plant has produced more than 8m vehicles since opening in 1964, and from 2011 to 2013 embarked on a €230m ($313m) transformation plan to begin a new phase of production. Sandouville will now build light commercial vehicles (LCVs) for the first time.The plant will make the new ...
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ArticleInfiniti Decherd powertrain plant set for SOP
US – The start of operations (SOP) at the new facility in Tennessee is scheduled for June 26 this year. The first engine to be assembled will be a 2.0-litre turbocharged gasoline four-cylinder model.The 310,000 sq.m plant is the result of a partnership between Renault-Nissan and Daimler and was built ...
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ArticleMulti-material, lightweight car concept unveiled
US – The project by Ford and Magna International, which was co-funded by the US Department of Energy (DOE), used advanced material solutions to achieve a weight saving of almost 25% compared with the industry standard.The multi-material, lightweight vehicle (MMLV) concept is based on the production version of a 2013 ...
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ArticleSMIL e Magneti em parceria de amortecedores
Índia - Um empreendimento conjunto 50:50 foi formada após Samvardhana Motherson Internacional (SMIL) ter adquirido metade do capital social da Magneti Marelli Shock Absorbers India. A parceria fará uso das instalações de produção Magneti Marelli para amortecedores existentes, que estão localizadas em Chakan, Pune, e são consideradas como detentoras de ...
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ArticleToyota begins Central Asian Fortuner production
Kazakhstan – The OEM has commenced complete knockdown (CKD) activities for the body-on-frame SUV at Saryarka AvtoProm (SAP) in Kostanay, the first production site for Toyota vehicles in the region.Preparations for CKD production, including welding, painting and assembly processes, involved technical and standards guidance from 20 Toyota engineers and production ...
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Article
Alumínio para aplicações automotivas
A crescente utilização deste material leve apresenta aos fabricantes desta liga desafios técnicos cada vez maioresPara o observador informal, não há nada de extraordinário quanto ao anúncio da Ford de que estará usando alumínio em vez de aço para produzir a carroceria da sua picape F-150 2015.Afinal, o metal tem ...
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ArticleConstruindo o novo Macan
A Porsche investiu €500 milhões para construir uma oficina dedicada de pintura para o SUV'Made in Germany' foi assim por muito tempo considerado como um marco de qualidade na fabricação de automóveis que o uso dessa marca possui, por vezes, se estendia a credibilidade, confiando mais no emblema que qualquer ...
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ArticleNyman becomes SVP commercial, IAC
Luxembourg – In his new role, Marcus Nyman will oversee the activities of the global Customer Business Units (CBUs) for International Automotive Components’ European OEM customers, Business Development and Management, plus the Program Management group.Nyman will work closely with the company’s other regional commercial leaders and will report directly to ...
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ArticleThe aluminium boom
As OEMs seek to reduce the fuel consumption and emissions of their vehicles, the lightweight material is becoming an increasingly important solution“In the next five years, you'll see more high-volume, mass-market cars with all-aluminium bodies”. This prediction was made in 2012 by Randall Scheps, marketing director of automotive sheet at ...
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ArticleFabricando el nuevo Macan
Porsche ha invertido 500 millones de euros en la construcción de un taller de carrocería y pintura específico para el nuevo SUV‘Made in Germany’ se considera desde hace tiempo como una referencia de calidad en la industria del automóvil y el uso de esta etiqueta ha estirado la credibilidad, centrándose ...
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ArticleEl aluminio en la industria del automóvil
El aumento en el uso de este material ligero representa nuevos y mayores desafíos técnicos para los fabricantes de esta aleación Para el observador casual no hay nada extraordinario en el anuncio de Ford de que utilizará aluminio en lugar de acero para producir la carrocería de su camioneta pickup ...
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ArticleSMIL and Magneti in shock absorber partnership
India – The 50:50 joint venture has been formed after Samvardhana Motherson International (SMIL) acquired half the share capital of Magneti Marelli Shock Absorbers India. The partnership will make use of the existing Magneti Marelli manufacturing facility for shock absorbers which is located in Chakan, Pune, and is claimed to ...
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ArticleAllied to aluminium
The growing use of this lightweight material presents its manufacturers with significant technical challengesTo the casual observer, there is nothing extraordinary about Ford’s announcement that it will be using aluminium instead of steel to produce the body of its 2015 F-150 pick-up truck.After all, the lightweight metal has been used ...
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Article铝应用于汽车业
轻质材料的广泛应用，使铝合金的技术成为汽车制造商最大的挑战对漫不经心的旁观者来说，福特公司公布将铝替代钢铁用于生产2015 F-150皮卡车车身，没什么大惊小怪的。毕竟，轻质金属应用于制造汽车组件已有数十年。例如，奥迪公司——与Alcoa公司合作——在1982年就开始开发A8汽车铝底架，并从1994年开始系列生产这种车辆。 除此之外，捷豹路虎(JLR)——目前正处于汽车用铝发展的前沿——将铝广泛应用于XJ，F-型，和路虎揽胜车型。公司将引进全铝构架，用于将来的XE轿车的生产，这将成为世界上最大的铝质汽车车体修理厂。 然而，产品都是豪华车，每年的产量只有几万辆。而福特F-150则是美国过去32年间销量最高的车型之一。单单美国，在2013年就售出超过760,000辆F系列皮卡车。 Alcoa公司汽车部市场总监Randal Scheps说，“我们处在汽车制造历史性转变的起点。福特F-150全铝车身构造，只是冰上的一角而已。”制铝工业预测，到2025年汽车制造业对铝的需求将会翻番，因为美国和欧盟对节约燃料标准更为苛刻。 肯联铝业公司(Constellium)包装和汽车轧材产品业务部部长Laurent Musy说，“在美国，最新公司平均燃油经济性（CAFE）标准目前只适用于中型和重型卡车，这也许是福特公司决定用铝来制造新的F-150皮卡车的原因。到2016年，CAFE标准将会更加严格，这将推动汽车制造商对量产汽车进行减重。” 肯联铝业预计，美国市场对铝质轧材产品的需求（用于汽车的白车身），将从2012年不足100,000吨，增长到2020年的约100万吨。在欧洲，公司预测白车身将推动市场一年增长12%，到2020年需求将超过600,000吨。Alcoa公司的Scheps说，“主要是从铝机盖到车门和整个车身变化。” Constellium have invested hundreds of millions of dollars in the production of aluminium for automotive applications开发合金铝供应商和OEM制造商加紧步伐开发合金，以赶上对新材料需求的步伐。 合金主要应用于5000和6000系列的汽车车体外板和白车体。5000系列是与镁铸成合金的，代表汽车为JLR的高铝路虎揽胜，占车身37%的重量。6000系列是与镁和硅铸成合金的，容易机械加工，并能沉淀硬化，逐渐广泛应用于汽车制造。这种材料用于路虎揽胜另一个车身，占重量37%（车身其余部位包括15%的铸件和6%的挤压制品，其余部分是由钢铁制成）。 JLR使用诺贝丽斯的耐蚀铝合金(AC)600PX，用于生产路虎揽胜车体侧边，是汽车行业内最大的整片铝质车体面板。在经过预时效处理，即在油漆车间经过180度高温加热之后，合金变得更强——比5000系列合金更为强大。而且，它更柔软，这样可以用于生产几何结构更为复杂的零部件。 诺贝丽斯高强度AC300T61用于生产路虎揽胜安全关键的缓冲装置。合金在典型使用显示强度为225MPa——比JLR默认的NG5754合金强出85MPa。与NG5754相比，AC300T61每单位长度多吸收30%的能量，能用于更薄的仪表。因此，JLR宣称，他们能生产比使用NG5754轻20%、便宜9%的组件。事实上，铝在缓冲处理结构(CMS)上的使用会增长迅速。肯联铝业汽车结构与工业部部长Paul Warton说，“分析家预计，到2018年铝将占到欧盟CMS市场30%，美国的20%。” 高强度铝2014年2月，肯联铝业宣布启动一项高强度铝CMS技术，为车辆前端和后端而设计。据公司讲，他们的CMS系统显示出高强度性能，以及与6000系列铝合金相似的物理性质，包括可成形性、耐蚀性和能量吸收性。 铝的生产厂和使用这种材质的OEM制造商，也越来越倾向于通过制造铝质组件来降低二氧化碳排放量。为了这个目的，JLR开发了RC5754，它的50%的重量碎片都来自内部处理过程。RC5754将成为JLR将来汽车的默认材质——包括捷豹XE——并替代NG5754材质。而且，公司打算将回收来的合金反过来用到目前的车型当中。 汽车行业中对铸造合金的需求也露出类似端倪。总部在英国的JVM Castings公司为JLR、福特和宝马压铸组件。该集团设计总监Simon Ruffle说，“现在组件需要变得更薄、更轻、更强，并且具有更强大的综合特性。”JVM已经为JLR生产零部件超过50年，刚开始时是为捷豹XK生产压铸铝中立柱，是通过结合中立柱和鹅颈管铸件完成的。 JVM has produced die-cast aluminium B-Pillars for Jaguar 当捷豹在2010年宣布建造F-型车型的计划时，JVM团队就被分派任务重新设计中立柱结构以避免分部装配。“我们的设计师所面临的难题是，创造浇注系统和流道系统能同时完成两种不同的铸件。我们最终的设计，能将总装配重量减少超过50%，并消除7个轧钢的成本和重量，因而减少装配成本。与以往需要2个压注模和7个冲压工具相比，我们的新中立柱只需要一个成套冲模。” 铸造大组件JVM目前忙于几个研究项目，以满足汽车行业强大的需求。例如，该公司与JLR和总部位于伍斯特的Aeromet国际合作，设计如何将一个名为A20X的高强度合金铸造成大的组件。A20X是由Aeromet开发，是一个铝/铜合金A201的改进版本。它具有440Mpa的屈服强度，和500Mpa的抗拉强度——是目前最强的铸造合金——其伸长率是3-5%。据Aeromet称，A20X解决了铝/铜合金可铸性差的问题，但与A357这类的铝/硅合金相比，具有易变性的特点。 随着铝质车身结构使用的增加，新的连接和装配方法有待发展和革新。粘合剂方法得到广泛认同，但是铝的固有有利特性——在暴露在空气时，表面形成一层薄的氧化铝，增强其抗腐蚀能力——会影响到粘合剂，也就是说金属首先要进行初级处理。 Alcoa称，他们已经开发了初级处理方法，叫做Alcoa951。与传统的转换层系统相比（例如钛锆），它使粘合剂的耐用性增加到9倍。这种处理不含有任何破坏环境的重金属，是使用沉浸或喷雾的方式的。Alcoa说，951在汽车制造过程中基本上是“透明的”，比如成型、电阻点焊和喷漆。公司已经批准Chemetall进行全球生产。 鉴于能减低车辆的重量，铝似乎能成为汽车制造中最佳选择，但是要成为真正畅销金属，要攻克怎样的难关呢？与钢铁相比，铝的高成本就是个问题。Ruffle 说：“但是，如果你把整个成本考虑进去的的话，比如重复利用率和污染等因素，那么铝在汽车行业的使用将具有极大地竞争优势。” Scheps则更加乐观。他相信，Alcoa所面临的困难是生产足够多的产品，以应付汽车制造商的大胃口。在2014年1月，完成在洛瓦斥资3亿美元的铝板工厂，2013年8月在田纳西的汽车部门的建设破土动工。在过去的12个月里，诺贝丽斯和肯联铝业斥资数亿美元，生产用于汽车业的铝。 肯来铝业的Musy说：“我们相信，高级铝在汽车市场前景看好，具有长远发展潜力，而且我们的投资也助其一臂之力。” ...
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ArticleAlumínio para aplicações automotivas
A crescente utilização deste material leve apresenta aos fabricantes desta liga desafios técnicos cada vez maiores.Para o observador informal, não há nada de extraordinário quanto ao anúncio da Ford de que estará usando alumínio em vez de aço para produzir a carroceria da sua picape F-150 2015. Afinal, o metal ...
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ArticleHandheld laser measurement device
Third Dimension has launched the GapGun Pro, its flagship handheld laser measurement device. The company says GapGun Pro offers improved speed, ease of use, portability and ruggedness. New and improved functionality includes: ultra fast processing capability and a new VChange sensor system. The company says the GapGun Pro includes its ...