Latest News & Features – Page 199
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ArticleRenewed Renault Sandouville celebrates 50 years
France – The plant has produced more than 8m vehicles since opening in 1964, and from 2011 to 2013 embarked on a €230m ($313m) transformation plan to begin a new phase of production. Sandouville will now build light commercial vehicles (LCVs) for the first time.The plant will make the new ...
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ArticleInfiniti Decherd powertrain plant set for SOP
US – The start of operations (SOP) at the new facility in Tennessee is scheduled for June 26 this year. The first engine to be assembled will be a 2.0-litre turbocharged gasoline four-cylinder model.The 310,000 sq.m plant is the result of a partnership between Renault-Nissan and Daimler and was built ...
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ArticleMulti-material, lightweight car concept unveiled
US – The project by Ford and Magna International, which was co-funded by the US Department of Energy (DOE), used advanced material solutions to achieve a weight saving of almost 25% compared with the industry standard.The multi-material, lightweight vehicle (MMLV) concept is based on the production version of a 2013 ...
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ArticleToyota begins Central Asian Fortuner production
Kazakhstan – The OEM has commenced complete knockdown (CKD) activities for the body-on-frame SUV at Saryarka AvtoProm (SAP) in Kostanay, the first production site for Toyota vehicles in the region.Preparations for CKD production, including welding, painting and assembly processes, involved technical and standards guidance from 20 Toyota engineers and production ...
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ArticleNyman becomes SVP commercial, IAC
Luxembourg – In his new role, Marcus Nyman will oversee the activities of the global Customer Business Units (CBUs) for International Automotive Components’ European OEM customers, Business Development and Management, plus the Program Management group.Nyman will work closely with the company’s other regional commercial leaders and will report directly to ...
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ArticleThe aluminium boom
As OEMs seek to reduce the fuel consumption and emissions of their vehicles, the lightweight material is becoming an increasingly important solution“In the next five years, you'll see more high-volume, mass-market cars with all-aluminium bodies”. This prediction was made in 2012 by Randall Scheps, marketing director of automotive sheet at ...
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ArticleSMIL and Magneti in shock absorber partnership
India – The 50:50 joint venture has been formed after Samvardhana Motherson International (SMIL) acquired half the share capital of Magneti Marelli Shock Absorbers India. The partnership will make use of the existing Magneti Marelli manufacturing facility for shock absorbers which is located in Chakan, Pune, and is claimed to ...
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ArticleAllied to aluminium
The growing use of this lightweight material presents its manufacturers with significant technical challengesTo the casual observer, there is nothing extraordinary about Ford’s announcement that it will be using aluminium instead of steel to produce the body of its 2015 F-150 pick-up truck.After all, the lightweight metal has been used ...
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ArticleHandheld laser measurement device
Third Dimension has launched the GapGun Pro, its flagship handheld laser measurement device. The company says GapGun Pro offers improved speed, ease of use, portability and ruggedness. New and improved functionality includes: ultra fast processing capability and a new VChange sensor system. The company says the GapGun Pro includes its ...
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ArticleNew start/stop technology for hydraulic presses
AP&T is introducing a new energy-saving technology in its hydraulic presses called ‘Frequency Drive System’. The company says it has been testing the new system in both simulated testing environments and under actual operating conditions with customers. The system controls the speed of the electrical engines, which then control the ...
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ArticleLaser scanners replace tactile probing for BIW inspection
Turkish automotive manufacturer FIAT-Tofaş is implementing new inspection methodologies for diagnostic measurement of sheet metal components and BIW assemblies. This involves the installation of Nikon Metrology XC65Dx-LS cross scanners and CAMIO multi-sensor metrology software.Incorporating three lasers in a cross pattern, the XC65Dx-LS captures full 3D details of features and surfaces ...
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ArticleTRW opens largest technical centre
China – The 66,000 sq.m facility in Anting incorporates more than 20 testing laboratories which will support the company’s main business areas, including braking, steering and suspension, occupant safety and safety electronics. The centre has a workforce of 1,200 engineering, research and technical personnel.John Plant, president and CEO of TRW ...
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ArticleEllesmere Port celebrates 50 years of production
UK – Vauxhall has celebrated 50 years of production at its Ellesmere Port facility. The first new car to be produced at the plant was the Viva HA, a model name that would run in a number of variants until 1978 when it was replaced by the Chevette. The first ...
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ArticleMike Flewitt, McLaren Automotive
The supercar manufacturer’s CEO discusses the new 650S and how the company plans to build 3,500 cars a year by 2016Glenn Brooks (GB): It’s been a busy 12 months for McLaren. Mike Flewitt (MF): Yes, it has. If you look back to Geneva 2013 where we showed the first production ...
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ArticleMagna supplies AWD for Mercedes-Benz GLA
US – The company’s Powertrain operating unit is providing an all-wheel-drive (AWD) system for the new compact SUV, as well as the A45 AMG and the CLA. The product was jointly developed by Magna and Daimler, with the former focusing on the rear axle drive and AWD coupling, and the ...
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WebinarSchneider Electric's Energy University - Free online energy and data center education
This webinar examined a training solution available globally to aid automotive manufacturers and supply chain partners, in their sustainability and energy management/process and facility optimisation including data centre/IT infrastructure optimisation objectives.Unbiased and up-to-date, Energy University offers over 200+ energy efficiency and data centre courses that are available around the clock, ...
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Fiat rewards Magna chassis facility
Brazil – The Fiat Qualitas Award for achievements in quality, innovation, competitiveness and service was handed out to Magna’s Cosma International manufacturing division located in Ibirité. Cosma was recognised in the Metal Materials and Powertrain category.The plant in Ibirité has a 150-strong workforce that manufactures chassis structure assemblies for Fiat. ...
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ArticleMaking the new Macan
Porsche has invested €500m to build a dedicated bodyshop and paintshop for the SUV‘Made in Germany’ has so long been regarded as a hallmark of quality in automotive manufacturing that the use of this tag has sometimes stretched credibility, relying more on final badging than anything else. But ‘Made in ...