Casting – Page 6
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ArticleCutting it fine
There can be no let up in machine tool investment among companies which are keen to beat the competitionMachine tools are in a constant state of evolution as controls get smarter and spindle speeds and traverse rates get faster. In the automotive supply chain, this demands regular investment in the ...
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ArticleCT scrutiny
In aiming for quality targets, castings supplier Grainger & Worrall regards this technology as a game-changerThe time has long gone when automotive suppliers – certainly those at tier-one level – did nothing but supply parts to order. Now they must also frequently act as partners in component design and ...
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ArticleAcura PMC set to make new NSX
US – Series production of the next-generation supercar will begin in late April at the new Performance Manufacturing Center (PMC) in Marysville, Ohio. The twin-turbocharged V6 engines will be made at the nearby factory in Anna by a small team of specialists. NSX trial production is already underway.The PMC will ...
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ArticleIPS milestone at Mercedes-Benz Kassel
Germany – The plant has now produced 100,000 truck axles using induction pressure welding (IPS in abbreviated German). The technology enables the joining of steel and cast parts with any contours, says parent company Daimler, claiming it is “unique in the world”.In IPS, the main body or housing of the ...
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Article
Desafio da Renault China
Abrindo sua primeira fábrica na China, a Renault está disposta a seguir os passos liderados por seu parceiro de aliança Nissan The Wuhan engine plant is Renault’s first outside Europe to make both the block and the headAntes tarde do que nunca. Essa foi a mensagem da Renault com ...
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ArticleRenault's China challenge
Opening its first factory in the country, Renault is keen to follow where Alliance partner Nissan has ledBetter late than never. That was the message from Renault's top-brass at the inauguration of its first-ever factory in China. Renault-Nissan Alliance boss Carlos Ghosn told journalists at a ceremony in Wuhan, central ...
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Article
雷诺在中国
雷诺在中国开设了第一家工厂，追随着日产的足迹缓步走来晚做总比不做好。这是雷诺在中国第一家工厂开幕式上，公司高管所发出的信号。雷诺-日产联盟的老板Carlos Ghosn在中国武汉举行仪式的时候，对记者们说，公司的宏伟目标就是占有3.5%的市场份额，相当于700,000多辆汽车，而去年的销量为23,000辆。他并没有拿出时间表，但是雷诺的销量如日中天，而恰逢中国10%增长率一去不复返 — 2015年的销量增长了4.7%，达到2,110万辆，需求开始处于平稳。然而，这并不是雷诺采取的投机性措施。从一开始，这个品牌仍然借助姐妹品牌 — 日产在当地的成功经验，从汽车平台到合作商（东风），如法炮制。雷诺的第一炮响在了武汉，武汉被称为“中国的底特律”，工厂完全复制了当地的日产工厂，尤其是中国东南部的广州工厂。事实上，武汉工厂里的喷漆厂被认为是广州工厂的“副本”。同样，发动机压铸厂也是复制了河南郑州日产-东风工厂。Ghosn在开幕式上说，“所有人都意识到协同增效对成功的重要性。我们期望合资公司会大获成功。”与广州日产工厂的联系最为紧密，因为雷诺刚开始制造的汽车 — Kadjar紧凑型SUV与Nissan Qashiqai车型和大型X-Trail Suv的平台时相同的。雷诺将于今年晚些时候推出第二款X-Trail SUV。根据销量，公司希望工厂的产量能够达到150,000。因为雷诺与日产共享的东西太多，雷诺的管理层宣称，Kadjar的本地化水平已经超过80%，这对一个在新的国度白手起家的品牌来说令人瞠目。能够得到本地供应是因为雷诺将在当地生产2.0升发动机，使武汉成为雷诺旗下4个发动机压铸厂之一。然而，本地化水平会在第二年有所下滑，因为会从法国进口1.2升涡轮发动机。 The Wuhan engine plant is Renault’s first outside Europe to make both the block and the head雷诺非常肯定的说，已经在快速发展的中国SUV市场还有发展的空间。理由非常充分。雷诺公司称，去年SUV增长了53%，达到690万辆，占整个市场的28%。去年，中国市场增长率为4.7%。这个增长率主要是因为当地制造商制造的车型比外国品牌的售价要低，但是令雷诺安心的是Nissan X-Trail是去年中国销量前20当中排位第一的外国SUV.人力资源雷诺工厂目前拥有2,000名员工，到今年年底将会达到3,000人。他们很年轻。雷诺公司称，员工中95%的年龄低于35岁，平均年龄是25。其中的16%是女人。雷诺公司称，这与中国汽车业的平均数值相符。三个宿舍区分布在厂区入口附近的供应商园区，里面住着800名员工。东风雷诺公司称，2,000名员工中的500人去年在东风日产4个工厂中受到培训。公司承认，培训总时数为435,000小时，比一般新厂都要高。中法合资公司共有10个主要部门（全面管理、项目与规划、产品规划、研发、工业化、财务、采购、人力资源、市场营销和IT），每个部门两个部长，一个来自雷诺，一个来自东风。这种体系是两个公司的混合物。汽车设计与开发来自雷诺公司，但是制造与物流来自东风日产公司。人力资源、市场营销来自中国。如果中国人同意，那就扩建雷诺公司称，工厂的产量可以翻番，达到300,000辆，如果需要还可以达到360,000辆。但是比两个SUV车型更为紧迫的是，雷诺还没有获得政府批准生产SUV以外车型的许可。雷诺公司首席竞争官Thierry Bollore在开幕式上对记者们说，“他们想要看到我们第一步的成功才会给我们新的许可。这也是我们的想法。SUV获得成功，那么市场也就向我们打开了。”雷诺公司称，大约需要2-3年，这个目标才能实现。公司对这个目标非常有信心。我们在墙上安装了3D简介，对95公顷的场地进行介绍。纵观厂地，工厂原来是菜园，可以清晰地看到公司建设新楼的计划。下一步他们会制造什么？轿车可能是一个答案。工厂有能力在两个平台上生产4个车型，因此两个轿车在尺寸上不会相差太多。还有可能是生产Talisman D-段轿车。这款车刚刚在欧洲推出，替代Fluence车型。冲压和汽车车体修理厂冲压车间是一个高速自动化冲压生产线，总压力达到5,400吨。我们不知道谁来做，只知道是一个地方供应商，而且广州日产工厂也有一个。总吨数可以分成3×1000吨和一个2,400吨的冲压机，进行钢板塑性。面板通过人力放到推车里，如果是Kadjar SUV，那么就被漆成粉色。占地12,270平方米的工厂里拥有40名员工，人数可以按照计划扩充，因为还要增加两个冲压生产线。雷诺工厂还有一个塑料冲压车间，拥有一个3300吨位“双螺杆”塑料注塑成型机。公司称，这是中国唯一，世界第三。汽车车体修理厂里有139个机器人，自动化率达到49%，对一个新工厂来说有些低。上海通用在武汉的汽车车体修理厂达到97%的自动化率，而东风日产大连工厂则达到83%。汽车车体修理厂里能有221名工人完成手工点焊加工，对雷诺公司来说并不是常规，这可能是因为SUV的销量并没有预想的那么高。我们还了解到第二部扩建计划，主要是要拓建23,635平方米的工厂，而且提高汽车车体修理厂的自动化水平。喷漆厂、装配与动力总成喷漆厂占地19,500平方米，拥有90名员工，每小时最高有30个工作。工厂接收的总投资77.6亿元（约合8.7亿欧元）中的5.2亿元投到了喷漆厂。这个车间是复制了广州日产的喷漆厂，拥有4个生产线：预处理、密封胶（有10个机器人）、面漆（12个机器人）和检测线。装配车间里有136个站点，间隔时间为2分钟。据雷诺公司称，共有360人在这里工作。公司计划每天制造207辆Kadjar汽车。9月份引进新款D-SUV并进入全规模生产之后，每天就会生产400辆。届时，会增加1班生产。发动机厂的员工数量有250人，分别负责铸造、加工和装配。这里制造气缸体和气缸盖。这样的生产只在雷诺在法国的Cleon工厂和Le Mans工厂，以及罗马尼亚的Pitesi工厂才做。低投资电动汽车中国政府要求，所有汽车制造公司对每个外国汽车铭牌都配备中国品牌，包括“新能源”电动车。雷诺将使用一个东风注册，但未使用的品牌，然后冠到Renault Fluence EV车上，这个车型将在武汉生产。然而，雷诺对武汉的投资很低，符合低销量预计，大约每年“几千辆”。该车装配所使用的配件是从雷诺三星釜山（韩国）工厂制造的，然后进口到武汉。这款汽车还是会遵循SUV装配生产线，但是会在独立的工厂内进行装配。 In building the Kadjar at Wuhan, Renault is confident that the fast-growing Chinese SUV market ...
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ArticleNissan Decherd makes 10m engines
US – The milestone engine was a 2.5-litre, four-cylinder unit for installation in a Nissan Altima scheduled for assembly at Nissan Smyrna, also in Tennessee. The OEM started making engines at Decherd in 1997.“Producing 10m engines is a big number for any plant, but hitting this milestone in less than ...
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ArticleBBA opens engine plant in Shenyang
China – The new manufacturing complex, which includes a light-metal foundry, will produce BMW’s latest generation of TwinPower Turbo, three- and four-cylinder petrol engines. The company says that both the engine plant and the foundry meet state-of-the-art production standards.The new Shenyang facilities will supply BMW Brilliance Automotive (BBA) Dadong and ...
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Article
Casting machine for glass encapsulation
BBG and Hennecke claim their Glassline casting machine has specifically been optimised for encapsulating vehicle windows. The companies say the Glassline 650/270, the standard version of the two-component machine, is designed for a maximum output of 650 cm3/s polyol and 270 cm3/s isocyanate. This allows for encapsulating around 80% ...
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ArticleDoes 3D printing add up?
Additive manufacturing has long assisted prototyping, but OEMs are now exploring its uses in productionA hot topic for a number of years, it now appears that additive manufacturing (3D printing) technologies are starting to be used more widely by a number of automotive OEMs. But while additive manufacturing has been ...
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ArticleFrom Sweden to Shenzhen and beyond
David Liang, managing director of market-leading tool steel service provider ASSAB in northern and central China, talks to Dermot Healy about challenges and opportunities presented by the rapid pace of change in the Chinese automotive sector.AMS: Your company ASSAB has been involved with the Chinese automotive sector for many years. ...
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ArticleShaping the future
This year, for the first time, Euromold went to Düsseldorf, where the event showed signs of being revitalisedEuromold departed Frankfurt in Germany after 21 years, with legal wrangles in the background, and now other shows targeting similar market segments have emerged in the shape of Frankfurt’s FormNext and the Moulding ...
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ArticleFCA Kokomo earns Bronze WCM status
US – The facility in Indiana has become the 11th North American location to be recognised in this way – and the first involved in die casting. Kokomo also joins two transmission plants in Indiana which were given Bronze status last year.Kokomo Casting underwent a two-day audit, during which it ...
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ArticleAt the crossroads?
AMS looks at Japanese OEMs in Europe and what the future holds for their production operations thereFour of the Japanese vehicle companies have manufacturing operations in Europe: Honda, Nissan, Suzuki and Toyota. Nissan’s UK factory in Sunderland is widely regarded as one of the most efficient in Europe, while its ...
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ArticleFord, Alcoa collaborate on aluminium
US – The OEM had already selected Alcoa’s Micromill product for its aluminium-bodied 2016 F-150 pick-up truck, but the two companies have now also entered a joint development agreement to expand the range of next-generation aluminium alloys for automotive components.Micromill was made public in December 2014 and is claimed to ...
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ArticleSetting the standard
As Ford expands its powertrain production in China to meet rising local demand, Indy Singh, director of Powertrain, Ford AP manufacturing team, explains how the company is applying its global standards thereAMS: How has the One Ford programme been applied to powertrain manufacturing in China and is it now operating ...
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ArticlePerfect casting
Executive director Ed Grainger explains how Grainger & Worrall has transformed the ‘black art’ of casting into a high-tech operation to meet the demands of clients including F1, NASCAR and supercar makersAMS: Could you provide an overview of how the company has developed?Ed Grainger (EG): The company was established in ...
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ArticleA cut above the rest
Milling operations face the challenge of high volume and quality requirements in the automotive industrySupplying machined parts to the automotive industry brings a unique set of challenges, due largely to the combination of high volumes and meticulous quality demands. The problem is exacerbated in milling operations by the prismatic nature ...
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ArticleGM: Chasing Chinese capacity
Phil Kienle, vice-president of Manufacturing for GM International Operations (GMIO and GM China) discusses the production challenges of meeting rising demand in ChinaAMS: How has GM standardised its manufacturing operations globally and is China now operating at a level comparable with GM’s other high-volume production regions?Phil Kienle (PK): When you ...