All Closures and consolidation articles – Page 3
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Canada feels the chill
Trading challenges and dwindling investment is putting Canada’s automotive manufacturers under pressure.
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Made in Wales
Nick Gibbs reports on the opening of Aston Martin’s SUV plant in South Wales, all set to build the new DBX
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Hitting the reset button
Given the scale and scope of its current restructuring programme, a very different Ford will eventually emerge. Ian Henry looks into the changes being made With one part or another of its shrinking global empire subject to significant change in terms of organisation or product focus, Ford ...
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Honda closure deals blow to UK
Honda has announced plans to close its Swindon plant at the end of the current model’s production lifecycle in 2021. The statement, which was published on the company’s website, refers to the changing nature of the global auto industry and Honda’s “commitment to electrified cars” as the main reasons behind ...
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Asia’s other powerhouse
Already a dynamic and rapidly growing manufacturing hub, South-East Asia’s automotive industry is finding further opportunity in the growth of battery and hybrid vehicle production Two nations dominate South-East Asia vehicle production, namely Thailand (approximately 2m units per annum (upa)) and Indonesia (c1.1m upa). There is one mid-sized producer ...
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Clean and tidy
Coherent-ROFIN’s Frank Gäbler describes how the CleanWeld process can garner greater results in fibre laser welding While automotive manufacturers have successfully employed fibre lasers in metal welding for over a decade, efforts still continue to improve their utility and extend the results they deliver in terms of part ...
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Schaeffler to shut two UK plants
UK - Global automotive supplier Schaeffler has announced the closure of two plants. The first is located in Llanelli, Wales, and houses the production of mechanical tappets and bearings for car makers. The other is in Plymouth, England, where spindle bearings and machine parts for the company’s industrial division are ...
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Ford Bridgend makes petrol engines
UK - The OEM has started production of its new three-cylinder 1.5-litre EcoBoost petrol engines at the Bridgend plant in South Wales. This follows on from an investment of £100m (US$128m) in the facility. “I’m personally very proud to see production start of this all-new engine, here in Bridgend,” commented ...
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VW to suspend lines for WLTP update
VW Group CEO Herbert DiessGermany - Volkswagen must plan for temporary production closures at the main plant in Wolfsburg to allow a changeover to new laboratory test cycles on fuel consumption and emissions from passenger cars.The Group CEO Herbert Diess announced the expected disruption at a works meeting, and ...
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Magna opens aluminium casting facility
UK - The supplier has opened a new aluminium casting facility in Telford, England, in order to provide structural castings to Jaguar Land Rover. The facility covers 225,000 sq.m and will employ around 300 people."With this new aluminium casting facility, we have established a world-class centre of excellence to bring ...
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Constellium provides aluminium for CLS
Netherlands - The supplier has announced that its Surfalex aluminium is being used in the Mercedes-Benz CLS, which went on sale in March 2018. The material is used for outer trunk lid panels and fenders."Constellium is proud to contribute to the new Mercedes-Benz CLS with our Surfalex® aluminium solutions," explained ...
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Exact and to the point
inos took on the task of integrating a new gap and flush system into an existing production line shared by two separate and distinct vehiclesAs modern vehicle design responds to the customers’ growing expectations on fit and finish quality, the demand grows for increasing sophistication in manufacturing techniques. Semi- or ...
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New workholding system
The latest One-Lok clamping system from Chick Workholding is available in two sizes – 400mm or 500mm long, offering maximum gripping lengths of 180mm and 280mm respectively. The company says further improvements include a lowering of the clamp profile from 150mm to 134mm, which allows longer spindle travel in the ...
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Standard bearers
A current programme run by the International Automotive Task Force is looking to revise the technical specification IATF16949, the published standard informing quality management across the automotive industry worldwideThe concept of quality management is now a well-established aspect of all forms of business. It essentially denotes implementing a system of ...
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Taking control
With the growth in automated assembly applications comes a demand for quality data and improved insightsThe prevalent dimensional control strategy of the automotive industry has been to incorporate various in-line and near-line measurement devices into production lines. Different approaches have been successfully implemented, from a few single cells along the ...
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A winning formula?
Like all new strategic plans announced by vehicle companies from time to time, the new Opel PACE! plan leaves many questions unanswered. It’s not clear yet what will happen to the enlarged manufacturing network which PSA-Opel/Vauxhall now has; by common consent, the group has too many plants, but CEO Carlos ...
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A winning formula?
Like all new strategic plans announced by vehicle companies from time to time, the new Opel PACE! plan leaves many questions unanswered. It’s not clear yet what will happen to the enlarged manufacturing network which PSA-Opel/Vauxhall now has; by common consent, the group has too many plants, but CEO Carlos ...
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Article
A winning formula?
Like all new strategic plans announced by vehicle companies from time to time, the new Opel PACE! plan leaves many questions unanswered. It’s not clear yet what will happen to the enlarged manufacturing network which PSA-Opel/Vauxhall now has; by common consent, the group has too many plants, but CEO Carlos ...
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Setting a fast pace
JLR is following up the stunning success of its Evoque SUV with more models and manufacturing operationsNot long ago, JLR was facing the possibility of a factory closure amidst declining sales and a recession. Fortunately, the Evoque model had already been approved for production, and when this vehicle launched it ...
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Toyota ends Australian production
Australia – The OEM has wrapped up its manufacturing operation in the country after 54 years and 3,451,115 vehicles. Toyota stopped production of the Aurion in August and the Camry hybrid in September at its Altona plant near Melbourne, three years after the decision was made to conclude the operation.Dave ...