Latest News & Features – Page 190
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ArticleEuroBLECH: Proving its metal
Between October 21-25, the 23rd International Sheet Metal Working Technology Exhibition in Hanover will exhibit numerous solutions that are useful to the automotive industry For EuroBLECH 2014, organisers will bring together over 1,400 exhibitors from more than 40 countries, in an enlarged exhibition area in Hanover. Over half the ...
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ArticleWar on waste
OEM efforts to reduce waste range from material recycling, component remanufacturing and new water treatments all the way through to building sustainable factories for the future The spotlight has never shone more brightly on the environmental credentials of automakers around the world. While much of the attention is rightly focused ...
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ArticleHealthy targets
A safe working environment accounts for both regulation and human behaviour, writes Robert Marshall While automotive OEMs and tier suppliers have not been subjected to such intense global scrutiny as that endured recently by the clothing industry following several fatal incidents in low-cost manufacturing locations such as Bangladesh, worker safety ...
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ArticleDriving the future
Mark Simms looks at the technologies propelling the development of future hybrid and electric vehiclesThe number of hybrid and electric vehicles in showrooms and on the roads continues to grow, with the technology that underpins them already seemingly established. Yet, in many ways, we are only at the very beginning ...
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ArticleThe Mexican machine
As North American automotive production continues to recover from the economic crisis, Mexico is powering ahead as the engine of growth, with more OEMs investing in facilities and output increasingThe healing process that took place in the US automotive industry after the shock of the economic downturn is now so ...
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ArticleFCA's great expectations
Described as Sergio Marchionne's 'Book of Dreams', the newly formed OEM has an ambitious growth planIn a series of detailed presentations made during a two-day event in May 2014, Fiat Chrysler announced its new corporate strategy, with CEO Sergio Marchionne claiming the OEM was rewriting the rulebook for running automotive ...
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ArticleSkoda celebrates 80 years at Kvasiny
Czech Republic – The plant opened in 1934 and has been part of Skoda since 1947, when the Superb started rolling off the line; it now produces three models with a workforce of 4,200. The factory has turned out more than 1.5m units to date.Skoda Kvasiny currently makes the Superb, ...
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ArticleNew intake Rolls up to Goodwood
UK – Eleven apprentices and 13 graduates toured the Rolls-Royce headquarters and plant in West Sussex on the first day of their induction. The premium OEM’s latest recruits met 11 personnel who have newly transitioned from the apprenticeship scheme to the workforce.The Rolls-Royce Apprenticeship Programme was launched in 2006 and ...
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ArticleGAZon NEXT starts mass production
Russia – The launch began at Gaz Group’s Gorky Automobile Plant, which is part of Basic Element. The medium-duty truck is the third GAZ vehicle released this year, after the 19-seat Gazelle NEXT bus and the double-row, cargo-and-passenger version of GAZelle NEXT light commercial vehicle (LCV).GAZon NEXT features components from ...
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ArticleMaserati celebrates 100 years of manufacturing
Italy – The event took place at the plant in Modena, which the OEM has occupied since moving from Bologna in 1939. While more than 200 vintage and modern Maseratis were brought to the site for the celebrations, the factory is currently producing the GranTurismo, GranCabrio and Alfa Romeo 4C.“Of ...
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ArticleVW Anchieta: Production pioneer
As the first VW plant outside Germany, Anchieta paved the way for the OEM’s leading position within BrazilWhen Volkswagen first looked to produce vehicles outside its home nation after the devastation of World War Two, the incipient automotive hub around São Paulo was the location it chose. A bilateral trade ...
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ArticleHansen takes charge of CPT in North America
US – Based in Detroit, vice-president Taylor Hansen will be responsible for the newly incorporated subsidiary, including business development, client programme management and prototype building ahead of volume production.“We have seen growing interest in our switched reluctance motor-generator technology with increasing enquiries from North American automakers and their powertrain suppliers,” ...
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ArticleCompetitively commercial
As Mercedes-Benz earmarks $1bn for its CV operations in Brazil, AMS tours final assembly at the São Bernardo do Campo plant, which plays a part in producing the entire Latin American truck line-up “Today, Brazil is the most important sales market for our trucks worldwide,” said Stefan Buchner, head of ...
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ArticleFAE: Achieving a good match
Olivier Lefebvre, vice-president of the component supplier's Brazilian branch, says its NewTech paint installation is proving an effective import to South AmericaJoanne Perry (JP): How important is South America as a production location for Faurecia Automotive Exteriors?Olivier Lefebvre (OL): South America represents 5% of the total sales of Faurecia [Group]. ...
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ArticleGM Wentzville adds third shift
US – An additional 750 personnel will be required at the assembly facility in Missouri to build the new Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon midsize pick-ups plus the Chevrolet Express and GMC Savana full-size vans.The personnel for the third shift are in addition to the 1,315 that GM announced with ...
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ArticleSizing up stamping
After several huge servo press installations this year, we assess the impact of machine size on stamping There’s no doubt about it: servo transfer presses are getting noticeably bigger. Of course, press beds need to be large because parts are transported through several stations during the forming process, but some ...
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Fiat listed in Dow Jones Sustainability index
Italy – The OEM received a score of 87/100 compared with an average of 58/100 for automotive companies, as evaluated by sustainability investment specialists RobecoSAM. Out of 32 automotive companies evaluated, just three were admitted to the Dow Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI) World Index.Fiat achieved the maximum score in the ...
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ArticleChrysler: Going global
The OEM's established brands, vehicle line-up and production locations will be repositioned worldwideCreating a single entity out of transatlantic mergers or alliances has proven difficult for Ford and General Motors, despite the One Ford strategy now being seen by some as paying dividends. Likewise, the break-up of DaimlerChrysler some years ...
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ArticleStrain relief for cables
Igus has launched its latest accessory for e-chains and e-tubes, the CFV strain relief element. The company claims this system offers the chance to strain relieve cables outside of the chain cross section. The CVF ensures that cables within the moving e-chain do not move around when in motion ...