Automation – Page 379
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ArticleA crystal clear vision of a clean future
Cleaning up in EuropeCustom cleaning configurationsAMS looks at a remarkable company that supplies the robotic painting industry with a highly effective gun and bell cleaning systemFounded in 1994 by innovator and designer Kevin White, Crystal Cap Cleaners (CCC) is a classic example of the phrase attributed to Ralph Waldo Emerson: ...
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ArticleRussian revolution for GAZ
Restructuring for the futureCommercial successIn-house component productionCustomer-based benchmarkingContract manufacturingInvestment and upgradingRussia’s automotive industry has seen something of a renaissance since its Soviet guise was consigned to history. GAZ, famous for its trucks and Volga and Chaika cars, is re-establishing itself as a car maker through contract manufacturing with VW, GM ...
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Volvo appointed Alain Visser to Sales vice-president post
Sweden – Volvo Car Corporation has appointed Alain Visser to the new position of vice-president Sales Operations within Marketing, Sales and Customer Service.Visser comes from a position as vice-president Sales, Marketing and Aftersales for Opel and Vauxhall, based in Germany. His previous experience includes a variety of leadership positions in ...
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Director board of Audi expands following the acquisition of Ducati
Italy/Germany – Following the acquisition of Ducati Motor Holding by Audi AG, the new board of directors appointed the CEO of Audi AG, Rupert Stadler, as president of the board and Gabriele Del Torchio and Claudio Domenicali from Ducati as members of the board alongside Horst Glaser and Axel Strotbek ...
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ArticleSmart savings in paintshop energy
Savings potential lies dormant everywherePutting machines to sleepFrom cost factor to success factorPaint shop automation – a question of integrationUlrich Schrickel of Siemens explains how modern technologies and solutions can improve energy efficiency in the paintshopIn terms of energy used in a car plant, the paint shop is undisputedly the ...
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ArticleSmall, efficient and a true survivor within GM Europe
Press lineSharing the stressBodyshop ingenuity Future visionAssembly expertiseLuton today – economic and effectiveAll new for X82A good example of how things have changed at Luton, UK over the years is the shift patterns: in 2008, the plant ran three shifts but at present runs two, from 6.00 am to 21.30 ...
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ArticleRethink your idea of a paint booth
‘Re’ as in reliable‘Re’ as in recirculate‘Re’ as in redesign‘Re’ as in reduce‘Re’ as in reshape‘Re’ as in resultThe shape and size of a typical paint booth would seem an ideal candidate for modularisation, and one company has introduced a compact and scaleable solution for a truly flexible paintshop Dürr ...
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ArticleBoron, or boron-free? That is the question
Boron metalworking fluids and alternative technologies.Future formulationsOngoing monitoring to maximising performanceHigh-performance fluidsMetalworking fluids containing boron have hit the headlines recently, mainly due to REACH legislation and labelling requirements, reports Umut Urkun of ExxonMobil Lubricants and Specialties.As well as the health and safety implications of using metalworking fluids containing boron, some ...
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ArticleA stronger simpler safer shuttle for PT and EC lines
Simple design reduces maintenanceHydraulic lift-axis drive with energy-efficient load compensationContinuously rotating axis for greater productivityEmergency scenarios – simple solutionsAn OEM vindicates version 4High and heavy – no problemA major German carmaker's paintshop has trialled an improved version of a popular PT/EC conveyor that is designed to be compatible with existing ...
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Henry Hu appointed as general manager of Concentric China
China – Henry Hu has been appointed general manager of Concentric China, a wholly owned subsidiary of Concentric AB, the supplier of pumps for diesel engines and Haldexbranded hydraulic gear products.A graduate of the North-West Polytechnic with bachelor degree in engineering, Henry Hu is a fluent English speaker, with thirteen ...
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ArticleGM Europe – the group in profile
Around the region – plants and plansEllesmere Port – a true union successKaiserslautern – engines and alloysGeneral Motors Europe AG, a subsidiary of the global group, was established by GM in 1986 and has operated up to 14 production and assembly facilities in nine countries, and employed around 54,500 people. ...
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ArticleFluid dynamics: simulation software
Physical prototypingFluid movementUp-front engineeringData characterisationDrive cycleThe presentation of a new development in computational fluid dynamics from Mentor Graphics.The fundamental equations for describing the movement of liquids – fluid dynamics – have been around for a long time but it’s really only with the introduction of computer-assisted calculation techniques that they ...
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ArticleLightweight powertrains
Strength and resilienceMaterial substitutionBodywork and chassis are not the only parts of the car that make use of aluminium. The powertrain has been revolutionised over the past 10 years or so. Before then, engine blocks and gearbox casings were either steel or iron. Not so any more. “We wouldn’t think ...
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Hard truths for B-pillars
Performance variablesTopology optimisation The composite component……sees dreams turn to dustComposites are being promoted as the ultimate impact-resistant material, but Altair and VW found that aluminium was the better solution for B-pillars. Part of Bentley’s parent company, Volkswagen Group Research, recently undertook a project intended to study the viability of composites ...
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Editor's Note: Cutting edge
Making ‘cuts’ seems to be the automotive manufacturing solution of the moment; whether it’s cutting weight from a vehicle, perhaps most dramatically exemplified by the new Range Rover, or cutting production in the case of many of the European OEMs in the face of a lifeless market. Lightweighting vehicles (a ...
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ArticleQoros – a showcase for innovation
Robot partners and material choicesA catalyst for change in heatingInnovation centred in ItalyA joint venture between China’s largest independent car manufacturer Chery and a global industrial company, Qoros aims to release its first model in 2013. Its paintshop partner is Geico spa of Italy Building a paintshop for a completely ...
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ArticleLatest high-power laser applications, with focus on remote processing
The webinar has presented an overview about the latest trends in automotive laser applications.We demonstrated the application fields in press shop, e.g. cutting of hotformed materials, body shop (welding and brazing) as well as powertrain, e.g. welding of gears, clutches, and others.In the field of laser remote processing - we ...
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ArticleIn the comfort zone for assembly
Full scale testsComplete measurementErgonomic pitfallParts presentationReducing non-value-adding timeSupply chain focusHuman modelling moduleOne of the persistent bugbears of the automotive manufacturing industry, most obviously in actual vehicle assembly operations, is the incidence of musculo-skeletal disorders (MSDs) – in layman’s terms, pulled muscles and twisted joints – among assembly workers.Someone who confirms ...
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UHSS brings electric light
Crash courseBattery changeMore steel = less weightUHSS offers the scope to save weight on electric vehicles. A report on ArcelorMittal’s updated S-in motion project with an electric car BIW exercise.Electric vehicles (EV) present automotive designers with a whole new set of challenges. The powertrain – including the batteries – is ...
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ArticleManufacturing with UHSS
Definition and familiesProduction methodsUsage – where and when?Joining and fasteningHigher strengthCorrosive influenceElectric lightThe pressure on reduce weight, while maintaining strength and improving safety, continues to drive the development and usage of advanced materials. Along with engineering plastics, engineered metals are enjoying a raised profile and being employed in more areas ...