Interiors – Page 5
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ArticleSouth America special issue
The first in our series of regional supplements covering the most important automotive markets in the world is now available online in four languages: English, Portuguese, Spanish and Chinese. This special edition provides in-depth information about the activities of key OEMs and tier suppliers in South America, and how ...
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Faurecia Interiors: Staying in shape
While vehicle production volumes are on an upward trajectory in South America, interiors remain relatively simple, says Francisco Maciel, regional vice-president for Faurecia Interior Systems Joanne Perry (JP): How important is South America as a production location for Faurecia Interior Systems? Francisco Maciel (FM): South America represents 6% ...
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Competitively commercial
As Mercedes-Benz earmarks $1bn for its CV operations in Brazil, AMS tours final assembly at the S ão Bernardo do Campo plant, which plays a part in producing the entire Latin American truck line-up “Today, Brazil is the most important sales market for our trucks worldwide,” said Stefan Buchner, ...
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Manmade in Modena
As Maserati volumes grow, its old plant in north Italy is still using traditional means to make modern cars Maserati’s factory at Modena, northern Italy, is one of the oldest in the country and one of the most traditional in terms of its assembly; and yet it is also home ...
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Magna to expand Trnava Interiors Plant
Slovakia – The manufacturing facility will nearly double in size to more than 15,500 sq.m, supporting its production of interior components such as door panels, instrument panels and armrests for various global vehicle-makers. Ralf Link, general manager of Magna Interiors Trnava, said the expansion was “proof that we are ...
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Expanding interiors in China
Increased vehicle production in China has led suppliers to stengthen their presence there too, with the enouragement of the OEMs The rapid growth of Chinese production by global vehicle manufacturers has been one of the most notable trends in the automotive industry in recent years; for example, Volkswagen has opened ...
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Multi-material, lightweight car concept unveiled
US – The project by Ford and Magna International, which was co-funded by the US Department of Energy (DOE), used advanced material solutions to achieve a weight saving of almost 25% compared with the industry standard.The multi-material, lightweight vehicle (MMLV) concept is based on the production version of a 2013 ...
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Investing in Ingolstadt
The Audi production complex will complete a €1 billion upgrade by the end of next year; AMS takes a look Audi’s headquarters at Ingolstadt, north of Munich, is much more than an administrative, technical and manufacturing hub these days. The usable area of the site covers 2.1m sq. m ...
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Absorbing competition
Lightweighting is driving continuous improvement in all materials, but especially steelLighter weight equals less power equals lower carbon emissions. The equation is simple and the quest to find ever-lighter materials for use in automotive production is unending. Aluminium is a lot lighter, plastics are both lighter and easier to form ...
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Magna and Chongquing Trim form JV
China – The 50:50 partnership between Magna Exteriors and Chongquing Guangneng Rongneng Trim, called Magna Guangneng Automotive Trim System (Hangzhou), will supply the Chinese automotive market through a greenfield facility that will assemble and sequence front-end modules (FEMs). Joe Pittel, global president at Magna Exteriors, Interiors and Seating, ...
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Hyundai Motor India
AMS visited the company’s impressively modern facilities in Chennai, where petrol and diesel engines can be manufactured on the same lineHyundai Motor India Limited (HMIL) is the second largest automotive manufacturer in India, established in 1996 by the Hyundai Motor Company (HMC) of South Korea when the Hyundai brand was ...
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Turning painting green
The BMW Brilliance Tiexi plant in China is leading the way towards more environmentally friendly paintshops ' Best-in-class technology ' ' The most sustainable plant in China ' Developing key workforce competencies New standards & future plans "The world’s most environmentally friendly paintshop” is currently being ramped up towards full ...
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Ditching the dirt at Ford
A European innovation which has been rolled out at Ford plants in the US European origins, American implementation Processing power & performance Almost every freshly painted surface on a vehicle will attract airborne contaminants; tiny particles of dust will stick to the wet paint and, as it dries, ...
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UV cure at Fehst
Ralf Wassermann, responsible for technical sales at Sprimag, discusses the company’s all-new UV coating system Three-axis coating machine Conveying & positioning Although UV coating processes have been around for some time, there are still manufacturing companies that have reservations about the technique. However, there has been a recent exception to ...
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Mass is the driver for composites
Though tooling costs and shorter production runs bring advantages, reduced mass is pushing development Compared to steel or aluminium body structures the number one advantage of composites is mass reduction. “That is really the single most important driving factor that is leading to the drive to include more composites,” says ...
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True 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 IAC The B-Max features 1.5 metres of unobstructed access to the cabin, its central body pillar uniquely integrated into the ...
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Plastics 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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Digital comes to life
Steed Webzell reviews advanced digital reality technologies available for automotive manufacturers looking to expedite product development For 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 ...
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Supplying 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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Vauxhall Luton UK van plant – a car finish on a commercial
Primer and basecoat – premium process Energy saving and environmental concerns Learning in Luton – Vauxhall’s undergraduate scheme Gaining with the group Mick Bewley’s manual spraying masterclasses The Vauxhall Van Plant in Luton, some 50 kilometres north of London is home to production of the Vauxhall Vivaro, Nissan Primastar and ...
