All Joining articles – Page 5
-
Article
Getting the green light
Under government pressure, domestic and international OEMs in China are switching to new-energy vehicles US vehicle manufacturers Premium European brands European high-volume makers Japanese and Korean OEMs Motorcycle producers SuppliersThe origins of Chinese vehicle manufacturing are rooted in technology transfers from European, US and Japanese OEMs through joint ventures in ...
-
Article
Bosch to guide Bentley’s production
UK – Effective November 1, Peter Bosch becomes the OEM’s member of the board for Manufacturing. He succeeds Michael Straughan, who is leaving Bentley Motors to pursue other career opportunities.Bosch is joining Bentley from Volkswagen Group’s headquarters at Wolfsburg, Germany, where he served as head of Production Strategy, Processes and ...
-
Article
Speed of thought
A well-educated workforce within a tried-and-tested process model enables the GAC FCA plant at Guangzhou to achieve rapid ramp-ups. AMS went to the WCM-designed plant in China to take a look at the productionIn April, 2016, Jeep Renegades began rolling off the assembly line at a brand new plant in ...
-
Article
Bigger not always better
The largest automotive manufacturing complex in the world boasts five high-tech plants, but sales slumps and strikes have affected output at Hyundai Ulsan. AMS paid a visit to Fifth Plant to see Genesis productionThere is no place in the automotive world like Hyundai Ulsan. With five vehicle plants spread over ...
-
Article
Making a Mirai-cle
A lack of infrastructure is holding back the take up of alternatively powered vehicles, but the manufacturing process can be a wonder of manual labour. AMS went to Motomachi to see Toyota making its fuel-cell modelIt seems fitting that the factory where Toyota made its first passenger cars, in the ...
-
Article
VW makes production appointments
Germany – Andreas Krüger will become head of Product Line Small, Stefan Gies will be head of Product Line Mid-/Fullsize and Friedrich Eichler will be head of Chassis Development. The appointments will be effective from September 1.After joining VW at Wolfsburg in 1991, Krüger went on to take senior positions ...
-
Article
A collaborative future
The use of collaborative robots in automotive assembly operations is gaining pace. AMS reports on the applications, technology and why this is a growing trendA new robot went into operation just a year ago at the BMW plant in Dingolfing, Germany. But this machine is not a massive, powerful piece ...
-
Article
Material world
Inside its new bodyshop at Neckarsulm, Audi applies an enterprising mix across materials and joining technologies for its latest luxury sedan.
-
Article
Eyes of the factory
As Industry 4.0 continues to reshape production processes and our working environments, experts in measuring and imaging technology can offer solid supportIndustry 4.0, cyber-physical systems or the Internet of Things: the paradigm shift in the production economy is cheerfully progressing under various names. What they all refer to is the ...
-
Article
Cube route
Data-led analysis and audit are helping Porsche to maintain and enhance its production quality values
-
Article
Smarter and safer
As production facilities grow in complexity through the interconnection of cyber, physical and human capabilities, automotive manufacturers are encountering additional safety risks alongside new possibilitiesAutomotive manufacturing is entering what Christian Dunckern, head of BMW Group Production System, Planning, Toolmaking and Plant Engineering, calls “the time of smart devices and digitalisation”, ...
-
Article
Joining forces
Complex parts, precision fits, no margin for error; it’s no wonder automation is such a vital ingredient of successful powertrain assembly linesModern lines are faster, safer and more reliable than ever before, thanks in large part to automation. While intensive, dedicated lines designed for high-volume throughput were the preserve of ...
-
Article
Joining forces
Complex parts, precision fits, no margin for error; it’s no wonder automation is such a vital ingredient of successful powertrain assembly linesModern lines are faster, safer and more reliable than ever before, thanks in large part to automation. While intensive, dedicated lines designed for high-volume throughput were the preserve of ...
-
Article
Ford hopes new top team can Hackett
US – Replacing Mark Fields, who is retiring after 28 years with the company, Jim Hackett will become president and CEO, reporting to executive chairman Bill Ford. The OEM also named Jim Farley, Joe Hinrichs and Marcy Klevorn in new leadership roles under Hackett.Hackett held senior positions outside the automotive ...
-
Article
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 ...
-
Article
Growth and innovation
Reduced costs, recyclability and new joining technologies are driving the use of aluminium in automotive structuresFord's switch from steel to aluminium for the body of its F-Series trucks was called its ‘billion-dollar gamble’. But the carmaker felt that the opportunity to shed some 300kg of weight from the vehicle was ...
-
Article
Beaming with benefits
Clean, flexible and able to provide quality assurance data, laser technology is now proving effective in welding plasticsA recent report released by Credence Research suggests that the US welding equipment industry for plastics is undergoing a period of explosive growth. The industry was valued at $595.3m in 2015, and the ...
-
Article
Under the spotlight
With current demand for lightweighting so voracious, there are many applications in which OEMs are looking to spot weld mixed-material assemblies Trumpf's I-PFO is suited to the laser welding of doors, seats, sun roofs and other large body partsWith high thermal and electrical conductivity plus the very high electrical resistance ...
-
Article
Mazda Hofu to make new CX-5
Japan – The plant in Yamaguchi prefecture will start producing the vehicle in November, joining the Ujina factory in Hiroshima where it is already manufactured. Mazda says the production launch is in response to growing worldwide demand for SUVs.“As with the CX-3, starting production of the CX-5 at Hofu Plant ...
-
Article
Under contract
Valmet Automotive is experiencing rapid growth with a new Daimler contract to build its GLC SUV, partnership with a leading Chinese battery supplier and engineering acquisitions in EuropeIt might have been a chilly -12°C outside the Uusikaupunki plant on the day of our visit, but things are certainly heating up ...