All Knowledge Bank articles – Page 8
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ArticleWorking with Mercedes-Benz
As its manufacturing presence expands into new territories, Mercedes-Benz turns to a Geico Taikisha team fully conversant with paintshop best practice globallyGeico-Taikisha has been working with Daimler Benz to develop new paintshop facilities on a greenfield site in Brazil and expanding capacity at an existing Mercedes-Benz plant in India. AMS ...
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ArticleFastening future
Following the lead of their automotive customers, fastening technology specialists are responding to industry demands to find innovation in weight, strength and performanceAs OEMs develop lightweight construction and optimised materials, the challenge for fastening specialists is to provide solutions as small, light and adaptable ideas without compromising on strength. Profil’s ...
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ArticleGetting down to refined auto parts
ABB robots help HIB Trim Part Solutions produce a wide variety of vehicle interior parts from instrumental panels and centre consoles to door trimHIB Trim Part Solutions, a member of the NBHX Trim Group, is a technology partner for the premium sector of the automotive industry. The company develops and ...
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ArticleInfinite possibilities
Mexico’s firm footing in the automotive industry makes it an ideal market for additive manufacturing technology Additive manufacturing, sometimes known as 3D printing, is a revolutionary technology able to produce complex shapes which cannot be produced by traditional techniques such as casting, forging and machining; expanding the possibilities of ...
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ArticleBalance of power
For its vast new Pesqueria plant, Kia needed a comprehensive, reliable and flexible electrical distribution system. Siemens’ Totally Integrated Power provided the solutionIn July 2015, Kia Motors began distributing their cars in Mexico. In addition to establishing a close-knit network of car dealerships in the country’s ten largest cities, Kia ...
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ArticleKeeping up with demand
Upgrading its San Luis Potosi plant, Plastic Omnium asked robotics experts at ABB to fit out the new paintshop for automotive components productionWhen Plastic Omnium (PO) realised that many of the world’s major vehicle manufacturers were upgrading or building new plants in Mexico, it decided to respond. The likes of ...
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ArticleThe cutting room
Bringing in Lectra’s expertise, suppliers are finding more ways to streamline their production of fabric and trim for automotive seatingMature and dynamic, Mexico is an especially attractive location for companies aiming to establish or maintain a North American manufacturing footprint. Drawn by the appeal of Mexico’s low wages and improved ...
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ArticleSteel steps up
Advanced grades and solutions are providing features that the automotive market demands from steel to create the lighter, safer and low-emission vehicles of the 21st centuryArcelorMittal boasts some of the most technologically advanced automotive operations in North America, incorporating a range of modern steelmaking technologies. In Canada, the US and ...
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ArticleTechnology for new business models
With a relatively low cost and high productivity, rollforming is proving an attractive technology for the manufacture of componentsWith a relatively low cost and high productivity, rollforming is proving an attractive technology for the manufacture of componentsDynamically changing markets are increasingly challenging classical business models for suppliers of car body ...
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ArticleImage conscious
Over the past decade, transmission plants around the world have switched to machine-vision inspection for error-proofing the assembly processDue to the detailed nature of automotive transmission manufacturing and the high cost of errors, vision inspection systems have become key to ensuring high levels of quality and minimising warranty costs. As ...
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ArticleHappy Anniversary
As Dürr celebrates 50 years of business in Mexico, its North America MD Bruno Welsch is confident about the company’s resource-conscious futureFor Dürr North America, 2016 has been quite a year. First there was the official opening of its new $43m campus near Detroit, with 126,000 sq.ft of state-of-the-art office-space ...
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ArticleRed E-volution
Latin America is joining Europe and Asia by jumping on the electric busIt looks like any of the other thousands of red double-decker buses proceeding through the loud traffic on London’s streets, but if you listen closely you’ll soon realise that some buses are different. Instead of the usual engine ...
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ArticleCool it
Cold forming is experiencing a resurgence in the automotive industry and it is a trend that is likely to continue — so what are the advantages? Today, some car manufacturers are using a high amount of hot forming steels in their vehicles, while other automotive companies are almost exclusively ...
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ArticleBundles of energy
Constructing its new plant at Pesqueria near Monterrey, Kia needed an ergonomic supply of power for lineside applications and so turned once again to Conductix-WampflerThe automotive industry is in permanent evolution, implementing new production technologies and systems to reach higher standards and production rates. Over the last decade, the global ...
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ArticleA smooth gear change
As transmission design grows more complex, the challenge for OEMs is to produce a greater range of gears in high volume while ensuring qualityUp until a few years ago, five-speed transmissions reigned supreme in automotive design, but gear numbers have grown rapidly in the last 10 years. With this change, ...
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ArticleFastening future
Following the lead of their automotive customers, fastening technology specialists are responding to industry demands to find innovation in weight, strength and performanceAs OEMs develop lightweight construction and optimised materials, the challenge for fastening specialists is to provide solutions as small, light and adaptable ideas without compromising on strength. Profil’s ...
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ArticleMultistory makeover
An international team made its way to China as Dürr completed a major modernisation project in record timeIn mid-May 2015, Dürr completed a €33m ($36m) conversion project at SAIC General Motors (SAIC-GM), the dimensions of which were exceptional even for the German plant construction company. The project objective was to ...
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ArticleSurface and geometry inspection
Camera-based machine vision systems enable more consistent detection of defects during the surface and contour inspection for components produced from all kinds of materialsIn industries such as automotive manufacturing and the supply sector, final inspections are often done by the naked eye. This brings problems such as fatigue in the ...
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ArticleSteel stays at the forefront of mobility
New methodologies and material concepts are helping OEMs to find opportunities in lightweightingThe task carmakers face is to create affordable, environmentally friendly, and safe mobility solutions. Without a shadow of doubt, steel is still the most affordable material to meet the challenge. It’s also one of the most innovative.At the ...
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ArticleHigher power
Creative, convenient and customisable ways to reconfigure power supply are key to any lean manufacturing operationFrom conventional cars and electric engines to state-of-the-art intelligent vehicles, it is indisputable that the next decade will continue to test the automotive industry’s ability to satisfy customers’ expectations. Success and growth at the manufacturing ...