All Composites articles – Page 3
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Article3D focus-variation measuring instrument
Said to be suited to production measurement, the µCMM 3D focus-variation system offers users the advantages of tactile coordinate measuring technology with optical surface measurement to measure dimensions, position, shape and surface finish of components with the one optical sensor, claims Alicona.The company says it provides the ability to measure ...
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Article
Guiding lights for a smarter paintshop
System experts at Dürr have developed a digital maintenance assistant designed to keep automotive paintshops in full effect With its digital@Dürr concept, Dürr is delivering an important smart factory module. In future, the company will be supporting customers in maintaining painting and sealing robots using a digital maintenance assistant. With ...
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ArticleCSP invests in sheet molding
France - Continental Structural Plastics (CSP) has announced that it will install a new sheet molding compound (SMC) line at its facility in Pouance. Costing a total of €5.1m (US$6m), the line will allow the supplier to expand its range of advanced composite products made with both glass and carbon ...
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ArticleThe problem with plastic
With automotive manufacturers looking at ever increasing levels of plastic-based materials content, Steed Webzell examines the challenges for machine shops Recent research suggests that by 2020 the average car will incorporate 350kg of plastic-based materials. As a result, the need for efficient and economic machining methods for plastics has ...
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ArticleCollective thinking
Closer collaboration between product development and production teams could lead to significant improvements in vehicle manufacturing processes. Ford Otosan holds a unique position. Michael Nash reports The scenery in Turkey is full of surprises. A quick car journey can lead to towering mountains, pristine beaches and lush forests, while historical ...
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ArticleRobots on the rise
Advances in robotics go hand in hand with new approaches to automotive manufacturing, writes Chris PickeringThe automotive industry is at a crossroads. Ahead lays the most radical shake-up in a generation, with disruptive trends such as electrification, autonomous driving and lightweight materials bringing opportunity and uncertainty in equal measure. It ...
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ArticleThe wonder material
A number of composite automotive parts enhanced with graphene were on show at JEC World in March this year. James Bakewell investigates if this material has a real place in the automotive industryFew of us would imagine that you can win a Nobel Prize for Physics by playing with sticky ...
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ArticleZoltek expands carbon fibre plant
Hungary - The company has announced that it is increasing carbon fibre production by 50% at its facility in Nyergesújfalu. As a result, the plant will have an annual capacity of 15,000 tons.The expansion will cost around US$130m, and will generate 350 additional jobs. According to Yoshihiro Takeuchi, CEO, COO ...
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ArticleWeighing up the options
Disruptive technology was high on the agenda at JEC World, the composites industry’s flagship event held every March in Paris, France.A sizable proportion of the 42,445 people who attended the show flocked to see Dirk Ahlborn, Chief Executive Officer of Hyperloop Transportation Technologies (HTT), lay out his vision for the ...
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ArticleMagna opens new composites facility
Germany - The new Composites Center of Excellence will act as a base for the development of various vehicle structural components such as subframes, as well as exterior body parts like door panels and hoods. The idea is to identify production-ready lightweight solutions that will help vehicle manufacturers meet increasingly ...
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ArticleAlto teor de fibra
Os compósitos reforçados com fibras de vidro têm sido utilizados na produção em massa de peças pendulares e parafusadas durante décadas. A AMS analisa algumas inovações recentes.A pressão de montagem sobre os OEMs para reduzir o peso de seus veículos significa que os fornecedores de materiais e sistemistas que fabricam ...
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ArticleContando com os dados
A implementação de ferramentas digitais está transformando os processos de controle de qualidade nas operações de fabricaçãoOs gabaritos físicos agora estão sendo processados como modelos digitais e a Audi diz que está no caminho para representar um conceito que reside no mundo digital "virtual". A empresa agora está explorando o ...
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ArticleAlto contenido en fibra
Llevamos décadas utilizando materiales compuestos con fibras de vidrio en la producción en masa – AMS analiza las últimas innovacionesCada vez es mayor la presión de reducir el peso de los vehículos, lo que significa que los proveedores de materiales que producen paneles de carrocería, interiores, ensamblados, etc. tienen que ...
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ArticleContando con los datos
La implementación de las herramientas digitales está transformando los procesos de control de calidad en las operaciones de producciónLos planos se generan primero como modelos digitales y Audi asegura que ya está desarrollando un concepto que reside en el mundo digital, 'virtual'. La marca explora ahora el concepto de ‘plantillas ...
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ArticleThe case for carbon fibre
The launch of the i3 has changed the conversation about the future application of carbon fibre in vehicle structures
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ArticleSeeing things clearly
AMS reports on the most recent developments in the use of machine vision technology for quality control applications in automotive manufacturingIn response to rapid and sustained improvements in machine vision technologies, a growing number of automotive manufacturing OEMs and suppliers are now deploying such systems in a wider range of ...
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ArticleCounting on the data
The implementation of digital tools is transforming the quality control processes in manufacturing operationsPhysical jigs are now being rendered as digital models and Audi says it is well on the way to representing a concept that resides in the digital, ‘virtual’ world. The company is now exploiting the concept of ...
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ArticleHigh fibre content
Composites reinforced with glass fibres have been used in the mass-production of hang- and bolt-on parts for decades – AMS looks at some recent innovationsMounting pressure on OEMs to reduce the weight of their vehicles means that material and tier suppliers making body panels, interior parts, under-the-bonnet parts, suspension assemblies ...
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ArticleBMW divests stake in carbon-fibre supplier
Germany – SGL Carbon SE will acquire the OEM’s 49% share in SGL ACF, comprising SGL Automotive Carbon Fibers (Germany) and SGL Automotive Carbon Fibers (US), according to an agreement signed in late November. BMW said the company would remain a key supplier, with procurement for the i3 and i8 ...
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ArticleSeating plan
Adient CTO Detlef Juerss talks to AMS about the company’s sure and steady approach to new and complex challengesAmong all the exhibits at the IAA international motor show in Frankfurt, a seat that Adient produces for the BMW 7-Series ably exemplifies a modern automotive manufacturing challenge – to combine precision ...