All Carbon Fibre articles – Page 6
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ArticleForm and substance
The latest solutions are aimed at delivering cost-effective composite forming for the automotive industryAt the end of last year, Toray Industries of Japan announced that its carbon-fibre reinforced thermoplastic (CFRTP) was to be used in an automotive structural application. Claimed to be a world first, the CFRTP material is used ...
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ArticleTaking care
OEMs are adopting a more proactive approach to employee wellbeing, including improved ergonomicsAs the baby-boom generation grows older and the average age of employees rises, automotive manufacturers are responding to the need for more ergonomic workplaces. In addition, the younger generation coming through is bringing with it a different set ...
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ArticleTravel blog: A tornado in Toledo
What do Toledo and Leipzig have in common? No, it’s not that they both have an ‘e’ (or an 'l') in their name. Nor is it that they’re both European; I’m talking about Toledo in tornado-riven Ohio, not the Spanish city famed for its steel-making since before the birth of ...
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ArticleSteel solutions
Producers of steel are developing innovative solutions to meet the vehicle lightweighting challengeOEMs have to strike a balance when selecting the right materials for their vehicles. These materials need to be strong enough to protect passengers in the event of a collision, yet light enough to reduce CO2 emissions and ...
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ArticlePorsche ends 918 Spyder production
Germany – The final vehicle rolled off the assembly line at Stuttgart-Zuffenhausen according to schedule, says Porsche, after a production run of 21 months. The hybrid sports car has now reached its limited edition of 918 units.Production development began in 2010, after the go-ahead from Porsche’s supervisory board, and the ...
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ArticleAudible progress
With sales, revenue and production investments all on the increase, Audi is really making some noiseProduction sites in this article:Ingolstadt, GermanyMuenchsmuenster, GermanyNeckarsulm, GermanyMartorell, Spain Brussels, BelgiumGyor, HungaryBratislava, Slovakia Changchun, ChinaFoshan, ChinaSan José Chiapa, MexicoSão José dos Pinhais, Brazil Aurangabad, India Jakarta, IndonesiaKaluga, RussiaStrong financial results will allow Audi to continue ...
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ArticleGreen laser for use with portable & fixed CMMs
Perceptron has introduced a green laser-line metrology scanner, the ScanR CMM, that it claims offers an advantage over red and blue laser scanners when scanning highly reflective and carbon fibre parts. The company says it can be easily integrated into its TouchDMIS metrology software and feature extraction from the ...
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ArticleSchuler press now operational at composites centre
UK – Designed for high-volume production of composites, the upstroke short-stroke press has a press force of 36,000kN and a clamping surface of 3.6 x 2.4 metres. The machinery has been installed at the National Composites Centre (NCC) owned by the University of Bristol.“We have installed the world’s largest openly ...
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ArticleInterview: Porsche's Michael Drolshagen talks Spyder manufacture
An entirely new production area has been designed and built for Porsche's hybrid supercar. The director of production for the 918 Spyder talks about the creation of the ‘Manufactory’ at Zuffenhausen, GermanyAMS: What were the criteria for the 918 production area?Michael Drolshagen (MD): At the start of the project in ...
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Article
Ford and DowAksa formalise carbon-fibre deal
US – The two companies have signed a joint development agreement to advance research on the cost-effective, high-volume production of carbon fibre for automotive applications. The partnership will combine Ford’s expertise in design, engineering and high-volume manufacturing with DowAksa’s feedstock capacity, carbon-fibre conversion and downstream intermediates.The collaboration will enable the ...
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ArticlePorsche's Manufactory
Hand-built but high-tech, the 918 Spyder is made in a specially adapted production area at ZuffenhausenA space that formerly housed a paintshop and presents numerous logistical challenges might not sound like the ideal setting to hand build a hybrid supercar, but Porsche has created just such a production area. The ...
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ArticleCleaning up the future
Under strong political pressure, the auto industry is sustaining its progress towards greener practicesAutomotive manufacturing is an energy-intensive business which has traditionally relied heavily on fossil fuels; PwC estimates that the industry is responsible for roughly 15% of global carbon emissions each year. While many automotive OEMs have had sustainable ...
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ArticleComposites are coming
This year’s JEC Europe show highlighted the rapid progress of composites development and productionThe automotive industry’s interest in composites shows no sign of waning; March 2015 saw two leading German OEMs positioning themselves to secure their futures with these lightweight materials. Far from resting on its laurels as the only ...