Latest News & Features – Page 139
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Bearing in mind PTFE
There may be a tendency to pay little regard to the humble PTFE bearing but when it comes to assembly and performance this small component can make a big difference The hinges on doors, bonnets and other car-body closures seem at first to be among the most straightforward elements of ...
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ArticleJLR saves 50,000 tonnes of aluminium
UK – The ‘REALCAR’ closed-loop recycling reclaimed an equivalent weight to 200,000 XE body shells over the past 12 months, cutting 500,000 tonnes of CO2. The aluminium-intensive model recently marked its first full year of sales.The REALCAR project, led by Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) and part-funded by Innovate UK, saw ...
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ArticleLotus loses weight
UK – The vehicle-maker says it has cut 207kg from its model range over the past 12 months, after following a holistic approach to weight loss. The chassis for the Elise and Exige now weigh just 68kg each, and the company’s heaviest car is only 1,395kg.“We’re not concerned with following ...
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Article
Beeston to direct Infiniti in Britain
UK – As country director, Barry Beeston will be responsible for all sales and marketing within the UK. He will assume the role on May 1, reporting directly to Francois Goupil de Bouille, vice-president of Infiniti Europe, Middle East and Africa.Beeston moves to Infiniti UK from Nissan Motor (GB). He ...
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ArticleAir compressor deal for Wabco and Cummins
US – Under the new agreement, Wabco will be the exclusive supplier to Cummins in North America for air compressors in trucks, buses and industrial equipment. The deal builds on the joint venture, Wabco Compressor Manufacturing, which was established in 1998 in Charleston, South Carolina.“Alongside making further use of Wabco’s ...
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ArticleHitting the gas
As OEMs step up their sustainability programmes, two leading players are arriving at key milestones. AMS reports on how biogas projects have contributed greatly to the renewable energy success of GM and BMWLast year, for the first time, the BMW Group met the majority of its electrical energy needs by ...
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ArticleTaylor takes charge of GM’s compliance
US – The vehicle-maker has appointed Jeffrey Taylor as deputy general counsel and chief compliance officer, with immediate effect. He will report to Craig Glidden, executive vice-president and general counsel.Taylor will have overall responsibility for the ethics and compliance programme. The vehicle-maker says he will “support GM’s business operations and ...
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ArticleNikolai takes Gigante role at Waupaca
US – Currently COO and president, Mike Nikolai will replace Gary Gigante as CEO of the Hitachi Metals subsidiary from July 1. Gigante will retire, as will Kris Pfaehler, whose responsibilities will be assumed by current executive vice-president John Wiesbrock.Nikolai started at Waupaca Foundry in 1993 as a metallurgist at ...
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ArticleFaustmann leads Pre-Series Center, Audi
Germany – As head of the facility since April, Thomas Faustmann now oversees the building of concept cars, prototypes and pre-series vehicles. He has served the Volkswagen Group since 1991.Faustmann first worked in Germany, starting as a production planner at VW Salzgitter before moving to Wolfsburg the following year to ...
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ArticleBMW makes senior appointments
US – Chris Koenders will leave his role as executive vice-president, Operations, to become head of Project Retail Channel Performance Europe. He will be replaced by Petter Witt, moving from his role as regional vice-president, Western Region. The changes will take effect on May 1.Koenders joined the vehicle-maker in 1993 ...
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ArticleFCA to invest $74.7m at Trenton
US – The vehicle-maker will retool North Plant at Trenton Engine Complex, Michigan, to produce next-generation, four-cylinder engines from the third quarter of 2017. Assembly will take place on the flexible production line which was installed in 2012.“This investment in our flexible production line at Trenton North will allow us ...
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ArticleFord spends $1.6bn at Livonia and Ohio
US – The investment is divided into $1.4 billion for Livonia Transmission, Michigan, and $200m for Ohio Assembly Plant. The former will build a new, ten-speed transmission which will be introduced first in the new F-150 Raptor and certain other F-150 models. The investment at the latter will support production ...
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ArticleVolvo makes American leadership changes
US – Jim Raggi will become regional vice-president, Southern Region; Gregor Hembrough will be vice-president, Northeast Region; and Michael Cottone will be promoted to regional vice-president, Western Region. The reshuffle is part of Volvo’s ongoing transformation in the US.Raggi was previously responsible for the Northeast Region, and Volvo says he ...
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ArticleLaser radar for large-scale metrology
Nikon Metrology says the Laser Radar MV331 and MV351 units will perform high-speed vision scans enabling faster measurement of complex features, sections and surfaces. New usability features such as an integrated robot mount and removable air filters makes the system suited to robotic inspection on the shop floor.The company says ...
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ArticleMazda MX-5 reaches 1m units
Japan – The milestone was reached on April 22, after 27 years of mass production at Ujina Plant No.1 in Hiroshima. Mazda is currently making the fourth generation of the model, known as the Roadster in Japan.The original MX-5 debuted at the Chicago Auto Show in 1989. A generation later, ...
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ArticleLow cutting force modular drill
Kyocera has launched its new Magic Drill DRA, featuring a replaceable drill bit, which the company claims offers a high level of drilling accuracy at a low cutting force.The design of drill bit and chip flute has been optimised for stability and effective chip removal and features Kyocera’s Megacoat ...
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ArticleFord recycles F-150 aluminium
US – The vehicle-maker says it is recycling as much as 20m pounds of scrap per month using the closed-loop system at Dearborn Truck Plant, Michigan. This equates to more than 30,000 F-150 bodies in the latest configuration, a SuperCrew body including doors, bonnet, tailgate and 6.5ft cargo box.According to ...
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ArticleAudi Neckarsulm starts A8 production
Germany – The carmaker invested in additional body construction and assembly facilities for the new model, strengthening the ability of the plant to make large sedans. Completion of the upgrade took 17 months from groundbreaking.According to Audi, the new bodyshop was a particular planning challenge. A roof was built over ...
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ArticleTravel blog: Painting the town red in Karlsruhe
It’s that time of year when industrial coatings companies of various hues briefly coagulate to show off shiny new ideas, mix with others of their kind and enjoy the general swirl of an international trade show. PaintExpo this week has drawn 501 exhibitors, including 158 from 26 countries outside Germany, ...
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Article3D imager array for in-process measurement
The new Faro Cobalt 3D imager is equipped with dedicated on-board processors and a smart sensor that allows multi-imager array configurations enabling manufacturers to improve productivity, claims the company.Faro says the system allows an unlimited number of 3D imagers to be placed in array configurations almost anywhere in a manufacturing ...