Latest News & Features – Page 114
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ArticleThyssenKrupp opens China powertrain development centre
China – The industrial and technology group has invested €10m in this new centre for engine components, where it will concentrate its engine component development and prototyping activities.The new 2,000 sq. m facility is situated on the grounds of the existing production site in Dalian, where the company has been ...
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Mitsubishi inaugurates new plant in Indonesia
Japan – Following a 65 billion yen ($565m) investment the company says this state-of-the-art facility will employ 3,000 workers and produce 160,000 units a year at full capacity.Located in the new GIIC Industrial Estate in Bekasi Prefecture, the new plant was completed following a two-year construction project, and will begin ...
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ArticleHMA starts making new Odyssey
US – The production launch comes after “significant investments in new technologies”, says Honda, including a new process for the application of acoustic foam at 14 points throughout the vehicle body. The Lincoln, Alabama, factory is the exclusive manufacturing location for the minivan.The 2018 Odyssey is the fourth generation to ...
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ArticleFCA makes British management changes
UK – Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) said the appointments would take place with immediate effect. Andrew Ashley, managing director of the UK division, said the company is “now aligned with the needs of both our customers and our dealer partners”.The appointments include:Alejandro Noriega as country manager, Fiat and Abarth, overseeing ...
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ArticleSDS to become GKN eDrive hub
China – Shanghai GKN HUAYU Driveline Systems (SDS) will start production of the parent company’s latest eDrive products in 2018, becoming a manufacturing hub for its electrified drivelines. GKN expects its joint venture to produce over 1m eDrive units per year by 2025.SDS will begin making the Multimode eTransmission for ...
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ArticleNIO unveils ESB production vehicle
China – The seven-seater electric SUV, intended for the Chinese market, will enter series production at the end of 2017. The ESB is one of 11 vehicles the company is displaying at the Shanghai motor show this month. NIO also announced that it will begin taking orders for its $1.48m ...
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ArticleMitsubishi to transfer RVR production
Japan – The OEM announced that it will move the RVR (the ASX or Outlander Sport in some markets) from Okazaki Plant, Okayama, to Mizushima Plant in Aichi at the end of December. Mitsubishi said it is optimising its domestic production before launching the Eclipse Cross compact coupe SUV at ...
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ArticleJLR’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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ArticleMcLaren finally fills COO position
UK – Jens Ludmann has been appointed as chief operating officer (COO), the role last occupied by Mike Flewitt, who is now CEO. It had been latent since July 2013, when Flewitt stepped up to his current position.McLaren is in the second year of its Track22 business plan to improve ...
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ArticleIndustrial 3D metrology
GOM will be presenting a number of its metrology systems at Control 2017. These will include the complete ATOS ScanBox series, including series 7 and 8 for the inspection of large sheet metal parts and complete car bodies.Also being exhibited: the ATOS Capsule system, which the company says is designed ...
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ArticleWelding robotics power source
Fronius says it has expanded the range of functions of its TPS/i Robotics power source. The company says this system can now be equipped with the Cold Metal Transfer (CMT) welding process using an additional package.The modular system consists of interconnected, synchronised components and is designed to meet the demands ...
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ArticleCable carriers for sliding doors
Sliding doors on delivery vehicles require a permanent power supply to allow electronic components to function even when the door is open. Kabeltrax says it offers suitable flexible cable carrier systems for this and that these are currently used on the Mercedes-Benz V-Class and Vito.The company says its system consists ...
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ArticleUnder 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 ...
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ArticleScratching the surface
As Audi hails a new matting technique for its R8 vehicles as a finishing innovation, AMS digs up the detailsAll customers want a flawless paint finish to their new car – a uniform, generally glossy appearance without any hint of inconsistency. The main choice that needs to be made is ...
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ArticleInline inspection of castings and forgings
Inspection Technologies says it has developed a mixed light inspection system that removes the need for low ambient lighting conditions when checking for surface defects in cast and forged parts using fluorescent dyes.The system comprises of a specialised camera, driver electronics and a self-contained UV light source. It’s claimed this ...
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ArticleNew functionalities for software platform
Altair says it has added a number of new functionalities to its HyperWorks 2017 release. These include: model-based development, electromagnetism, nonlinear structural analysis, modeling and meshing, multiphysics and multi-disciplinary analysis, lightweight design and optimisation.www.altair.com
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Dongfeng and Nexteer enter JV
US/China – The 50:50 joint venture will design and manufacture electric power steering (EPS) systems for passenger cars of the Dongfeng Group. Its production facility will be located near to Dongfeng's headquarters in Wuhan, China.Tao Liu, senior vice-president and global chief operating officer, Nexteer Automotive, said that both partners “will ...
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Audi picks plants for new Q models
Slovakia/Hungary – The vehicle-maker has announced that it will make the Q8 in Bratislava from 2018 and the Q4 in Győr from 2019. From next year, Audi Hungaria will also take responsibility for the Q3 compact SUV, which until then will be produced in Martorell, Spain.“We will integrate two completely ...
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ArticleTMMK receives $1.33bn for TNGA
US – The factory in Kentucky will become the first in North America to produce vehicles on the Toyota New Global Architecture (TNGA), beginning with the 2018 Camry. In addition to modifications relating to TNGA, Toyota says the plant will install new equipment and build a new paintshop to “modernise ...
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ArticlePSA to modernise European paint lines
Spain – Paintshop supplier Sames Kremlin has announced that in March it won the contract to update lines one and two at PSA’s Vigo factory. Over the coming months, the company will install a total of 51 robots at PSA facilities in Trnava (Slovakia), Poissy and Rennes (France), plus the ...