All Composites articles – Page 8
-
ArticleSheets ahead
Malcolm Wheatley reports on how advanced production processes have enabled automotive glass to be augmented with added-value technologiesFor the most part, glass alone does not provide the capabilities that a driver most values in a vehicle’s glass components. Instead, from road noise reduction to heat-reflective capabilities, and from built-in antennae ...
-
Article
Adhesive solution for DCPD bonding
SCIGRIP has launched an enhanced product for bonding dicyclopentadiene (DCPD) composites. The company claims that different grades of DCPD can be adhered successfully using SG600 without the need for time-consuming preparation techniques such as flame treatment.SG600 is cold curing and also features ratio-adjustable cure times and rheology compatible with robotic ...
-
ArticlePlastics evolution
Lightweight and strong, plastic composites are increasingly used in automotive manufacturing but is Henry Ford’s all-plastic car concept coming any nearer to reality, asks Malcolm WheatleyLocated in a leafy suburb of the Canadian capital of Ottawa, the country’s National Research Council (NRC) is one of the world’s premier scientific and ...
-
ArticleForming a bond to replace spot welding
Sticky timesBody strengthBetter applicationUsing adhesives for body manufacture – adhesives which can be formulated for aluminium, steel and composite bonding applications on unprepared surfaces – is a trend that’s on the rise with automakers,” sums up Jeff Kapp, a structural adhesives specialist within 3M’s automotive division. “Some manufacturers have been ...
-
ArticleJoined-up thinking at Fronius conference
Industry expertsComplex casingsLow volume approachGlobal production processesDelta spot weldingQuality controlFronius recently held its annual international conference, and this year’s topic was 'Demands of joining technology for modern vehicle makers'. The Austrian company’s close working relationship with major OEMs was apparent from the number and quality of speakers present. All those ...
-
ArticleA lighter touch with aluminium
Joined-up thinkingCommitment to the right mixGoing all the wayPainting problemsThe mark of classLightweighting is a key factor in modern vehicle construction. The latest mainstream model to get the all-aluminium treatment is the new Range Rover, from Jaguar Land Rover. The third generation of the iconic SUV is bigger and has ...
-
ArticleExplosive growth of plastic parts drives new processes
Adding protection and beautyFaster finishes with fewer stepsUV technology joins a new clearcoatSolvent still a solutionAll that glitters is not chromePerfection in preparation Steam heatAs OEMs strive to develop cleaner and more efficient vehicles and increasingly turn to lightweight materials, the finishing industry is developing systems to keep the quality ...
-
Article
Hard truths for B-pillars
Performance variablesTopology optimisation The composite component……sees dreams turn to dustComposites are being promoted as the ultimate impact-resistant material, but Altair and VW found that aluminium was the better solution for B-pillars. Part of Bentley’s parent company, Volkswagen Group Research, recently undertook a project intended to study the viability of composites ...
-
Article
Editor's Note: Cutting edge
Making ‘cuts’ seems to be the automotive manufacturing solution of the moment; whether it’s cutting weight from a vehicle, perhaps most dramatically exemplified by the new Range Rover, or cutting production in the case of many of the European OEMs in the face of a lifeless market. Lightweighting vehicles (a ...
-
ArticleNew stamping ground with the latest technologies
Revolutionising toolmakingStamping is a process where every second counts. A time lag of 0.1 second may sound tiny, but multiplied over thousands of parts a week, over many years, the cost can be considerable. The range of solutions in this technology area has evolved tremendously and today comprises everything from ...
-
ArticleThe speed of light has brought carbon a long way
Slashing cycle timesAutomatic for the peopleBeyond supercarsCarbon fibre has come a long way in the 30 years since it was first used for a car’s chassis, but cost and production time have restricted more widesepread production. However, both of those issues are being overcome.When John Barnard and Ron Dennis of ...
-
ArticlePlastic in flux as usage stalls
Reduced demand?Innovation in seatingRecyclingNew technologies and processesHow to handle a polymerUnderhood, mechanical and bodyworke-vehicles: challenge and opportunityThe advance of engineering plastics such as PA6 and PA66 polyamides, the improvement in touch and feel, and the development of engineering materials with high heat tolerance, rigidity, impact strength and corrosion resistance, has ...
-
ArticleInstigate, innovate, automate
ABB group vice-president Michael Larsson discusses the technologies currently being delivered to OEMs in order to improve quality, efficiency and product throughput.In his role as group vice-president for ABB, Larsson presides over a number different areas, powertrain automation, body-in-white and paint process automation – commonly referred to as robot systems ...
-
ArticleGetting it together
Ruari McCallion reports that new technologies and techniques in vehicle production are being blended with established methods in the modern assembly line, but new vehicle platforms may require a change in the balanceReduced plastic usage - for nowMixing in adhesivesThe right specificationThe old reliables still do the jobCold comfortDeveloping effective ...
-
ArticleAluminium gets tough
Research into steel substitutionRecycling aluminium for automotive usageStadco predicts increased aluminium usageTesting to continueAMC takes shapeBreakthrough weight savingsThe advantages to be gained from using aluminium to build cars – whether as body panels, chassis solutions or powertrains – are now widely recognised. The material is significantly lighter than sheet steel, ...
-
ArticleHard pressed benefits
Speed is keyWorking with exoticsFlexibility in production and processPress shop productivity is typically controlled by upstream design decisions, from both a product and process perspective. Therefore, close co-operation between car stylists, bodyin-white engineers and press shop engineers is critical. Here, a number of measures dictate success. Designers must minimize the ...
-
ArticleOn the cutting edge at EMO
Bosch RexrothMAG-IASKabelschleppAfter an absence of four years, the EMO exhibition returns to Hanover, Germany, this coming September. The 2007 event attracted more than 166,000 visitors from over 60 countries and 2,120 exhibitors; even the Milan event, at the depth of the recent European recession, attracted 1,204 exhibitors and approximately 124,000 ...
-
ArticleMeasuring success at BMW, Opel and beyond
While BMW and GM have chosen a single optical metrology solution for many of their European plants, other OEMs have stayed with CMMs due to the relative advantages of contact over non-contact systemsDemanding designControlling complex shapesTransparency from all anglesRepeatable and reliableKeeping in contactBody-in-white (BIW) measurement has gone through significant changes ...
-
ArticleHybrid theory from motor sport
Carbon fibre flywheel technology developed by the Williams F1 team could benefit hybrid powertrains, and BMW’s racing expertise is filtering down to the company’s assembly linesWilliams tries new techStalled battery developmentBMWDry textilesMotor sport, and particularly Formula One, is known for its rapid development of existing technologies, or the formation of ...
-
ArticleLight steel in motion
As crash legislation tightens and the drive for lower-mass body structures continues to grow, so steel producers are rising to the challenge Coating for successTailored solutions for better crashabilitySpringback and part geometryUsibor highlightsThe business aspectMarket mattersArcelorMittal’s S-in motion project was first rolled out to customers in November 2010, an ‘intensive’ ...