Latest News & Features – Page 197
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ArticleGWM and Mando sign strategic co-operation
China/South Korea – Great Wall Motors (GWM) and the automotive parts manufacturer will work closely together in the fields of steering, suspension and braking systems. The two companies have previously collaborated on shock absorber, vacuum booster and rear parking brake assembly for the Great Wall H6 and M4 models.According to ...
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Magna supplies Hyundai Genesis
US – The company’s Powertrain unit is providing the all-wheel drive (AWD) system for the 2015 Hyundai Genesis, the first sedan from the OEM to feature an AWD known as HTRAC.Hyundai’s new HTRAC AWD was developed as a multi-mode system, providing an electronic, variable torque split clutch with active torque ...
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ArticleChrysler to expand Michigan stamping plant
US – An investment of $63m will be used to purchase new equipment and increase capacity by 12,000 hits per days, or 3.6m parts per annum. The expansion at Warren, which already produces 80m parts per year, will support vehicle production at five North American plants.Adding to the existing 12 ...
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ArticleGM to add solar arrays in Michigan
US – The OEM’s processing centre in Swartz Creek and engine plant in Flint will feature 150-kilowatt, ground-mounted solar arrays capable of generating 400,000 kilowatt hours of renewable energy per year.Following these latest installations, GM will benefit from more than 38 megawatts of solar power at 13 facilities around the ...
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BorgWarner equips new VW diesel engines
US – The company’s pressure sensor glow plug (PSG) will initially feature on Volkswagen’s new 1.4-litre diesel engine, followed later this year by the 1.6-litre and 2.0-litre models. Based on the new modular diesel engine system (MDB), the engines will feature on VW, Audi, Seat and Skoda vehicles. “BorgWarner’s advanced ...
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ArticleVolvo’s first Polestars are born at Torslanda
Sweden – The OEM plans to produce a total of 750 of the S60 and V60 models not only for the domestic market but for Switzerland, the Netherlands, the UK, the US, Canada and Japan.The Polestar marks Volvo’s first introduction of an independent partner to the Torslanda production operation. “It ...
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ArticleWinter in season at Chrysler
US – In addition to his new responsibilities for the research and planning of all future vehicles in the North American market as NAFTA head of Product Planning, Ben Winter also joins the Chrysler Group Leadership Team.Winter was previously vice-president – Vehicle Engineering, with responsibility for engineering, programme execution and ...
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ArticleVW rewards Magna Powertrain
Germany – The OEM’s 12th annual awards were presented at Porsche Zentrum in Leipzig, Germany, where Magna won the 2014 Volkswagen Group Award in recognition of its role as a key supplier.In acknowledgement, Magna Powertrain’s president, Jake Hirsch, commented: “This award reflects the considerable efforts we have made to support ...
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ArticleBosch grows Turkish HP injector business
Turkey – The company’s existing plant in Bursa will receive an investment of €300m ($408m), plus 500 extra personnel by the end of the year, to manufacture high-pressure injectors for diesel passenger cars in a new production hall. The majority of the components will be delivered to European vehicle-makers.Steven Young, ...
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ArticleNew Fiat 500 models begin production
Mexico – The high-performance Fiat 500 Abarth and Abarth Cabrio, which offer an optional six-speed automatic transmission, are now being made at the Toluca Assembly Plant. Fiat also announced the start of production for the 2015 Fiat 500 Turbo, again with an automatic option.The Abarth transmission, which is new for ...
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ArticleHeavy-duty vertical travelling column machining centres
Yamazaki Mazak has developed a new heavy duty version of its UK-built VTC 800 series of vertical travelling column machining centres. The VTC 800/30HD is a 50 taper variant that the company says provides a suitable platform for cutting hard-to-machine materials, such as Inconel and titanium. Mazak claims this machining ...
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ArticleModular plastic conveyor belt for the automotive industry
The Series 10000 conveyor belt for the automotive industry is able to carry loads of at least 30 vehicles at a time, claims Intralox. The company says this belt can be used in critical plant areas, including body shop/paint shop, general assembly and final assembly & inspection. The ...
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ArticleContour tracer for profile & roughness measurement
Werth says its new Contour Probe WCP has been completely redesigned, and is now integrated in its magnetic interface mounting system. A new guide system now allows scanning with uniform accuracy in all axes, using probe radii as small as 2µm, claims the company. The sensor works in combination ...
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ArticleThermal energy method for removing micro-contamination
Kennametal Extrude Hone is a thermal energy machining technology for complex finishing challenges. A pressurised mixture of a combustible gas and oxygen is injected at 5 to 10 atmospheres of pressure into a containment chamber sized both by the amount of material to be removed and the volume of parts ...
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ArticleMulti-surface laser scanner
Hexagon Metrology has launched the latest generation of the Leica T-Scan. The company says this offers the combination of Leica T-Scan 5 and Leica Absolute Tracker, which will allow measurements to be taken on virtually any surface, from matte black to highly reflective, without the need for special preparation.Hexagon says ...
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ArticleNew tool setting fixture
MAPAL claims the portal construction used in its UNISET-P tool setting fixture provides users with unimpeded access to tools during setting. The measuring camera and backlight source are integrated into the pillars of the portal, so as not to restrict user access. The company says the fixture’s portal construction provides ...
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ArticleRuling Romania
Revitalised by Renault since its purchase in 1999, Dacia now has a considerable production footprint; the Mioveni plant is the jewel in its crown Dacia is the automotive equivalent of the local convenience store that has somehow transformed itself into a supermarket chain. A company which at best produced only ...
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ArticleTransmitting safety
As the automotive industry embarks on a shift in transmission technology, manufacturers of these complex components must keep to a key quality standard to avoid safety-critical mistakesAutomatic transmissions, especially when linked to hybrid or pure electrical powertrains, seem likely to become increasingly common in the automotive mass market – not ...
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Drop in production for UK’s CV market
UK – The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) says output was down by 32.2% in May compared with the same period last year, with 5,127 units produced. The year-to-date figure, 30,917 units, represents a drop of 22.8%.Mike Hawes, CEO of the SMMT, said the sector had continued “to ...
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Engine production decreases in UK during May
UK – According to the Society for Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), output dropped by 4.2% during the month compared with the same period last year, with a fall of 1.1% for 2014 to date. A total of 213,603 engines were built in May, and 1,082,651 this year so far.However, ...