Latest News & Features – Page 147
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ArticleElio to sell 100 pre-production units
US – The company says the sale will enable the evaluation of its vehicles under real-world conditions and design refinement by the supplier team, as well as bringing in additional revenue. The first 100 units were previously intended for internal use.‘The work we do on these vehicles will provide important ...
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VW's new VP for product innovations
US – In his role as vice-president at Volkswagen’s North American Engineering and Planning Center (EPC), Burkhard Huhnke will encourage innovation in the market, build relationships with national R&D organisations and liaise with universities. His appointment is effective immediately.“Dr Burkhard Huhnke’s 18 years of experience in research and development have ...
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ArticleFreels to head up HATCI
US – As president of Hyundai America Technical Center (HATCI), William Freels will be responsible for leading engineering groups that will develop global platforms for both North and South American markets. Educated in Texas and already based in Michigan, Freels becomes the first local executive to assume the HATCI presidency.Freels ...
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Mazda announces recruitment plan
Japan – The vehicle-maker will offer 205 engineering, 260 manufacturing and 40 administrative positions in its home country in the fiscal year ending (FYE) March 2018. Mazda also released estimated recruitment figures for FYE March 2017.Recruits for FYE March 2017 will total 475, broken down into 185 engineering, 260 manufacturing ...
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ArticleThailand to be rivalled by Indonesia as auto hub
Indonesia – The production gap between the two countries was around 810,000 units in 2015 but is set to narrow to 465,000 by 2020, according to the ‘Indonesia Outlook 2020’ report by Ipsos Business Consulting. This change will have implications for vehicle-makers, suppliers and policy planners, says the organisation.“The evidence ...
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ArticleBenecke-Kaliko unveils Changzhou plant
China – The factory, which took a year to build, is the company’s second in the country and is now manufacturing the interior materials Acella Eco and Acella Eco green. Series production began at the end of 2015.The Continental subsidiary invested €40m ($45.2m) in the first phase of the project ...
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ArticleThai Honda celebrates 50th anniversary
Thailand – The company this month held a special event at Ladkrabang plant to acknowledge the milestone. Thai Honda Manufacturing was actually established in 1965 and began motorcycle production in 1967. Thai Honda now employs 8,200 workers in total and has the capacity to make 1.7m motorcycles per year.Thai Honda ...
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ArticleNissan Iwaki makes new Infiniti V6
Japan – The 3.0-litre, twin-turbo engine is billed as “the lightest, most powerful, cleanest and most fuel-efficient” V6 that Infiniti has yet offered. It will initially power the 2016 Infiniti Q50 sports saloon, and later the new Q60 sports coupe.The V6 engine, part of the VR series, will be available ...
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ArticleHorn breaks away from VW
US – Volkswagen Group of America announced that its president and CEO is leaving “to pursue other opportunities effective immediately”. He will be replaced on an interim basis by Hinrich Woebcken, who was recently named as head of the North American Region and chairman of Volkswagen Group of America.Herbert Diess, ...
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Honda celebrates 20 years in Vietnam
Vietnam – The maker of cars and motorcycles marked its two decades in the country, where it is a ‘corporate citizen’ with a series of social responsibility commitments. The company currently employs 10,00 people in Vietnam and has the capacity to produce 10,000 cars and 2.5m motorcycles per year.Honda Vietnam ...
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ArticleNissan announces management changes
Japan – The appointments, effective from April 1, are at the level of executive vice-president (EVP), senior vice-president (SVP) and corporate vice-president (CVP). Nissan said there will also be a “reinforced” Total Customer Satisfaction Division active across the business, from R&D and manufacturing to sales and showroom service.“Fiscal year 2016 ...
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ArticleSubaru Global Platform unveiled
Japan – Currently under development, the architecture will be used for all of Subaru’s next-generation vehicles, together with horizontally opposed engines, symmetrical all-wheel drive and EyeSight driver-assist technology. It is part of the company’s mid-term plan, ‘Prominence 2020’, which was announced in 2014.According to Subaru, the platform will improve performance, ...
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ArticleFormaplex boosts CNC capability
UK – An investment of £300,000 ($426,330) has enabled the purchase of three new, three-axis computer numerical control (CNC) machines from Haas Automation plus a trunnion table for five-axis milling. Formaplex says the equipment will help its Specialist Engineering Division “to meet the growing demand for high-speed machining of a ...
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ArticleValmet acquires robots for GLC
Finland – Production of the Mercedes SUV is due to begin in early 2017, once the 250 ABB robots have been installed in the bodyshop, where automation will exceed 90%. Valmet says the deal is the largest in Finnish history and will boost the number of robots at its Uusikaupunki ...
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ArticleHeavy load solvent-based cleaning system
Dürr Ecoclean says its large-chamber EcoCDuty solvent-based cleaning system is designed for loads measuring up to 1250 x 840 x 970mm and weighing up to 1 tonne. Operating with hydrocarbons or modified alcohols and under full vacuum, it can be configured as a steam degreaser in its standard version.The system ...
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ArticleVertical workholding vice
Kurt Manufacturing says its SideWinder vise provides vertical workholding without interfering with an existing host vise or the spindle. The company claims the SideWinder is easy to set up and can be left attached to the host vise and won’t interfere with other machining. The vise offers easy removal and ...
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ArticleRenault and Nissan strengthen convergence
France – The Alliance partners will progress their collaboration in four key areas: Engineering; Manufacturing Engineering and Supply Chain Management; Purchasing; and Human Resources. New convergence projects will also be launched, starting with Quality and Costing.The four key functions were converged in 2014 and are now managed by Alliance executives. ...
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ArticleRenault's China challenge
Opening its first factory in the country, Renault is keen to follow where Alliance partner Nissan has ledBetter late than never. That was the message from Renault's top-brass at the inauguration of its first-ever factory in China. Renault-Nissan Alliance boss Carlos Ghosn told journalists at a ceremony in Wuhan, central ...
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ArticlePSA: Back in the race
With new management, a new strategy and new shareholders, PSA is experiencing a change in fortunesIt was not long ago that the future of PSA was called into question. The joint venture (JV) and cross-shareholding arrangement with General Motors was collapsing, the company was in financial trouble and it needed ...
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ArticleHoffmann leads JLR’s Canadian branch
Canada – Moving from Audi Canada, Wolfgang Hoffmann will take up the role of president at Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) Canada from March 7. He will be based in the regional head office at Mississauga, Ontario, and will report to Joe Eberhardt, president and CEO, JLR North America.Hoffmann previously worked ...