Latest News & Features – Page 160
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ArticleMagneti Marelli JV's new AMT plant
India – The factory is near New Delhi, in the same area as the company’s manufacturing facility for powertrain electronic control units, and has the capacity to produce 280,000 robotised gearboxes or automated manual transmissions (AMTs) per year. The new plant covers 7,500 sq.m, including production lines and office space, ...
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ArticleGAC FCA makes first Jeep Cherokee
China – Marking the start of local production at GAC Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (GAC FCA), the first SUV rolled off the assembly line at the Changsha plant. The milestone vehicle featured a 2.4-litre engine and will soon be followed by a 2.0-litre model. Full production is due in November, with ...
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ArticleThermoplastic oil tank for dry sump engines
A thermoplastic oil tank for dry sump engines has been developed by Hummel-Formen, Germany. The reservoir, which weighs around 2.6kg, is made from Ultramid A3WG7, a BASF polyamide 66 with 35% glass fiber reinforcement which is resistant to oil and thermal aging. The tank is claimed to be 59% lighter ...
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ArticleAdded fibre
OEMs are now using composites in wider applications and higher volumes to assist vehicle light weightingEarlier this year, BMW announced that it would make extensive use of carbon-fibre reinforced plastic (CFRP) in the chassis of the next generation of its 7 Series luxury sedan. The new models will be up ...
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ArticlePorsche reports sustainability progress
Germany – Assessors from TÜV Süd have again certified the OEM’s facilities at Zuffenhausen, Sachsenheim and Weissach according to ISO 14001 and ISO 50001 as well as the European Eco-management and Audit Scheme (EMAS).Zuffenhausen, which has been rated by EMAS since 1996, is currently building a new engine plant at ...
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ArticleFCA Kokomo earns Bronze WCM status
US – The facility in Indiana has become the 11th North American location to be recognised in this way – and the first involved in die casting. Kokomo also joins two transmission plants in Indiana which were given Bronze status last year.Kokomo Casting underwent a two-day audit, during which it ...
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ArticleEnhanced performance for plastics machining
MAPAL claims it has developed a new drill optimised to overcome the challenges of thermoplastics drilling. The Mono-Plastic-Drill is suited for use with PEEK, POM or PA 6, as well as other materials with low thermal conductivity and low melting temperature that make machining difficult.The company says the drill has ...
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ArticleVolvo’s new platform for compact cars
Sweden – The Compact Modular Architecture (CMA), a smaller version of the OEM’s Scalable Product Architecture (SPA), will be introduced in 2017 and will allow a wide range of powertrains, electrical systems and technologies to be fitted on the same platform, creating significant economies of scale and a more streamlined ...
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ArticleGKN breaks ground at Guanajuato
Mexico – After becoming fully operational in April 2016, the $17.5m, 12,000 sq.m facility at Villagran will produce up to 1m propshafts per year for customers including Audi, BMW, FCA, Ford, Honda, Mazda, Nissan and Volkswagen. The plant will boast constant velocity joint machining capabilities and a new painting line.“The ...
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ArticleFord Europe celebrates energy savings
UK – The company says it is on track to achieve a 25% reduction in energy use per vehicle produced in comparison with 2011 levels, following £20m of investments to target waste. Ford says its European plants will now be saving 800GWh per year, or a similar amount to the ...
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ArticleVW's platforms to perform?
The OEM has introduced four vehicle platforms to maximise global production efficiency, but not without difficulty. AMS looks at the steps taken so far, the benefits still to come, and asks if the strategy will workIn February 2012, Volkswagen announced the latest incarnation of its platform strategy, encompassing four modular ...
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ArticleVolvo extends electrification strategy
Sweden – The OEM has announced that plug-in hybrids will be introduced across its entire range, in the expectation that electric vehicles will make up 10% of total car sales in the medium term. Volvo will also develop an entirely new range of electrified smaller cars, plus a fully electric ...
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ArticleKorea: Carmaking powerhouse
Now the fifth-biggest nation for automotive production, Korea's success lies in exports to global markets. Production and sales are still strong, but challenges include competition at home and localisation overseas South Korea has done staggeringly well to become a global automotive production powerhouse within the last 20 years, but the ...
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ArticleMulti-sensor 5-axis measurement system
Renishaw has launched REVO-2, a new improved version of its multi-sensor 5-axis measuring head for use on co-ordinate measuring machines (CMMs). The company says REVO-2 and its new CMM controller UCC S5 offer enhanced power and communications capability to carry the latest REVO sensors such as the RVP vision measurement ...
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ArticleValve spring testing system
SAKOR Technologies has supplied a valve spring test system to SAIC Motor Corporation. The company says the new SAKOR test stand will be used for valve train development and testing, and the information will be used to improve valve spring design performance and durability.The SAKOR test stand system is equipped ...
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ArticleProfile: Infiniti Decherd Powertrain
The Tennessee plant launched last year, as yet another collaboration between Renault-Nissan and Daimler A little more than a year ago, engine production started at the Infiniti Decherd Powertrain Plant near Nashville, Tennesse – a collaboration between the Renault-Nissan Alliance and Daimler. The facility was described as “state-of-the-art” by Gary ...
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ArticleBMW ramps up at Hams Hall
UK – The engine plant has installed three new production lines as part of a £750m investment by BMW across its UK plants and is now stepping up production of the latest three- and four-cylinder engines. Hams Hall is expected to machine over 1m components this year as supply extends ...
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ArticleAudi starts South American production
Brazil – The factory at Curitiba, Paraná state, is not only the newest of 13 sites in the Audi production network but the OEM’s first in South America. The plant is now making the A3 sedan and will soon add the Q3.The A3 sedan 1.4 TFSI Flex is the first ...
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ArticleNorth America's rise before a fall?
Global vehicle-makers are investing in their manufacturing operations across the US and Mexico; AMS reviews the latest developments – and how they position the automotive industry for the next downturnGM splashes the cashFord shuffles production line-upFCA holds back on expansionToyota prepares for mega-platformNissan expands in the US and MexicoHonda boosts ...
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ArticleNew supercharger offers improved efficiency
Eaton says its newest supercharger, the TVS2, improves vehicle manufacturers’ ability to deliver an optimal single boosted application, or to pair this device with other boosting technologies to deliver compound boosting solutions for improved engine performance.Key elements in the design of the TVS2 include rotor profile changes to reduce the ...