Interiors – Page 6
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ArticleTrue to form for IAC
Ford’s new compact MPV’s architecture is unique and required a high-quality cockpit solution. Simon Duval Smith travelled to Romania for the launch of an exciting new moulding process at supplier IACThe B-Max features 1.5 metres of unobstructed access to the cabin, its central body pillar uniquely integrated into the hinged ...
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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 ...
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ArticleDigital comes to life
Steed Webzell reviews advanced digital reality technologies available for automotive manufacturers looking to expedite product developmentFor modern automotive manufacturers who must deliver high levels of innovation and flexibility in shorter cycles at the lowest cost and highest quality, digital manufacturing tools present a significant opportunity to improve productivity, streamline compliance ...
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ArticleSupplying Sturm solutions
The modern manufacturing industry relies on reliable, innovative, cost-effective solutions to produce quality products. The demands can be challenging, with economic and environmental pressures to contend with. We talked with Wilhelm Sturm, CEO of Sturm-Gruppe, and take a look at the systems and solutions being developed and engineered by the ...
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ArticleVauxhall Luton UK van plant – a car finish on a commercial
Primer and basecoat – premium processEnergy saving and environmental concernsLearning in Luton – Vauxhall’s undergraduate schemeGaining with the groupMick Bewley’s manual spraying masterclassesThe Vauxhall Van Plant in Luton, some 50 kilometres north of London is home to production of the Vauxhall Vivaro, Nissan Primastar and Renault Trafic vans. The present ...
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ArticleIn the comfort zone for assembly
Full scale testsComplete measurementErgonomic pitfallParts presentationReducing non-value-adding timeSupply chain focusHuman modelling moduleOne of the persistent bugbears of the automotive manufacturing industry, most obviously in actual vehicle assembly operations, is the incidence of musculo-skeletal disorders (MSDs) – in layman’s terms, pulled muscles and twisted joints – among assembly workers.Someone who confirms ...
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Article
Spatter protection in hollow workpieces
Carl Cloos Schweisstechnik has developed a system to avoid spatter residues in component interiors created when hollow workpieces, in particular pipes, are welded together. This spatter protection tool is particularly effective for welding hydraulic cylinders using the MSG laser hybrid process. The new system is based on a 3D suspended ...
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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 ...
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ArticleInkjet interiors
Multi-material mixingStreetScooter project3D printing has been much mooted as a consumer tool for creating objects in the office or home. Mike Farish reports on a company taking this remarkable technology one step further.An exciting new rapid prototyping tool for automotive designers has been shown off recently at a number of ...
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Article
Assessing Datacolor’s 45G portable spectrophotometer
Datacolor has revealed its 45G portable spectrophotometer, which controls colour and appearance in complex manufacturing supply chains, producing measurement results that correlate better to visual assessment. For items with multiple visible components such as automobiles, achieving colour harmony is complicated by the need to visually match those components. For example, ...