All Environment articles

  • th1
    Article

    Toxic haste

    2010-05-01T16:04:06Z

    Suzuki tackles boron and fluorine leakageBMW implements water management strategiesLife after vehicle manufacturingDecontaminating waste water with sunlightThe clean-up of old – and even bomb-damaged – vehicle plants is a challenge for OEMs. The former Zastava car production facility, now located in Serbia, has only recently been cleaned in arguably the ...

  • gr1
    Article

    Green materials from start to finish

    2010-05-01T15:32:43Z

    Lightweighting by JSPEnvironmental swings and roundaboutsMaterial reuse at FordRecycling carbon fibreThe bigger pictureFlexible polymerThe quest for higher quality at the same price point or retained quality at a lower cost has driven the automotive industry forward for a century. Yet in recent times, the game has dramatically changed. Through a ...

  • er2
    Article

    Energy revolution

    2010-01-01T11:12:54Z

    Honda’s ‘Green Factory’ InitiativeHyundai Total Energy Management SystemNew wind turbines at Ford of Europe’s Genk PlantNew flower species absorb factory emissionsSEAT installs 13m kWh of annual electricity capacityAs a result of shrinking markets, automotive manufacturers are looking at new, innovative techniques to reduce production costs. As part of this drive, ...

  • glean-2
    Article

    Green = lean at Reva

    2009-11-01T11:01:23Z

    US production for the Reva NXREfficient beautyVolvo uses local resourcesToyota’s Tsutsumi ‘Eco-Factory’Methanol fuel cells reduce Nissan CO2 emissionsIf India’s Reva Electric Car Company has its way, a new term will soon be added to the automotive lexicon: ‘Born green’. This, says the India-based firm, is how all its cars will ...

  • Article

    Fischer appointed to Plant Manager of Ford Southampton

    2009-09-01T14:50:51Z

    Southampton, UK – Thomas Fischer has been appointed Plant Manager of Ford Southampton following the promotion of Martin Chapman to Operations Manager, Cologne plant.Fischer joined the Southampton plant in 2007 as area manager of trim and fi nal. More recently, he was responsible for quality and manufacturing engineering.Originally from Ulm, ...

  • Article

    Binger is named as Plant Manager at Ford's site

    2009-09-01T14:17:55Z

    Detroit, MI. – Charles Binger has been named Plant Manager of Ford’s Cleveland engine production site, which includes Engine Plants No. 1 and No. 2 and Cleveland Casting.A 19-year veteran with the company, Binger replaces Jan Allman, who was named plant manager at the Chicago Assembly Plant.Most recently Binger served ...

  • going-2
    Article

    Colour it green in construction

    2009-09-01T12:59:56Z

    Green and leanTurning paint fumes into electricityWaste gas used to power BMW paintshopThe ‘living’ car factoryGreening the distribution chainGreen smartOEMs and Tier suppliers derive not only good public relations from minimising environmental damage in the vehicle manufacturing process, but may also realize significant cost savings.One area that has seen a ...

  • what-1
    Article

    What lies beneath the site

    2009-05-01T14:31:01Z

    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 ...

  • chemistry-2
    Article

    The right chemistry for cleaning

    2009-01-01T10:00:18Z

    Cleaner running applies as much to manufacturing processes as to finished automotive products – more so, in the case of water and chemicals used in manufacturingWhat are the alternatives?The sweet smell of successWhen plastic is not so fantasticZero is the new heroKind on the balance sheetWater on the brainEvery drop ...

  • gg1
    Article

    Green is the new brown

    2008-09-01T11:05:55Z

    Sometimes it just isn’t possible to build on a brownfield site, so those building on greenfield sites must do so in an environmentally sensitive wayAs you might expect of a country as environmentally sensitive as Canada, the major OEMs and Tier Ones – most of which are concentrated in Ontario ...

  • mc1
    Article

    Making cars while the sun shines

    2008-07-01T14:33:23Z

    Pre-heated airLiving in a material worldSunshine came softlyGeo-heat pumpsShooting the breezeGeneral savings globallyGovernment assistanceThe enthusiasm for alternative energy sources is heating up as carmakers face increased cost, but it seems that solar and wind power can only fulfil their promise if the right subsidies are in place Alternative energy. Why ...

  • wn1
    Article

    Waste not, want not

    2008-07-01T14:18:40Z

    Air today, gone tomorrowEfficiency firstMade to measureHeat harvestingPinch pointFrom lean to greenAlternative energy has yet to provide enough power to run a factory, but when it comes to cutting operating costs it’s worth looking at what can be improved on the factory floorChildren’s programmes around the world show how to ...

  • wa1
    Article

    Wasting away

    2008-05-01T12:13:46Z

    Reduction is increasingBalancing the conflictWaste not, want notMetal and plasticFluids – the environment’s worst enemyUsing recycled materialsInformed workforceOutsourcing waste managementTough regulations on recycling are coming into force on an almost monthly basis, but for vehicle makers waste management is not a new idea. Some have been sorting the swarf from ...

  • rg1
    Article

    Race for green engineering

    2008-03-01T15:00:32Z

    Can motor racing ever be environmentally sustainable? It depends what questions you ask. AMS talks to Honda Formula One environmental engineer Jamie Shaw to find out how green the industry really isThroughout the 2007 season, the Honda Formula One team ran with a distinctive livery. Eschewing traditional sponsors, Honda ran ...

  • bi1
    Article

    Brownfield is the new green

    2008-03-01T14:19:07Z

    Brownfield site makes economic senseWinding up the powerDoing the right thingIn the debate about brownfield versus green, Ford comes down clearly on the side of making new from old. The company’s efforts to revitalise its former Dagenham plant have the environment in mindIt is difficult to precisely recall when big ...

  • Article

    Crunch time for the car industry

    2008-03-01T09:15:02Z

    Designed to be disposableDrain on resourcesCarmakers need to think about the end to a car’s life right from its beginning if a coherent recycling initiative is to be properly realised. Simon Palmer from recycleyourcar.co.uk gives his view on what needs to be doneCar design has always been governed by function ...

  • ai1
    Article

    An industry up in the air

    2008-01-01T09:30:54Z

    Damage limitationNew European legislationRegulation outside EuropeSwitch to waterborne paints in EuropeEnergy costs and system choiceOxidizers and VOCsFuture legislationThe paint shop accounts for almost all the VOCs coming out of a car plant. AMS considers the range of air quality legislation around the world and the ways that vehicle manufacturers are ...

  • reduction-1.jpg
    Article

    A platform for reduction

    2007-09-01T11:57:11Z

    Zero wasteTotal system approachCommon compatible chemistryValue analysisFord is minimising environmental impact while maximising cost efficiency and performance at its Dagenham plant in a collaboration with BPReducing manufacturing costs, whilst simultaneously minimising the effect automotive production activities can have on the environment, seems like an impossible task.Ford and BP have worked ...

  • carbon-1
    Article

    Cutting out the carbon

    2007-07-01T16:15:57Z

    Volvo Trucks is paving the way for CO2-free truck making while Ford embraces wind power and the photovoltaic cell. These are just two of the innovations emerging from an industry committed to reducing both carbon output and the cost of manufacturingBiomass and windpowerEnergy reduction remains criticalDifferent energy models for each ...

  • Article

    Holding the energy line at GM

    2007-07-01T15:13:55Z

    General Motors is embracing energy savings and improved performance with a new decentralised vacuum system from PIAB. AMS talks to Senior Manufacturing Project Engineer Dan Anfinson about getting a grip on the competitive edgeA firm grasp on safety and performanceIncreased up-timeDan Anfinson recognises that competition is the driving force in ...