All Closures and consolidation articles – Page 5
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ArticleJLR Halewood: Full speed ahead
Invigorated by a £200m investment, the facility has become one of the UK's most productive car plantsOf all the turnaround stories emerging from the recent success of the British car industry, that of Jaguar Land Rover’s plant at Halewood, near Liverpool, is one of most compelling. Started in 1962 by ...
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ArticleStaying out of touch
Automated, non-contact measurement solutions seem to be the way forward for automotive manufacturingAutomotive plants require a variety of cell configurations for robotic 3D metrology and process control. Typically, such solutions will be based upon key components that include: industrial robots as flexible sensor positioning platforms; non-contact, white-light sensors; a software ...
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WebinarComau webinar: Light weighting manufacturing technologies
Automotive manufacturing relies on the use of efficient, high-volume processes which guarantee productivity and quality. In practical terms, this can be translated into effective performance-based Body-in-White solutions that deliver speed, precision and the flexibility to handle the growing use of multiple materials.In an exclusive Comau webinar, Martin Kinsella, Director of ...
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ArticleEnvisioning automation
The latest high-speed, high-functionality cameras are in demand to help automate vehicle productionAlthough the idea of a robot with ‘eyes’ sounds futuristic, the International Federation of Robotics confirms that as long ago as 1980, vision technology helped a robot to pick a randomly orientated component from a tray. The demonstration ...
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WebinarWEBINAR: Comau – lightweighting
Automotive manufacturing relies on the use of efficient, high-volume processes which guarantee productivity and quality. In practical terms, this can be translated into effective performance-based body-in-white solutions that deliver speed, precision and the flexibility to handle the growing use of multiple materials.In an exclusive Comau webinar on November 20, Martin ...
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ArticleVillaverde: To blossom with Cactus?
PSA’s under-used plant in Madrid may be reinvigorated by production of the Citroën C4 CactusIn 2012, PSA Villaverde was in desperate need of new product. The Madrid plant had built several generations of small cars for PSA, but Peugeot 207 hatchback manufacture was being wound down and only the Peugeot ...
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ArticleEllesmere Port celebrates 50 years of production
UK – Vauxhall has celebrated 50 years of production at its Ellesmere Port facility. The first new car to be produced at the plant was the Viva HA, a model name that would run in a number of variants until 1978 when it was replaced by the Chevette. The first ...
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ArticleTurbo-powering PSA Douvrin
Peugeot starts making its new 1.2-litre, three-cylinder direct-injection engine at Française de MécaniqueThe Française de Mécanique engine factory in Douvrin, north-west France, has built more than 48m power units for PSA Peugeot Citroën, Renault and Volvo since its inception in 1969, but arguably none has been more significant than the ...
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ArticleMagna Closures grows in Dortec
Canada – The latching technology division of Magna International is expanding its manufacturing facility to produce electronic systems and modules for the automotive industry. The $1.5m investment will also boost the workforce by 75 personnel.Manufacturing activities at the site will focus on electronic closure modules for power closure and roof ...
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ArticleQuality performance
Quality and automation are intrinsically linked when it comes to automotive welding operations.Enhancing the level of automation in the welding process cannot be achieved without associated weld quality monitoring systems. Put simply, any auto plant willing to switch off its manual element needs to implement process safeguards that ensure 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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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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ArticleDirty work in the clean-up
PCB sludgeTaking chargeActioning clean upVisible improvementTypical problemsOne of the biggest clean-up projects involving a redundant automotive manufacturing site in the United States – at least as far as its $120 million predicted cost is concerned – is currently taking place at the former General Motors Massena aluminium diecasting plant in ...
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ArticleThe Chinese market starts to mature
Rationalising the manufacturing baseElectric DreamsMercedes-Benz plans rapid -ramp-upIn preparation for the second AMS China conference, to be held June 28 – 30 at the Intercontinental Shanghai Pudong hotel, AMS recently visited several carmakers and suppliers in China. Some interesting themes emerged from the meetings and plant visits, both in manufacturing ...
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ArticleDetroit of the East
GM’s Martin Apfel and Ford’s Joe Hinrichs describe how these two global giants are moving forward with plans to turn Thailand into a regional manufacturing hubChanging relationshipsSustained growthSupplier catch upConfidence is infectiousStar in ascendanceThe sign above the entrance to the Eastern Seaboard Industrial Estate in Rayong, Thailand, proclaims it to ...
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ArticleBack from the brink
For a relatively small market, Canada punches way above its weight. The country’s annual vehicle sales may total only around one tenth of those of its southern neighbour, but the province of Ontario is home to many car and light truck plants, each of which has an enviable export programme.Detroit ...
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ArticleThe cost of downsizing
How the remediation of former manufacturing facilities belonging to GM, Ford and Chrysler is – and is not – being carried out, where the money comes from, and who is ultimately responsible for doing the workGM and Motors Liquid CorporationMichigan state of mindFord outlines site cleanup criteriaMore trouble for KenoshaThe ...
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ArticlePremium paintshop principles
Turnkey solutions and specificationsAluminium – low weight – big headache?Sludge control technologiesWet-on-wet – the way forward?Powder clearcoat – good for BMW but not JLRSourcing chemicals – the multi-supplier approachPrimerless paintColour matching challengesMatt finishes – will they ever be volume painted?Dream budgetCombining the finishing of upper-segment saloons, coupes and sports cars ...
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ArticleEdging success
New solutionsGetting it doneMachine lifeDV Automation is both an equipment supplier and contract manufacturer serving various OEMsDVA is, together with Thompson Friction Welding, a subsidiary of Kuka AG. While the company also carries out contract manufacturing, for example delivering axles to Land Rover and piston cylinders to JCB, DVA’s core ...
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ArticleNew survival strategies at GM and Mitsubishi
Future solutionsNedCar futureCross-brand co-operationIt is an observation of gross understatement to say that Nick Reilly, President of GM Europe and CEO of Opel/Vauxhall, has his work cut out for him. Having taken the lead role in the reorganization of Opel on an interim basis after the resignation of Carl-Peter Forster, ...