Latest News & Features – Page 75
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ArticleSticking together
The use of a wide variety of materials throws-up significant production challenges and chief among those is joining. How can this plethora of materials be fixed together without affecting their structural integrity or their individual characteristics? The automotive industry is mostly set-up for resistance spot welding (RSW). This method has ...
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ArticleMercedes starts B-Class production
Germany - Mercedes-Benz has started series production of the second model in its newest compact car generation - the B-Class - at its plant in Rastatt. The car is being built alongside the GLA SUV and the A-Class compact sedan, which is also made in Kecskemét (Hungary), Uusikaupunki (Finland) and ...
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ArticleVolkswagen to alter European output
Germany - Volkswagen has revealed plans to expand production capacity by building a new plant in Eastern Europe. It will be a multi-brand plant, making various vehicles under the different marques of the VW Group, and will play a key role in the company's competitiveness in the region."We have redefined ...
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ArticleTravel blog: Big game in SA
There are a handful of countries in the world that remain relatively untouched when it comes to the new car market, with sales of used cars traditionally dominating. In South Africa, for example, sales of used cars outweigh those in the new car market by more than two to ...
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ArticleUnease in the East
Falling sales, electrification and mega mergers: Nick Gibbs provides an overview of the current automotive industry trends in China A fascinating year for China’s automotive industry has seen the world’s largest car market undergo a series of seismic shifts as it moves to a new level of maturity, bringing both ...
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ArticleScan system for mass production
The excelliSCAN system features a SCANahead servo control as well as galvanometer scanners with precise digital angle sensors, says Scanlab. It’s claimed the scan head is able to autonomously calculate its own control parameters and anticipates in real time the optimal navigation of curves.The company says that integrated functions like ...
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ArticleVice for cylindrical or prismatic parts
The PC80Z self-centring vice is available in a new, two-in-one version that accepts the manufacturer's optional round inserts, enabling cylindrical components or billets from 44 to 95mm in diameter to be clamped securely, says Roemheld.The company says the vice can be converted back within a couple of minutes to its ...
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ArticleBMW takes a virtual reality check
Germany – In preparation for ramp up of the new BMW 3 Series, virtual reality technology has enabled the OEM to set up cockpit preassembly workstations. By using VR, BMW says it was able to assess the whole of the new production area in virtual reality and test new procedures ...
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ArticleCentred countersink measurement
A new countersink measurement solution for its GapGun range can calculate the dimensions of a countersink hole to accurately predict the flushness of fasteners once fitted, claims Third Dimension.The company says this new countersink inspection system is faster and more accurate than a mechanical gauge. Tolerance bands can be pre-set, ...
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ArticleCompact true colour sensor
Micro-Epsilon says it has launched a new range of colour recognition sensors designed for high precision true colour measurement in industrial applications. The new colorSENSOR CFO100 and CFO200 true colour sensors are suitable for a range of industrial applications, claims the company, including colour inspection of interior parts in the ...
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ArticleLap of luxury
Its history and heritage may be strong but Aston Martin’s focus is firmly fixed on the future A proud claim of Aston Martin is that of all the cars the company has ever built in its 105 year history, 95% of them are still on the road. As a premium ...
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ArticleBuilding on framework
The Freightliner Custom Chassis plant in Gaffney, South Carolina, houses a diverse assembly mix, and has recently taken on a new project Gaffney is a small town sitting off the beaten track. It was previously described as ‘the peach capital’ of South Carolina, with the local economy dependant on orchards ...
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ArticleA positive response
Daimler is embarking on a major corporate restructuring in the hope of improving its ability to face upcoming challenges in the automotive sector The restructuring currently underway at Daimler is due to be complete by 2020 and the plan centres on creating legally independent AG companies, Mercedes-Benz AG, Daimler Truck ...
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ArticleThe break-up of Fiat Chrysler gathers pace
A couple of years ago, Ferrari became an independent quoted company, separate from Fiat Chrysler. This was followed by the separation of CNH Industrials, the holding company for Iveco Trucks. Now Fiat Chrysler has spun off its components activity, Magneti Marelli, to CK Holdings in a deal worth over 6bn ...
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ArticleDie-cut structural tape
Lohmann Technologies says its DuploTEC structural bonding tape has been specified for the bonding of magnets direct onto an oil pump drive shaft and also to bond magnets onto shafts inside electric motors.The pump manufacturer bonded the transducer magnet to the shaft, using the company’s DuploTEC 10410 SBF (Structural Bonding ...
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ArticleManufacturing execution system
Lantek says that with its MES Manager manufacturing execution system, engineers can upload a bill of materials for the products being manufactured including parts and subassemblies. The company claims that the full sequence of operations required for the manufacture of each part or subassembly is stored within the MES system.The ...
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ArticleLED UV-curing unit
The LED Spot 100 HP IC has been developed for all applications requiring intensive UV irradiation over a large area, claims Hönle. The company says applications include bonding, fixing or the encapsulating of components. At a wavelength of 405nm the unit gives an intensity of 2,000mW/cm² and 460nm gives 3,000 ...
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ArticleOut now: ATS 2019
For this, our third issue of the ATS supplement, we have spoken once again to key players in this crucial sector of the market, revealing their insight on the current state of automotive manufacturing.Piecing it all together Ian Henry identifies six themes from the moves, mergers and makeovers underway in ...
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ArticleGetting beneath the skin
Specialists in automotive interiors have long been at the sharp end of sustainability issue. Gareth Price looks at the controls and techniques that are helping IAC Group improve process control and lower energy consumption Ever since environmental impact became a hot topic for discussion and action within the automotive manufacturing ...
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ArticlePower from plastics
James Bakewell speaks to thermoset plastics specialists Pieter Vanderstraeten and Hendrik De Keyser about the increasing scope for composite powertrain components While the use of advanced composites in structural applications has hogged the limelight in recent years, these lightweight materials also have many advantages for the manufacture of components for ...