All Ford articles – Page 6

  • mindsphere-si-01136789_original
    Article

    Gathering clouds

    2019-08-20T10:44:00Z

    Cloud computing has been used for some time by carmakers, but its full potential has still to be realised in automation applications. 

  • 2019 Ford Kuga home charge
    Article

    Ford’s new electric offering

    2019-05-28T13:49:00Z

    Ford has recently announced it will bring 16 electrified vehicles to market in Europe over the next few years. Michael Nash provides a rundown of the first batch to be introduced

  • 12_Ford_Focus
    Article

    Keeping in focus

    2019-05-20T14:29:00Z

    Ford has invested in its Saarlouis plant to produce the latest generation of its popular Focus model. Nick Holt visited the plant to get a look at the upgrades to the production process

  • CAP_SV2_7317
    Article

    US plants – stick or twist?

    2019-04-10T13:42:00Z

    Several carmakers have recently outlined plans to alter their production activities in the US. Some announcements have been positive, with large investments being made to build new facilities as well as upgrade existing ones. Others have detailed plant closures. Here we provide an overview of the latest news regarding those ...

  • BMW scooter
    Podcast

    AMS Podcast Episode 03 – Look to the future, it’s only just begun

    2019-04-10T00:03:00Z

    With absolutely no apologies for quoting Slade, AMS Editor Nick Holt and AMS Deputy Editor Gareth Price see this Christmas as the ideal time to look back at a selection of topics featured in AMS magazine during 2018.

  • Ford transit
    Podcast

    AMS Podcast Episode 01 – Start of production

    2019-04-10T00:01:00Z

    The very first AMS podcast rolls off the assembly line and the team discuss two giants of automotive manufacturing, Toyota and Ford.

  • Ford autonomous vehicle
    Article

    Ford invests in EV and AV production

    2019-03-21T11:18:00Z

    US - Ford has said it will spend US$900m on its facilities in Michigan in order to ready for the production of both electric and autonomous vehicles. This is the latest in a string of investments that the OEM has recently announced it will make in US plants. “We’ve taken ...

  • Ford Focus Saarlouis
    Article

    Tariffs: controversy reigns with Trump and Brexit adding to confusion

    2019-03-20T13:21:00Z

    In President Trump somewhat simplistic analysis, trade wars fought through the medium of tariffs are easy to win. Angered, apparently, by seeing too many Mercedes and BMWs on Fifth Avenue, Trump has threatened to invoke section 232 of the 1962 US Trade Expansion Act, raising tariffs from ...

  • BMW-adhesive-on-windows
    Article

    Augmented assistance

    2019-03-04T11:36:00Z

    Visit any car manufacturing plant in the world and the majority of production equipment will be similar. The real differences between factories are the human workers and the way in which technology is used to optimise their environment

  • Honda Swindon Civic
    Article

    Honda closure deals blow to UK

    2019-02-19T13:06:00Z

    Honda has announced plans to close its Swindon plant at the end of the current model’s production lifecycle in 2021. The statement, which was published on the company’s website, refers to the changing nature of the global auto industry and Honda’s “commitment to electrified cars” as the main reasons behind ...

  • Fronius joining of steel and aluminium
    Article

    Low heat input welding

    2019-02-03T10:00:00Z

    The Cold Metal Transfer (CMT) welding process reduces the heat input in comparison to other MIG/MAG processes, claims Fronius. This uses a digital process control, which automatically detects short circuits and then helps to detach the droplet by retracting the wire; during welding, the wire moves forward and is pulled ...

  • Fraunhofer IPA Smart System Optimization tool
    Article

    Identifying errors in manufacturing systems

    2019-02-02T10:00:00Z

    Smart System Optimisation

  • BASF Elastoflex Thinlight
    Article

    New foam for instrument panels

    2019-02-01T15:00:02Z

    A new series of systems in its Elastoflex E product group now allows weight reductions and foam densities of around 120g/L without sacrificing any of the material characteristics, claims BASF. Up to 30% of the foam weight is saved, says the company, depending on the component geometry. This Thin-Light system ...

  • Henkel solutions for e-drives
    Article

    Production resource for e-drive modules

    2019-02-01T08:30:19Z

    Henkel’s says it offers a range of solutions for the manufacturing of e-drives including Loctite AA 5820, which the company says is suitable to provide a reliable seal of multi-substrates or any flange design of e-drive housings. For stator coil potting applications, it offers a two-component epoxy, Loctite PE 8082, ...

  • Mazda Thailand
    Article

    Outra potência na Ásia

    2019-01-23T11:14:26Z

    Já consolidado como um centro de produção dinâmico e em rápido crescimento, a indústria automotiva do Sudeste Asiático está encontrando novas oportunidades para o crescimento da produção de veículos híbridos e de baterias Mais sobre a Ásia Desconforto no leste China segue em frente Asia Pacific 2017Duas ...

  • Mazda Thailand
    Article

    La otra gran potencia de Asia

    2019-01-21T09:16:06Z

    La industria automotriz del sudeste asiático, que ya es un centro de fabricación dinámico y de rápido crecimiento, está encontrando nuevas oportunidades gracias al crecimiento de la producción de baterías y vehículos híbridos Más sobre Asia Incertidumbre en oriente China planifica su futuro Asia-Pacífico 2017Dos naciones dominan ...

  • Hackett and Diess
    Article

    Ford and VW confirm their alliance; and raise questions …

    2019-01-18T12:13:00Z

    Ford CEO Jim Hackett, VW COE Herbert Diess After months of rumours and speculation, Ford and Volkswagen have announced an alliance which would begin with the co-development and production of vans and pick-ups; it offers the prospect of wider forms of co-operation, in other segments, electric technology ...

  • Article

    More on Audi

    2019-01-14T11:39:54Z

    A high-performance build The Audi R8 series of sports cars is described as being closer to motor racing than any other on-the-road vehicles. Mike Farish takes a closer look at the manufacturing operationThree Audi models enter production Algeria – Assembly of the Audi A3 Sportback, A3 Sedan and Q2 has ...

  • Article

    - 能源管理智能化

    2019-01-11T12:41:00Z

    几十年来,能源管理一直是汽车生产的一个重要方面,但事实证明,能够相互关联的创新新解决方案非常有效 据估计,道路运输约占全球温室气体(GHG)排放量的17%。欧盟委员会的数据显示,欧洲大陆21%的温室气体排放来自乘用车和重型汽车。因此,汽车制造商不断受到政府的推动,以使他们的汽车更加环保。 但是对环境造成破坏的不仅仅是开车造成的。汽车生产也具有重大影响,因此,目前正在世界各地的制造设施中实施许多减少这种影响的方法。能源管理技术的使用就是一个例子,近年来取得了一些令人印象深刻的成果。 选择总监数字化正日益成为世界各地生产设施的组成部分。尽管许多人仍严重依赖手工流程,但在数字工具的帮助下,工人们的效率正在提高,机器人也是如此。来自这些工具的数据可以证明对能源管理有用。 西门子最近安装了Simatic B。位于瑞士圣加仑的GF铸造解决方案工厂的数据能量管理系统,该公司在那里为汽车行业生产铝和镁合金压铸件。该系统允许GF跟踪在每台机器上使用的电力、水、气体或压缩空气的数量,以及使用时间。 例如,发现两台压铸机在周末消耗了4,500立方米的压缩空气,尽管没有使用。GF的能源经理伯恩哈德塞勒(Bernhard Thaler)解释称:“这么大的数字很难察觉。”然而,在一年的时间里,它很快就积累起来了。因此,公司能够通过突出和消除两台机器的浪费来实现显著的节能。 梅赛德斯-奔驰(Mercedes-Benz)在汉巴赫(Hambach)的智能汽车工厂中和二氧化碳 该小组还能够确定当他们的8个熔炉从燃烧石油转为使用丙烷气体时所节省的能源。仅在一个铝熔炼炉中,每吨能源消耗就减少了630千瓦时,二氧化碳排放量减少了16%,氮氧化物减少了40%。 GF表示,在实现了显著的节能减排目标后,该公司迫切希望研究在其其它设施引入该系统的可能性。塞勒强调:“其中一个有趣的好处是,这种能源管理解决方案不仅具有可扩展性,而且支持跨厂利用。”简而言之,GF可以将不同工厂的每个系统连接起来,让该公司能够精确地找出哪些表现良好,哪些可以改进。 GF的EDP和通信技术项目经理迈克尔内鲍尔(Michael Nebauer)表示,圣加伦工厂的安装过程非常简单,其他设备应该也很容易安装。每个压铸机和熔炉上都有控制箱和接口。它们收集有关流程和所使用的能量的数据,然后将这些数据发送到服务器并由标准web浏览器访问。他补充说:“由于在虚拟伺服器上安装及透过虚拟网络环境设定能源数据传送,我们得以为能源管理系统建立一个成本低廉的基础设施。” “由于安装在虚拟服务器上,并通过虚拟网络环境设置了能源数据传输,我们得以为能源管理系统实现一个成本低廉的基础设施” - Michael Nebauer, GF 描绘图片罗克韦尔自动化公司(Rockwell Automation)全球汽车高级顾问比尔萨维尔(Bill Sarver)表示,在汽车生产厂的所有不同区域中,油漆车间消耗的能源最多。 他认为,几乎所有的汽车制造商都在研究提高油漆车间效率的方法。大多数汽车制造商都在转向福特的车型,在这种车型上,你要涂好几层油漆,然后才会固化。 在AMS的11月到12月的一期中,许多专家概述了改进油漆店的创新方法,例如PPG的技术总监William Brunat和Geico Taikisha的执行总监Luigi Lazzari。解决方案包括低温固化的涂料和新的热泵技术。 罗克韦尔与汽车制造商合作开发了一种模块化的油漆整流器,这种整流器可以减少油漆的使用,同时还能最大限度地降低能耗。Sarver解释说:“它的工作原理是为每辆车创建一个配置文件,这样就不用静态算法在每辆车上应用相同数量的油漆,而是允许对每辆车的油漆应用程序进行调整。”“当没有车辆在上漆时,系统可以关闭整流器,这样它们就不会消耗任何能量。”你可以把这个概念应用到整个过程中。它的工作原理是探测车辆的位置并关闭电力系统,或者将其置于控制状态,在这种状态下,车辆消耗的能源更少,而系统表示,鉴于车辆的位置,它们不会被使用。 该公司还拥有一个软件工具,可以用来提高空气流量,温度和湿度。它以前被用于食品和饮料行业,但萨弗说,现在已经证明它可以减少油漆车间的能源使用量。喷漆整流器和控制软件都可以连接到Rockwell的FactoryTalk VantagePoint系统,这是一个基于web的系统,可以进行深入的数据分析。 时机决定一切为了减少生产过程中的能源消耗,几家oem厂商发布了报告,总结了它们的目标,并描述了它们最近面临的一些挑战。例如,在2018年4月,PSA集团发布了2017年企业社会责任报告(CSR),其中包含了关于其制造业务的碳足迹的详细章节。该公司发现,2015年至2017年间,其欧洲工厂的能源消耗增长了1.5%,与此同时,汽车产量增长了6.6%。 报告说,主要的担忧是焦炭的使用急剧增加。焦炭是一种在没有空气的情况下加热煤炭而产生的高碳燃料。PSA位于法国中部Sept Fons铸造工厂使用改材料开发铁。 尽管能源消耗的增加,OEM设法节省大约200万欧元(约合227万美元),在2017年实现能源消耗控制措施。公司称,“主要行动是在Vigo实施的。” ...

  • Assembly A8 at the Neckarsulm site
    Article

    Novo capítulo, história diferente?

    2019-01-09T10:26:41Z

    A expansão internacional continua, mas, como relata Ian Henry, o papel de longa data da Audi dentro do Grupo VW está agora sendo re-examinadoA Audi está expandindo globalmente, notavelmente na China, à medida que busca escapar de seu recente e controverso passado. Tendo sido cúmplice do escândalo do diesel que ...