Latest News & Features – Page 116
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ArticleFord’s $1.2bn Michigan investments
US – The funds will go towards upgrading Michigan Assembly Plant, increasing capacity at Romeo Engine and developing an advanced data centre. Ford says the investments will help it to “strengthen its leadership in trucks and SUVs and support the company’s expansion to an auto and mobility company”.Ford is spending ...
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ArticleBMW's latest sustainability results
Germany – The OEM’s Sustainable Value Report, published alongside the Annual Report 2016, shows improvements in manufacturing, among other areas. This year the vehicle-maker recorded a drop of 4.9% on average in resource usage and emissions per vehicle produced, compared with 2015.The report also shows that, based on 2006 levels, ...
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ArticleHigh-speed recording camera
With a shock resistance of 100 G’s the fanless EoSens Quad 1.1 high-speed recording camera has been designed to operate in high shock and vibration environments, claims Mikrotron. The company says the Quad 1.1 is suitable for automotive crash test and manufacturing troubleshooting applications.The Quad 1.1 has a 14.9μm 10-bit ...
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ArticleHigh-speed electronic weld head
The Series 300 weld head enables up to three welds per second, with programmable force and weld positions, force and position repeatability, and displacement monitoring, says Amada Miyachi. The company claims it’s suitable for safety critical applications, such as automotive sensors and switches.The company says the unit features a newly ...
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ArticleAfter 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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Article5-axis, 30-taper, mill-turn centre
Brother has introduced an uprated version of its Speedio M140X1 5-axis, 30-taper mill-turn centre. Called Speedio M140X2, the company says improvements include an integrated, high output, direct drive motor in the C-axis to replace the previous roller drive powering the 2,000rpm turning table. The A-axis trunnion rotates through a 50% ...
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ArticleFineblanking machine
The reinforced model of the XFT 2500speed press offers an effective solution for the special challenges in fineblanking production claims Feintool. The company says this model is equipped with stronger knuckle joints, which increases the press force at the tip to 3000kN (time-limited).It’s claimed that this additional reinforcement makes this ...
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ArticleNew London Taxi plant inaugurated
UK – The £300m ($377.1m) factory at Antsy, Coventry, will be able to produce up to 20,000 range-extended electric vehicles (EVs) per year for global markets. The investment by parent company Geely, the Chinese carmaker, has created over 1,000 jobs, including 200 engineers and 30 apprentices.“The opening of our new ...
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ArticleDaimler now using Schuler laser tech
Germany – The OEM has commissioned two laser blanking lines at its Kuppenheim plant, in place of conventional lines with dies. The equipment will initially be used for the serial production of compact cars but can be quickly reprogrammed for other models in future.In the Schuler system, three laser heads ...
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Valmet to make next-gen Mercedes
Finland – The manufacturing contract is described as being comparable in duration and extent to existing deals for the Mercedes-Benz A-Class and GLC SUV. The manufacturing engineering project for compact cars will begin immediately.“The new manufacturing contract takes the cooperation of Valmet Automotive and Daimler to a new level, and ...
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Valmet expands recruitment campaign
Finland – The contract manufacturer is adding 800 roles to 1,000 that were announced in November 2016, as a result of high demand and the finalisation of shift arrangements. The company's largest-ever recruitment campaign will boost the number of employees at Uusikaupunki Plant to almost 3,700 by late 2017.The hiring ...
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ArticleLTC announces van for new factory
UK – Following the official launch of its new facility at Antsy, Coventry, London Taxi Company (LTC) said that a range-extended light commercial vehicle would be the second vehicle to roll off the line after an electric taxi. An additional £25m ($31.5m) from parent company Geely brings the total investment ...
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ArticleNew Bobber a triumph for Avon
UK – The tyre manufacturer has increased volumes of its Cobra product at its Melksham, Wiltshire, factory to match demand for the recently launched Triumph Bonneville Bobber. Each motorcycle of this type leaves the assembly line with bespoke Cobra tyres for the front and rear wheels.Doug Ross, head of Global ...
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ArticleBattery box castings
Rheinmetall Automotive says it is supplying components for battery boxes of electric vehicles using its expertise in the manufacture of complex vehicle components in die-cast aluminium.Weighing 9kg, these components serve to hold the rechargeable battery cells installed in an SUV and a high-power sports limousine from a leading German OEM. ...
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ArticleNew modular hybrid transmission kit
ZF says its new 8-speed dual clutch transmission (8DT) is available for front-longitudinal configuration in four different variants (standard, all-wheel drive, hybrid, all-wheel hybrid) in three torque classes, to a maximum of 1,000Nm.To make the 8DT basic transmission as small and compact as possible, a new gear set concept with ...
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ArticleNissan changes North America team
US – The appointments, effective from April 1, range across production and engineering; R&D; customer satisfaction; marketing and sales; communications; and legal matters. Most of the roles relate to Nissan’s Franklin site, Tennessee.José Muñoz, chief performance officer and chairman, management committee – North America, Nissan Motor Company, said that the ...
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ArticleLight tunnel for paint surface quality
The EcoReflect light tunnel offers an ergonomic environment design and permits continuous detection of irregularities in paint with maximum accuracy, claims Dürr.The company says this system generates vertical contrast lines, enabling the operators to follow the progression of the car bodies when checking them. In contrast to conventional systems with ...
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ArticleUltralight door module
Magna International, in cooperation with the US Department of Energy (DOE) and partners FCA US and Grupo Antolin, has developed a new, ultralight door architecture that it’s claimed achieves over 42% mass savings compared to an average current production door.The company says a key innovation includes integration of its SmartLatch ...
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ArticleSilent chains for hybrid motors
BorgWarner says it has produces silent chains for Suzuki’s Solio hybrid vehicle. When driving under electric power, two chains transfer power from the electric motor to the transmission to propel the vehicle. During braking or deceleration, the chains transmit power back to the motor to recharge the battery.The company says ...
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ArticleAutomotive glass inspection technology
Based on patented stereo deflectometry, Isra says it has developed a method that is suitable for assessing the reflection optics of windshields and rear and side windows. The company claims this new Screenscan Reflected Distortion product allows measurement accuracy in the millidiopter range.The company says that instead of the height ...