All Automation articles
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ArticleWatch: Shopfloor revolution – how data, software and AI are rebooting production
OEMs and suppliers are transforming vehicle production through data and connectivity as much as hardware, with new artificial intelligence opportunities emerging. Watch this AMS Livestream Hour featuring VDMA, Fraunhofer IPA and Symbio to hear about the standards, systems and applications underpinning these changes.
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Article
Porsche production: moving faster around the bend
Porsche’s manufacturing chief, Albrecht Reimold, explains the carmaker’s progress towards sustainable, connected manufacturing as it gears up to build more electric vehicles.
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Article
BMW expands plant in Mexico to build 2 Series Coupé
The 2 Series Coupé will be produced exclusively in Mexico for the global market. The plant has seen further investments of $125 million over the last 2 years, which has expanded its operations significantly.
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Article
AI, apps, and automation: How Volkswagen aims to transform North American manufacturing with digital drive
Digitalisation is the word of the day when it comes to streamlining the production process and making data more transparent. While cars themselves have rapidly developed and become more advanced, the manufacturing process is now following suit.
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Article
A production transformation that will last 20 years at Volkswagen
Christian Vollmer at Volkswagen discusses how virtual tools have helped production move during the pandemic, why cross-plant collaboration has accelerated and VW’s evolving manufacturing strategies to ramp up EV production.
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Article
AMS Materials flow and automation 2021 – Moving with the times
Our latest digital edition looks at the latest assembly line concepts coming from new EV producers and how AI is becoming a key enabling technology
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News
REE Automotive to open facility in Texas in preparation for production
The company plans establish its HQ and integration centre in Austin, Texas in 2023 to meet growing demand in the US market for electric delivery vehicles
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Voice
Future-proofing automotive suppliers: Dealing with technological change and uncertain demand
The need for greater flexibility in automotive manufacturing is already influencing investment decisions within OEMs but also has major implications for the supply chain. Automotive Manufacturing Solutions (AMS) spoke to Tanja Vainio, Managing Director, Business Line Automotive Tier 1, Robotics and Discrete Automation Business at ABB about the challenges ahead and the available solutions.
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Article
Optimising the process: AI in robotic assembly cells
The Ford Transmission Plant in Livonia, Michigan, has been the location for a major innovation in automotive assembly operations, utilising AI to support the use of a robot in a particular automated assembly role. Mike Farish reports
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Voice
Adaptable assembly for electric vehicles
Preparing existing factories for manufacturing electric cars can require comprehensive upgrading of the production operations. Dürr offers some examples from its work with Volkswagen, preparing the Zwickau plant for electric car production
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Article
Lotus starts pre-production of its all-new Emira
The sportscar maker has made a £100m investment in its UK facilities that will support the production of new models and the expansion of engineering and consultancy services
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Article
The software-defined assembly line
The manufacturing industry is on the cusp of a revolution, where investment is led by software rather than hardware. That in turn enables a raft of new possibilities in creating the factory of the future, according to experts from Audi, ABB and Cosmo Tech.
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Article
Watch: Factory of the future Livestream – The software-defined assembly line
As automotive OEMs digitalise and connect factories, hear how the Audi Production Lab, ABB and Cosmotech are using real-time data, smart software and advanced automation to reshape vehicle production processes.
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Article
Škoda accelerates expansion of its production automation
The OEM has developed a smart handling system at its Vrchlabí plant for the pick-and-place robots handling forged transmission shafts
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Article
Electrification and digitalisation go hand in hand at Ford and VW
As the automotive industry electrifies, manufacturing is changing dramatically and OEMs are using big data to keep pace with that change. Increasingly moving into the world of tech, old quality control processes may no longer suffice since a lot of EV components cannot be reworked like traditional equivalents. Manufacturing has to be ultra-precise like never before.
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Article
AMS Factory of the future 2021 – Redefining the production line
Flexibility is a key factor in enabling OEMs produce the growing number of electric vehicle variants. Our latest digital edition focuses on how and where OEMs are employing the latest digital technologies in AR, VR and AI to develop networked factories, with shared tooling and data, and cellular production stations. This issue features insights from Honda, Mercedes, Audi, BMW, Epic Games and more
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Voice
Automation advancing flexibility
In a fast-changing industry, OEM production operations must be highly flexible to remain competitive. ABB discusses how the latest automation systems can support this requirement and the need for a mind-set change in the approach to facility planning
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Article
VW and Ford invest in flexible production for an uncertain future
The speed of change in the technology of cars and rapid electrification requires new manufacturing equipment and is making expensive old machines redundant, but exactly where the industry is going next is hard to predict. More flexible manufacturing is the answer.
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Article
Cellular manufacturing adds flexibility in Mercedes-Benz bodyshop
For the production of the new C-class, Mercedes has taken the opportunity to add flexibility by way of cellular manufacturing in the body shop and with so-called ‘TecLines’ for assembly.
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Article
Seat adds logistics cobots at Martorell
Spanish carmaker Seat has started using two autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) at its plant in Martorell for the picking of parts from its onsite storage warehouses.
