JLR – Page 4
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Chemical composition
The greater use of mixed materials in vehicle construction has required changes to the pretreatment processThe initial treatment that a bare metal car body receives is fundamental to achieving the key performance parameters of all subsequent coating and painting operations, most obviously corrosion protection and paint adhesion. For many decades, ...
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Sitting pretty
Brose UK has now insourced the painting of seat structures, bringing efficiency and evironmental savings"This is a massive show of faith and confirms the Group’s intention of giving us the technology and capability we need to take on and successfully deliver higher volumes for our local customers,” said Juergen Zahl, ...
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So strategic
Renault has driven the change and is now driving the future; Nissan is powering along with 'Power 88' (aimed at achieving an 8% global market share and an 8% return on capital); and Volkswagen (VW) is working on Strategy 2025+ as it goes about rebuilding after the diesel scandal. Ford ...
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Brose opens paint facility at Coventry
UK – The new e-coat line will enable the painting of more than 3.5m seat structures per year, according to Brose. The company invested £10m ($13.3m) and recruited an extra 30 personnel.“We have grown significantly over the last five years and have now reached a position where an in-house paint ...
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EVs abound, but where’s the power?
This year’s Frankfurt Motor Show was a little different from previous occasions, with some notable absentees – namely Nissan, Peugeot, Volvo and FCA. Something else I was struck (rather than surprised) by was the increasing focus on electric vehicles (EVs). The diesel scandal has led to a major shift in ...
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JLR appoints Marchand to Americas role
US – As vice-president Government and Industry Relations, Chris Marchand will direct the company’s interactions with governments and industry associations across North, Central and South America. He will take up the role on November 7.Marchand will report to Joe Eberhardt, president and CEO, Jaguar Land Rover North America, and Helen ...
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Putting the Kia into Slovakia
With its production numbers continuing to increase, the Kia Motors Slovakia facility in Žilina is flying the flag for smaller car-producing nationsA picturesque setting is not a metric that OEMs necessarily value when selecting production sites, but it is one in which Kia Motors Slovakia (KMS) scores highly. The facility ...
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Finding a new Vantage point
In an effort to end its boom-bust cycle, Aston Martin aims to double production capacity by 2019 while cutting manufacturing costsFor a luxury maker so used to luring the rich, profits have proven elusive for Aston Martin over the course of its 104-year existence. But the first signs that its ...
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JLR to electrify all models from 2020
UK – The company made the announcement at its inaugural Tech Fest focusing on the future of mobility, with CEO Ralf Speth saying it will be “embracing fully electric, plug-in hybrid and mild hybrid vehicles”. JLR’s first fully electric SUV, the I-PACE, will go on sale next year.With the I-PACE, ...
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Classic cars reborn
Jaguar Land Rover has embarked on an ambitious project, buying up examples of its classic models that are in need of restoration and effectively remanufacturing themIf you see an old Jaguar or Land Rover vehicle rusting and abandoned, then JLR wants to know about it. That is because taking old ...
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Down to earth
Validation tests of PROFIL’s earthing studs by OEMs operating in China have shown improved conductivity compared to the classical welding solutionsOne of the clearest advantages of grounding studs is they are self-piercing. This means that each stud makes a neat hole through the sheet metal component. This technique provides a ...
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Changes ahead for Europe
Manufacturers operating in Europe are continuing to push into the lower cost east as overall sales volumes in the region approach pre-crisis levels againMakers such as Jaguar Land Rover, Volkswagen, Ford and Daimler are among those building new plants or expanding existing ones to take advantage of benefits such lower ...
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Elringklinger starts JLR parts production
UK – Under the terms of a £12m ($15.5m) contract, the company will make 36 types of heat-shield and gasket components at its base in Redcar, North Yorkshire, for use in engine bays and vehicle assemblies across six engine variants. JLR’s demands for parts have increased after the opening in ...
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Open-door opportunity
Much R&D work has been done to reduce the weight of vehicle structures, but closures still represent a significant opportunity for weight savingsClosures are mounted after body assembly and can be built up off-line, meaning that they can be made of entirely different materials, such as aluminium, to the vehicle’s ...
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JLR’s EMC makes first petrol Ingenium
UK – The engine, which will debut in vehicles this summer, marks the completion of the first phase of the Engine Manufacturing Centre (EMC). The $1 billion plant in Wolverhampton, West Midlands, was opened in 2014 to supply the OEM’s three vehicle factories in the country.The manufacture of this first ...
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After PSA and Opel, who's next?
The acquisition of Opel/Vauxhall by PSA, which should be complete by the end of this year, took the industry by surprise. With Opel/Vauxhall still losing money in Q3 2016, GM’s chief financial officer, Chuck Stevens, said the company would do what was required to put the situation right. Most observers ...
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Tailor-made
With a total throughput capacity of 750,000 tonnes of metal per year, it is no surprise to discover the automotive industry is a major customer of the Tata SteelparkThe Tata Steelpark near Wolverhampton, UK, is one of the major steel processing sites in Europe. Inbound, coiled steel from the company’s ...
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Around the block
The mix of in-house and external sourcing that OEMs regularly deploy in vehicle engine production make its supply chain quite distinct from that of all other components along the assembly lineEngines, whether diesel or petrol, have a supply chain that is quite distinct from that which provides components to vehicle ...
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Edging out inefficiencies
Tooling innovations matched with supplier partnerships are proving critical to competitive gain at automotive machine shops the world overFord’s Bridgend engine plant in the UK, which produces over 750,000 petrol engines a year, has engaged in a cutting-tool partnership with Mapal to help the factory to hit its SPC targets ...
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Gestamp to open aluminium plant, Nitra
Slovakia – The €133m ($140.8m) facility will supply carmakers including Jaguar Land Rover, which is building a factory in the country. More than 80% of the output will be aluminium-based.The plant will cover 42,400 sq.m and start production in 2018, focusing on products which reduce vehicle weight while maintaining safety. ...