Latest News & Features – Page 119
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ArticleJet set
A breakthrough technology for advanced high strength steel coating, the JVD process is demonstrating higher performance with lower environmental impact The recent launch of ArcelorMittal’s JVD line at its facility near Liege, Belgium, represents the culmination of years of scientific investigation by its research and development teams.The only one ...
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ArticleNissan opens Tennessee training centre
US – The 162,000 sq.m facility in Smyrna, a public-private partnership between the OEM and the Tennessee Board of Regents, will train local students and Nissan employees in advanced manufacturing and automotive technology. It will operate as an extension of the Tennessee College of Applied Technology at Murfreesboro.Describing Nissan’s workforce ...
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ArticlePlug and play compact handling system
Festo claims the YXMx compact handling system is suitable for a wide variety of positioning, pick & place and other assembly applications, such as screw driving, dispensing, testing, soldering, gripping, and opening and closing containers.The company says standard kinematic functions for the YXMx are delivered via a planar surface gantry ...
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ArticleFlexible robot laser welding cell
To address the needs of the automotive industry system builder Cyan Tec says it has developed a standard multi-axis robotic laser welding cell incorporating a 6-axis robot combined with a 2-axis tilt-and-turn manipulator to offer high levels of flexibility with eight programmable axes. The company claims this system can work ...
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ArticleSealing tape for automotive applications
Developed for use with polypropylene and TPV (thermoplastic vulcanisate) seals, Tesa has introduced its ACXplus 74508 Seal Line and ACXplus Black Line tapes to the automotive market. The company claims applications in the automotive sector include the mounting of window seals, water box seals, sunroof seals and obstacle detection systems ...
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ArticleMazda’s February production data
Japan – The OEM’s domestic output decreased by 9.7% year-on-year, with a drop in both passenger cars and commercial vehicles. Overseas production in February increased by 21.3% due to higher demand in both segments.In Japan, Mazda made 77,416 passenger vehicles (-9.6%) and 903 commercial vehicles (-16.3%), for a total output ...
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ArticleNew assembly line at MAN Salzgitter
Germany – From 2018, non-driven axles for MAN and Scania vehicles will be produced on the same line. The project cost €30m ($32m) and has created 200 jobs at the plant.“The new direction that the MAN Salzgitter site is taking within the context of our PACE2017 programme for the future ...
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ArticleBMW celebrates ten years at Chennai
India – A decade after launch, the factory is able to produce up to eight car models on two assembly lines, courtesy of sophisticated systems engineering and 500 personnel. The cumulative output has now exceeded 57,000 vehicles.Jochen Stallkamp, managing director of Plant Chennai, congratulated the team for “producing cars with ...
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ArticleIndependent moving cart technology
MagneMotion, a Rockwell Automation company, offers independent moving cart technology. The company claims these systems, including the MagneMover LITE intelligent conveyor system and iTRAK intelligent track system can help improve productivity in manufacturing operations.The company explains its motion systems use programmable independent carts on a straight or curved track, which ...
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ArticleNew cutting materials for cast iron
Mapal says it has developed a new series of cutting materials for the milling of cast iron that covers the whole bandwidth of grades – GJL, GJV and GJS. This cutting material series includes three PVD-coated carbides and two CVD-coated grades.According to Mapal a special post-treatment has been developed for ...
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ArticleToyota cuts paint line size at Tsutsumi
Japan – The vehicle-maker says it has reduced the size of the equipment by 40% and the CO2 emissions by 32%, “while maintaining high quality levels” for Prius production. The achievement was recognised in March, when Toyota won the Okochi Memorial Prize for the first time in 16 years.The paintshop ...
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ArticleAdditive manufacturing software package
Granta Design says it has enhanced its Granta MI:Additive Manufacturing software package, with this new version offering graphical analysis tools to plot material properties and process parameters against one another to identify trends. Users can manage and compare data from both experiments and simulation.The company claims new ‘workflow’ features enable ...
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ArticleBinnacle moulding assembly
Telsonic UK’s recent collaborative project with China Tools resulted in the company applying its ultrasonic welding technology to assemble the moulded binnacle for the new Nissan Infinity.The first stage assembly is carried out on a floor-standing machine which incorporates 3 angled, long stroke 20kHz actuators, sequenced and switched using a ...
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ArticleMMM’s new lights and manifolds plant
India – The joint venture operation between Magneti Marelli and Samvardhana Motherson at Bawal will make lighting systems and air intake manifolds for customers in the National Capital Region, Delhi, such as Maruti Suzuki and Honda Motors. It will make up to 1.2m rear lamps and 900,000 manifolds per year.The ...
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ArticleHonda spends $85m at Lincoln
US – The investment is for the first stage of a multi-phase project aimed at improving vehicle manufacturing flexibility and logistical efficiency as well as preparing for future technologies. The initial phase at the Alabama plant, which will involve expansion in assembly, is due to be completed in 2018.“This significant ...
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ArticleFord’s $1.2bn Michigan investments
US – The funds will go towards upgrading Michigan Assembly Plant, increasing capacity at Romeo Engine and developing an advanced data centre. Ford says the investments will help it to “strengthen its leadership in trucks and SUVs and support the company’s expansion to an auto and mobility company”.Ford is spending ...
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ArticleBMW's latest sustainability results
Germany – The OEM’s Sustainable Value Report, published alongside the Annual Report 2016, shows improvements in manufacturing, among other areas. This year the vehicle-maker recorded a drop of 4.9% on average in resource usage and emissions per vehicle produced, compared with 2015.The report also shows that, based on 2006 levels, ...
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ArticleHigh-speed recording camera
With a shock resistance of 100 G’s the fanless EoSens Quad 1.1 high-speed recording camera has been designed to operate in high shock and vibration environments, claims Mikrotron. The company says the Quad 1.1 is suitable for automotive crash test and manufacturing troubleshooting applications.The Quad 1.1 has a 14.9μm 10-bit ...
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ArticleHigh-speed electronic weld head
The Series 300 weld head enables up to three welds per second, with programmable force and weld positions, force and position repeatability, and displacement monitoring, says Amada Miyachi. The company claims it’s suitable for safety critical applications, such as automotive sensors and switches.The company says the unit features a newly ...
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ArticleAfter PSA and Opel, who's next?
The acquisition of Opel/Vauxhall by PSA, which should be complete by the end of this year, took the industry by surprise. With Opel/Vauxhall still losing money in Q3 2016, GM’s chief financial officer, Chuck Stevens, said the company would do what was required to put the situation right. Most observers ...