Latest Insights with AMS Partners – Page 20
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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 ...
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ArticleBrake cover
UV coating technology offers perfect protection for discs and the environmentDemand for brake-disc coating has risen noticeably in recent years and the market has responded accordingly. There are different types available, each with distinct advantages and disadvantages. Currently, the most prevalent coatings are zinc flake coatings, zinc dust systems and ...
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ArticleLess noise, less cost, more benefits
When Iveco decided to renew its paint circulation line pumps in Madrid, Graco stepped forward with a more efficient and quieter solutionAutomotive companies are increasingly migrating from old pneumatic paint circulation pumps to electric pumps, on account of the cost savings possible and a range of other benefits. Take Iveco, ...
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ArticleSkid-free flexibility
With the energy savings it brings, the skidless paintshop is proving to be a popular ideaThere are some real heavyweights on the move inside automotive manufacturers’ production facilities: 200kg skids transfer 300kg vehicle bodies from the bodyshop to pretreatment, and on through the entire paintshop. Over 1,200 conveyor components and ...
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ArticleThe call of customising
With the popularity of personalisation, OEMs are looking to their painting lines to provide the answersHave you ever considered the number of customised cars that pass in front of you when stopped at a red light? It's no fewer than four cars in ten.Sober or more striking, the customisation of ...
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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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ArticleSpecial colour spectrum
Experts from BASF’s Coatings division, laboratory manager Michael Brünnemann and product manager Stefan Sickert, describe how the company is responding to the special colour needs of OEMsCarmakers are calling for an ever more customised colour spectrum, shorter development and delivery times, and flexible batch sizes. A new material and manufacturing ...
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ArticleChoices for China
BAIC ZengCheng’s new plant is a typical example of perfect collaboration between a customer’s requirements and ABB’s expertiseABB Paint automation started in early 2000. It quickly became a leader in paint automation for all industries including tier one and GI with a special focus towards automotive, with more than 1,000 ...
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ArticleBrilliant simplicity
Geico Taikisha’s chief operating officer, Daryush Arabnia, explains how the company’s new LeanDip system was inspired by customer feedbackCharacterised by its extreme simplicity of operation and maintenance, the LeanDip conveyor system handles bodies continuously and in a stop-and-go process recommended for high and low production volumes. LeanDip allows the body ...
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ArticleFive steps to workforce readiness
With workforces strained like never before, automotive manufacturers must act to help protect profits, productivity and safetyBy Larry Smentowski, senior industry consultant, automotive and tire, Rockwell AutomationEven as global automakers build new facilities and look to surpass producing 90m light vehicles for the first time this year1, their workforces are ...
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ArticleCarry forward
State-of-the-art electrified conveyors contribute to production levels and offer a safer working environment Self-propelled electrified carriers, monorail systems and skillet lines with lifting platforms are state-of-the-art solutions in today’s automotive manufacturing process. Electrification with conductor rail systems has been in common practice for several years, continuously adapting to real-world ...
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ArticleLight work of heavy loads
KUKA Robotics and Boll Automation use Binspect vision system to optimise production of axles for commercial vehicles, helping to reduce the physical strain on employees and to increase efficiencyIn recent decades, commercial vehicle manufacturers have experienced rapid changes in the production of axles. The demands on drive-train modules in terms ...
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ArticleMetrology meets automation
Portable systems have made high-accuracy measurement possible across all plant areas – the next step in this evolution is the integration of metrology with automationFrom the progressive assembly line to lean manufacturing principles, the automotive industry has always led the way in manufacturing technology. As the industry faces ever shorter ...