All Closures and consolidation articles – Page 6
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ArticleClear opportunity for Guardian Automotive
Designers and engineers in automotive production view glass as a rather tiresome necessity; fragile and brittle, it is not an ideal material to install in a machine subject to torsional stresses, severe jolts and almost constant vibration. In the early days of motoring, glass windscreens replaced goggles as a method ...
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ArticlePushing boundaries at Ford India
Part deliverySignal interferenceIncreased automationA better body shopPioneering paint shop technologyAll in one placePreparing for exportsWhile car sales in China have tended to grab the recent headlines, sales in India – and particularly small car sales - continue to increase at a break-neck pace, with market leader Maruti Suzuki posting record ...
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ArticleSurviving the storm at JLR
Body shop – robot re-useCelebrity squaresSealing out the elementsPaintshop and final assembly – raising the quality barINTERVIEW Michael StraughanThe Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) plant at Halewood, UK, occupies a 300-acre site and provides capacity for the Jaguar X-Type and Freelander models. It is equipped for up to 100,00 cars per ...
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ArticleWhat lies beneath the site
History in the makingNew beginning for Browns LaneEven before the recent slowdown, questions of how to deal with a industrial plant at the end of its useful life had preoccupied automakers for some time. The core concept of what an automotive manufacturing site should be has, after half a century ...
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ArticleCogniTens launches OptiCell
CogniTens, part of the Hexagon Metrology group and a leading provider of 3D optical measurement solutions, has announced the launch of a European demo centre for its fully-automated 3D measurement system, OptiCell.OptiCell is a measurement system designed to support off-line recurring parts and assemblies measurements in the production fl oor ...
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ArticleEditor's Note: Surviving in weak markets
The knock-on effect of the downturn in carmaking has started to take its toll on major suppliers to the auto industry. With an estimated 33% drop in orders over the last 12 months, Corus Steel has announced it plans to layoff 3,200 employees. Bought in 2007 by Tata Steel, the ...
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ArticleBuilding trust to invest in Canada
Size mattersLooking aheadThreat from the southProvoking union ireBuyers are the solutionThrow a stone seemingly anywhere in Ontario and chances are it will land somewhere near either a parts or vehicle manufacturing facility. Home to OEM operations of companies such as GM, Ford, Chrysler, Honda, Toyota and Suzuki, plus Tier suppliers ...
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ArticleGoing in the white direction
Splitting, thinning and wrinklingPressing mattersMoving things alongLaser-based welding controls the heatExtending the focusing lengthTechnology streaks aheadTests show positive resultsAdjustable system is requiredThe need for speedAdding a dimensionEnhanced inspection measurementsAs a vehicle’s largest structure, the body-in-white is deserving of the attention it receives from a process optimisation perspective. AMS looks at ...
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ArticleOne for all integrators
Rising quality expectationsResistance to changeVirtual design and buildGetting it right from the startFactoryTalk – optimising manufacturingAVL’s growing ambitionsPreparing staff for global demandsHow integrators and suppliers are adapting to ensure they keep up with the changing demands facing carmakersAs the automotive industry flattens in mature economies and emerging countries play catch ...
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ArticleFlexible friend at Magna Steyr
Lowering plant emissionsA complete solutionMatching market conditionsThe Chrysler assembly lineGlass applicationExperienced production line teamsCovering all the basesWhat is it about Magna Steyr that convinces OEMs to come to you to build their cars? Gerhard Stiegler, Vice-President of Operations does not hesitate with his answer. “Our flexibility, our range of services ...
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ArticleFit for automated purpose
Greater product varietyDevelopments in weldingReprogrammable robotic devicesClose co-operation between user and supplierThere was a time when ‘hard’ automation – tailor-made, dedicated installations – was the trend, but things are moving to a more flexible approachIt appears that the use of robots in the automotive manufacturing sector is entering an unpredictable ...
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ArticleTier suppliers under pressure
Cost of raw materials is relentlessThe supplier base is shrinkingAssembly integrationLife’s a batchGetting up close and personalConsolidation could be the new trendThe economic downswing means that more than ever, Tier Ones in the automotive sector are fighting for business, but there are a few success stories out thereThe ongoing, and ...
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ArticleHinrichs wants a revolution in robotics
Forefront of efficiencyCompetitive operatingPriorities for recoveryThe role of robotsQuality gainsPlanning and programmingParamount safetyRobot wish listJoe Hinrichs has got a wish list. He wants to see robots on the shopfloor that will revolutionise productivity and offer new levels of skilled automation and safety. AMS talks to him about the future of ...
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ArticleWeapons of mass production
Built to sell abroadTraining the engineers of the futureThe seat of innovationStrength in numbersA change in the landscapeThe bean counter’s dreamInvestment in training pays offSupplier parkFocused investments reap rewardsThe landscape of vehicle making is changing, particularly in the manufacturing regions of France, Spain and the United KingdomEurope as a whole ...
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ArticleFringe benefits
Folding metal for a good finish is an increasingly complex task as production lines become more flexible and body parts get more intricate. AMS looks at two suppliers leading the field in table top and robot hemmingQuick changeDirect applicationFlexible table topsSpin offs and rollersProven at PeugeotOEM benefitsAccurate hemming, where the ...
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ArticleAs the wheel turns for Ford
Globalisation takes on a new dimension as Ford rationalises its platform strategy with baseplates from around the world, as international executive Bill Osborne explainsCompetitiveness is still a major goalConsolidations and restructuringProfitable product kept on the roadA global focus on the futureSeptember 5 marked a full year since the Ford Motor ...
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ArticleSeamless integration at Jaguar
When Jaguar closed down its Browns Lane facility in the UK recently, it had the daunting task of moving final assembly of its XK model to the nearby Castle Bromwich plant. It called on conveyor supplier Dürr to help solve the problem.Process of assembly has been improvedSuccesses to dateThe closure ...
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ArticleA heavy demand for lightweight construction
Making steel high strength means lightening the load for carmakers, and applications are extending to stamped and rolled components.Structure and safetyThe steel revolutionManufacturing concernsHigh-strength in actionAnother GalaxyIn modern vehicle manufacturing the demand for lightweight, high-strength steels, including the latest dual-phase materials, is increasing because of the overall blend of structural, ...