Latest News & Features – Page 171
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ArticleSchuler press now operational at composites centre
UK – Designed for high-volume production of composites, the upstroke short-stroke press has a press force of 36,000kN and a clamping surface of 3.6 x 2.4 metres. The machinery has been installed at the National Composites Centre (NCC) owned by the University of Bristol.“We have installed the world’s largest openly ...
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ArticleGM output hits half a billion
US – The milestone was celebrated at Fairfax Assembly Plant, Kansas, after 106 years of vehicle production. The OEM also announced an investment of $174m at the facility for new equipment and technology to support production of the 2016 Chevrolet Malibu, which will begin later this year.The ninth-generation Malibu will ...
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ArticleEditor's note: Something old, something new
It’s very easy to become blasé about new technology. As an industry we are bombarded with information on the latest developments that will ‘revolutionise’ how things are manufactured. And as you would hope, the May-June issue of AMS is full of stories on high-tech production processes and technology, but one ...
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ArticleTurkish delight for vehicle-makers
As traditional production sites in Western Europe struggle with excess capacity, Turkey is enjoying higher investments and output by global OEMs – with the likelihood of further strong growthIn this article:FiatFordHyundaiRenaultToyotaTurkish assemblersAt the same time as Western Europe has been battling problems of overcapacity or underutilised capacity in traditional manufacturing ...
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Machine protection doors
EFAFLEX claims its MS range of protection doors are suitable for specialist applications including welding booths, paint shops and machine production lines. The company says the range complies with performance level ‘d’ tested by IFA.MS is available as a spiral option, using contactless operation of the door leaf to prevent ...
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Hobbing machine for geared components
EMAG KOEPFER says its K 300 Hobbing machine can handle a wide range of workpieces, ranging from pinion shafts module 1 to helical gears module 4 and will machine a variety of materials from steel alloys and aluminium to brass, bronze and plastics.The company claims the K 300 is designed ...
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ArticleSommerlatte to drive Alcoa Wheel’s EMEA sales
Belgium – Effective May 1, Kai Sommerlatte will take the role of sales director for Europe, the Middle East and North Africa, Alcoa Wheel Products Europe. He moves from his position with the company’s Western European sales team, which he has led since February 2012.Sommerlatte arrived at Alcoa in July ...
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Kiesling and Kuhn-Piëch join VW board
Germany – Braunschweig Local Court appointed Louise Kiesling and Julia Kuhn-Piëch to Volkswagen’s supervisory board upon application by the board of management, and pursuant to Section 104 of the German Stock Corporation Act. Taking place with immediate effect, the appointments were prompted by the recent resignations of Ferdinand and Ursula ...
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ArticleSkoda makes 750,000th Superb
Czech Republic – The milestone vehicle rolled off the production line at Kvasiny, just a few months before the market launch of the third generation of the model. The Skoda Superb has been the brand’s flagship car since 2001.Winfried Vahland, Skoda’s CEO, claimed the Superb has been “synonymous with the ...
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ArticleInterview: Porsche's Michael Drolshagen talks Spyder manufacture
An entirely new production area has been designed and built for Porsche's hybrid supercar. The director of production for the 918 Spyder talks about the creation of the ‘Manufactory’ at Zuffenhausen, GermanyAMS: What were the criteria for the 918 production area?Michael Drolshagen (MD): At the start of the project in ...
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ArticleBridging the gap
Laser welding is increasingly used in high-volume vehicle production, including at BMW Swindon in the UKBMW’s Plant Swindon in the UK manufactures the shared bonnet for the three- and five-door Minis, as well as the six different doors the vehicles use (left and right, front and rear) and a tailgate ...
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ArticleCroft boosts technical team at Luxus
UK – The Louth-based plastics compounder and recycler appointed Christel Croft as project manager, leading research initiatives at its Technical Centre. Croft joins the company from BP, where she was most recently planning and performance manager at the Hull Research and Technology Centre.Croft will be responsible for the delivery of ...
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ArticleFCA opens $2.4bn Jeep plant, Goiana
Brazil – Hailed as the largest automotive sector investment in Brazil over the past decade, the investment of 7 billion reais consists of a 3 billion reais assembly plant and 2 billion reais supplier park. The remaining funds have gone towards product development and “other investments”, says Fiat Chrysler Automobiles ...
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ArticleGM Fort Wayne recognised for sustainability
US – The plant in Indiana has been ranked number five by the US Environmental Protection Agency in its list of the top 30 generators of on-site green power. Fort Wayne gains 43% of its energy by capturing methane from a nearby landfill, generating 53m kWh.Fort Wayne has benefited from ...
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ArticleFCA celebrates health, safety and energy accreditations
US – The OEM announced that it now has more manufacturing facilities certified with Occupational Health and Safety Series (OHSAS) 18001:2007 and International Oganization for Standardization (ISO) 50001:2011 than any other automotive company in North America. In less than 24 months, an accredited third party assessed 31 Fiat Chrysler Automobiles ...
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ArticleFord celebrates 100,000th Police Interceptor
US – The OEM’s wholly owned subsidiary, Troy Design and Manufacturing, has been the sole source for America’s bestselling law enforcement vehicles since 2012, supplying more than 125 packages with different lighting options, wraps and styles. Police Interceptor number 100,000 will be put into service with the Chicago police force ...
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ArticleJimenez nominated for GM board
US – In parallel with Joseph Jimenez’s nomination, the OEM announced that E. Neville Isdell will not stand for re-election at its annual meeting of stockholders in June, in accordance with the board’s retirement age policy.Jimenez has been CEO of Novartis since 2010, having joined the company in 2007 to ...
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ArticleFCA Belvidere celebrates LEED Gold status
US – The bodyshop of the OEM’s Illinois plant was certified within the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building System after meeting strict environmental standards.With an investment of $700m, the 638,000 sq.ft bodyshop was built on a brownfield site near the existing assembly plant in order to ...
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ArticleA wealth of welding options
An assessment of automotive joining trends reveals a healthy appetite for innovative new technologiesThe productive, cost-effective, yet high-quality welding of automotive assemblies and parts has become the Holy Grail in what is one of the most competitive marketplaces in the world. For body-in-white (BIW) applications particularly, different joining technologies are ...
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ArticlePSA to boost European output
France – In order to capitalise on growth within the region, the OEM will make an extra 60,000 vehicles by the end of August this year, raising volumes 10% higher than initially planned. The volume increase will occur across all three of the Group’s brands – Peugeot, Citroen and DS.For ...