Latest News & Features – Page 294
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ArticleLittle wonder in Brussels
Preparing for productionMeasurement testingQuality productSpecification detailsAward-winning environmental managementAudi has invested approximately €300m to upgrade a former Volkswagen plant for production of the new A1 premium small car. The first plant on the current site of what is now known as Audi Brussels was called Anciens Etablissements D’leteren Frères, the name ...
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ArticleEditor's Note: Part of the solution
In this November-December 2010 issue, we take a look at the role of Tier suppliers and how they have developed the manufacturing processes behind four radically different products; convertible car top systems, interior electronic components, hybrid drivetrain systems and turbochargers.While OEMs are looking to reclaim ownership of previously out-sourced part ...
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ArticleProud to be ‘green’
FordFeed-in tariffsSolar power installationsHydroelectricLocal generationToyotaKaizen initiativesPaintshopReverse osmosisFord and Toyota have taken different routes to incorporating reduced-emissions production techniques in their respective manufacturing plantsIt’s well over a decade since the first hybrid cars appeared, a move that served to kick-start the idea of a more environmentally-responsible automotive industry in the public ...
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ArticleStill the poor relation
Adhesive advantagesDevelopments at Jaguar Land RoverBeyond sealing and reinforcingTogether forever?Sticky choicesCrashability credibilitySeventhEighthThe non-welded, all-bonded car has been mooted for years. So why have adhesives not advanced to fulfil primary joining needs?The use of adhesives in the automotive industry has increased significantly in recent years. Still, the product and procedure is ...
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ArticleStrength without sparks
Mark White, Chief Technical Specialist, Body Engineering, Jaguar Land Rover Cars, talks about why riveting is the OEM's first-choice joining methodThe body construction history of both Jaguar and Land Rover vehicles makes for a fascinating backdrop to the current trend towards the lightweight BIW. At Jaguar, with its origins ...
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ArticleNew hybrid solution from GKN
System designUnit production and installationWith more than 40 facilities in 30 countries, GKN Driveline commands approximately 40% of the automotive driveshaft market. The company’s latest technology involves development of the hybrid system that will feature on upcoming Peugeot models.Peugeot is set to launch production of its hybrid model range under ...
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ArticleWheels of fortune
Ball-bearing technologyProduction process Final testingBall-bearing switchAMS takes a look at production of the new Honeywell turbochargers that feature ballbearing technology, examining the relationship between the company’s turbo and aerospace divisions and how this benefits production.Place a jet engine and a turbocharger side by side and there is no apparent connection ...
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ArticleBuilding in value
CMOS production and applicationVehicle integrationBusiness modelFuture perfectGentex Corporation's product range, the process behind bringing these technologies to market, and what the company is planning in terms of future product developmentsThe first examples of auto-dimming rearview mirrors were electro-mechanical devices, meaning they featured automated operation of the manual anti-dazzle setting. A ...
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ArticlePush the button
Production processFinal assemblyPossible savingsHow Magna Car Top Systems in Stuttgart develops, produces and delivers convertible roof systems for OEM carmakersMagna Car Top Systems (CTS) has a series of global production facilities, but its largest plant is located near Stuttgart, Germany in Korntal-Münchingen. The company, which became part of Magna Steyr ...
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Article
Hailiang has been named general manager at Shanghai Volkswagen
Shanghai, China – Zhang Hailiang has been named general manager at Shanghai Volkswagen. He was previously executive director for sales and marketing. Additionally, Jia Mingdi has been appointed executive vice-president of Shanghai Volkswagen Automobile Sales.Zhang, who has been with Shanghai VW since 1994, was named acting GM following the death ...
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Article
Morrison is the new president of Guardian Automotive
Auburn Hills, MI. – Guardian Industries has named Mike Morrison as the new president of Guardian Automotive.Morrison has been with Guardian for over 23 years, though most recently, he held a senior strategic position in the flat glass group where he directed automotive glass fabrication operations and new business development.www.guardian.com
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Article
Hyoung-keun is appointed as CEO of Kia
Seoul, South Korea – Lee Hyoung-keun has been appointed CEO of Kia Motors. Lee takes over from Chung Sung-eun, who resigned after defective wiring in various vehicles prompted a recall of over 100,000 vehicles.Lee, whose title will be company vice-chairman, will retain his current responsibilities, while also overseeing domestic business, ...
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Article
Gornet retires after long successful time at Renault
Paris, France – Renault has announced that Michel Gornet, Executive Vice-President for Manufacturing and Supply Chain, is planning to retire.His position will be taken over by Gérard LeClercq, currently senior vice-president human resources.Gornet joined Renault in 1968 at the company’s Billancourt Powertrain Manufacturing Department. He went on to become head ...
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ArticleWaste not, want not
Meeting internal targetsRecycling tire componentsA cost-neutral initiativePeople powerAcademic analysisHow GM and Michelin are achieving the goal of zero waste-to-landfill, what is required to set up the internal processes, and whether there is any money to be made from programmes such as theseAt the Flint South plant of General Motors in ...
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ArticleAluminium futures
Adhesive bonding for high-volume productionInnovation in traditional applicationsFormability issuesStabilized aluminium foam and impact absorptionEnd-of-life considerationsEvaluating future potentialNew joining techniques and recent advances in forming technology for aluminium, and how new aluminium products can match steel in crash safety performanceIn this energy-conscious age, automotive manufacturers want materials that can project them ...
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ArticleRenault-Nissan AIMS for automation
As foreign carmakers continue to build new plants in India, the changing balance of low labour cost and automation must be revisited, as evidenced at the new Renault-Nissan plant in ChennaiAMS talked to Marc Nassif and Akira Sakurai about the ‘automation development’ of the Chennai plant and how the carmakers ...
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ArticleDoors of perception
Random temporary storage – reliable controlComplex but clearly visible control processesNetworking and consistencyAllowing for all eventualitiesThe almost universal system of dressing doors off the line and reuniting them with the right body requires sophisticated handling and software systems, as seen at BMW’s Dingolfing plantIn recent years, all processes across automotive ...
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Article
More than safety
Key presentationsVolkswagen variationsThe SICK approachOver 90 factory automation managers, engineers and trainers gathered in Waldkirch, Germany to find out what innovations were on offer at SICK company’s Automation DaysSICK is traditionally famous for its plant and process safety equipment, but at the company’s 2010 Automobiltage, held at its Waldkirch headquarters, ...
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ArticleLightweight robots bring new excitement
Engineers and inventorsThe robot touchTrig-by-contactNew robot – new materialsMotion control mechanismEfficiencies in cost and capacityA saturated market?Kuka Roboter, the robotics division of Kuka, offers equipment to suit almost any production requirement. Such flexibility has won the company an impressive client list: Audi, BMW, Daimler, Ford, Opel, Porsche and Volkswagen are ...
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ArticleNew renewable honing oil from Sunnen
Sunnen has introduced its SHO-500 honing oil, a petroleum-free, general-purpose fl uid based on a renewable vegetable formulation that makes sustainable metalworking affordable and practical. Offering a breakthrough in oxidation stability, SHO-500 is formulated without additives such as sulphur, chlorine and fl uorine. The new fl uid is suitable for ...