Latest News & Features – Page 176
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ArticleNew binder for automotive lightweight composites
BASF claims its new low-emission Acrodur Power 2750 X binder, helps produce cost-efficient lightweight composites with integrated functions and a higher share of natural fibres. The product is designed for the production of natural fibre composites for automotive lightweight applications, such as interior car door panels or shelves. The company ...
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ArticleWireless gap measuring for body construction
The new CALIPRI gap measurement device now uses WiFi, plus it has been redesigned to improve the ergonomics says NextSense. The company claims functionality has also been increased through a software update; derivatives of a car line can now be displayed in one measurement plan, and centrally created plans can ...
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ArticlePre-cleaning & final cleaning of powertrain components
Dürr Ecoclean has replaced the standard 6-axis jointed-arm robot with a proprietary scara manipulator in its new EcoCFlex 3, claiming this offers improved process reliability, quality and energy efficiency in pre-cleaning and final cleaning of powertrain components. The system is available in two sizes; 3M and 3L versions. The scara ...
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ArticleBorgWarner grows at Ramos-Arizpe
Mexico – Requiring 350 new employees over the next two years, the expansion will increase capacity for current products as well as the latest generation of emissions technologies. The facility will produce exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) modules, ignition coils and coolant control valves for passenger cars, minivans and light-duty trucks.“Our ...
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ArticleJLR’s new engine centre opens doors for Union
UK – The Leeds-based company supplied more than 40 high-speed doors for the OEM’s £500m facility in Wolverhampton, which opened earlier this year. A combination of variously sized Ramdoors, Bulldoors, Matadoors and Picadoors were installed.All the doors are activated by radar motion sensors for fully automated operation, plus active infrared ...
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ArticleProdrive produces composites graduates
UK – The 25 apprentices reached level-two NVQ in composite engineering, after completing what Prodrive claims is the largest composite apprenticeship scheme in the country. The newly qualified individuals are now working at the company’s Milton Keynes factory, on programmes including component manufacture for British sports vehicles and supercars.Prodrive says ...
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ArticleLear, TRW and Expert Tooling grow in Sunderland
UK – The three expansions are being completed at Rainton Bridge Industrial Estate, increasing the local automotive manufacturing workforce by 250. More than 100 jobs will be created at Lear, 130 at TRW and 25 at Expert Tooling.The 3,500 sq. m expansion at Lear, which established its first UK site ...
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ArticleSkoda expands further at Kvasiny
Czech Republic – The plant and surrounding public infrastructure are to be modernised and expanded over the next three years, after the OEM signed a memorandum of cooperation with the government and the Hradec Králové authorities.Skoda will invest 7.2 billion CZK ($298m) in the Kvasiny site by 2018, boosting capacity ...
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ArticleVolvo restructures senior management
Sweden – The OEM has created three new business regions, each led by a senior vice-president (SVP) and member of the executive management team. Each of the three SVPs will have total operational responsibility for his region. Volvo Cars has also established an SVP role for its chief information officer.Encompassing ...
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ArticleGKN Driveline triples Chongqing capacity
China – At a cost of 300m yuan ($48m), the joint venture between GKN HUAYU Driveline Systems (SDS) and China Changan Automobile Group has expanded the plant by 129,000 sq. ft to 258,000 sq. ft, raising its capacity for sideshafts to 2.1m per annum.The expansion, which took one year to ...
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ArticleComposites are coming
This year’s JEC Europe show highlighted the rapid progress of composites development and productionThe automotive industry’s interest in composites shows no sign of waning; March 2015 saw two leading German OEMs positioning themselves to secure their futures with these lightweight materials. Far from resting on its laurels as the only ...
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ArticleAdams joins EC Harris’ automotive division
UK – The built asset and design consultancy company is hoping to benefit from Paul Adams’ 15 years of experience in the sector, during which he has developed relationships with carmakers and taken part in a number of significant projects.Adams joins EC Harris from Turner & Townsend. He previously built ...
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ArticleMercedes marches on
The brand's global production footprint has grown substantially in recent years, including the US and ChinaIn recent years, the manufacturing geography of Mercedes-Benz has expanded in a major way outside Germany; it first moved into the US in the mid-1990s, since when it has also expanded its small operation in ...
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ArticleImproving parts supply
A £20m, collaborative venture in the UK seeks to innovate, develop and manufacture diverse automotive components; AMS took a look around The Proving Factory's newly opened assembly facility in CoventryCreating a tier one automotive supplier from scratch in just a couple of years sounds like a tough task already, but ...
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ArticleGM cuts back its Russian operations
Russia – In the year it was supposed to be making 230,000 vehicles, GM Auto in St Petersburg will idle by mid-2015. The contract assembly of Chevrolet vehicles at GAZ will be discontinued around the same time, while the Opel brand will leave the market by December. GM says it ...
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ArticleHigh-temp inert atmosphere oven
The 966 is an electrically-heated, inert atmosphere oven that Grieve says is suitable for stress relief of machined steel. Workspace dimensions of this oven measure 24” W x 36” D x 24” H. It features 18KW Incoloy-sheathed tubular elements to heat the oven chamber, while a 1000 ...
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ArticleNew CNC machine control system
Yamazaki Mazak has launched its Smooth Technology, which incorporates the new Mazatrol Smoothx CNC alongside new machine hardware and servo systems. The company says this will deliver an improved operator experience, faster machining times and further integration of CNC into the overall factory management system. The company claims the ...
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ArticleInterview: Atterby and Burton at Luxus
Peter Atterby, managing director, and Terry Burton, technical manager, discuss Luxus' commercialisation of a new range of lightweight polypropylene polymers for interior trim, featuring up to 60% recycled contentJoanne Perry (JP): Luxus has been supplying thermoplastic materials to the automotive industry for 30 years. Which of today’s models feature Luxus ...
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ArticleJLR starts building £150m innovation centre
UK – The 33,000 sq. m facility, located at the University of Warwick, will become a hub for advanced research, equipped with the latest workshops, laboratories, virtual engineering suites and powertrain capabilities. A wide range of design, visualisation and prototyping activities will take place at the centre.The development of the ...
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ArticleFord hits 5m mark for EcoBoost
US – The milestone, 1.0-litre unit rolled off the assembly line at Michigan Assembly Plant, less than three years after the 500,000th engine was made. The 5 millionth EcoBoost was installed in a Ford Focus.Production of the 5 millionth EcoBoost coincides with the first full year in which this type ...