Latest News & Features – Page 211
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ArticleTaking greater control
Two case studies highlight the development of control systems in manufacturing automationWhat was initially planned as the refurbishment of an automated guided vehicle (AGV) system serving a press at the Toyota plant in Burnaston, UK, turned into something much more radical when the company realised that a simple upgrade would ...
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ArticleIntelligent automation
How automation is being developed for a wider range of production configurationsAutomation has lent itself to the pattern of high production volumes and product uniformity which is particularly required by OEM vehicle assemblers. That pattern, however, has not remained static. While global production volumes remain high, automation now has to ...
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ArticleCar production in UK remains stable
UK – Figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) show that output in January was just 0.3% below the industry’s 2013 performance, with 128,620 units produced.Mike Hawes, CEO of the SMMT, described the production as “a solid start to 2014” and added that domestic output is expected ...
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ArticleBMW to build MINI Hatch at VDL Nedcar
The Netherlands – Production in Born will begin in summer 2014, following on from the manufacturing launch at Oxford last November of the Mini Hatch. According to Harald Krüger, BMW board member Production, the Mini brand is experiencing “substantial growth” which necessitates additional, external capacity.“Splitting production of the new Mini ...
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ArticleGM celebrates 60 years of Texas production
US – The company’s Arlington plant, which was founded in 1954, switched from car to truck assembly in 1997 and is now the only facility which builds the full-size Chevrolet Tahoe, Chevrolet Suburban, GMC Yukon and Cadillac Escalade.The SUVs currently manufactured are all new, redesigned for the 2015 model year.Since ...
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ArticleHeavyweight investments
Recent developments at Volvo and Daimler show that staying ahead in truck manufacture requires the input of significant resourcesTrucks are the lifeblood of commerce; for example, the latest figures from the United States show that 19 billion tonnes of freight were carried in a single year – equating to 4.4trillion ...
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ArticleDaimler celebrates half-century at Tramagal
Portugal – The facility has produced over 200,000 vehicles during this time and, according to the manufacturer, has become the European “backbone” of the FUSO Canter, the best-seller in the Daimler Trucks product range. Wolfgang Bernhard, board member with responsibility for Daimler Trucks and Daimler Buses, praised Tramagal as “an ...
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ArticleBDNT picks ABB for DENZA chargers
China – The power and automation technology company will supply fast chargers for batteries powering the electric DENZA vehicle from Shenzhen BYD Daimler New Technology (BDNT), the subsidiary between Daimler and BYD. The fast chargers are wall-mounted at a user’s home, although DENZA can also be charged via a conventional ...
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ArticleToyota to test hybrid wireless charging
Japan – The verification process will take place in Aichi, starting in late February, and will assess the OEM’s newly developed battery charging system for electric vehicles (EVs) and plug-in hybrids. According to Toyota, the system can charge a vehicle which is parked over a coil on the ground, making ...
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ArticleOakville to build new Ford Edge
Canada – Following a C$700m investment “to make it one of the most competitive and advanced global manufacturing facilities in Canada”, announced last September, Ford says the Toronto plant will export the utility vehicle to more than 60 countries.Joe Hinrichs, Ford president of the Americas, commented: “Oakville is vital to ...
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ArticleGM celebrates millionth vehicle at Rayong
Thailand – Production of the milestone vehicle, a Chevrolet Trailblazer, was celebrated during a visit to the facility by the company’s new CEO, Mary Barra, and president Dan Ammann.Amman described Rayong as “a key component of our consumer-centric and market-driven strategy for growing our production line-up and Chevrolet brand in ...
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ArticleBosch, GS Yuasa and Mitsubishi to boost EV batteries
Germany – The new Lithium Energy and Power joint venture, headquartered in Stuttgart and with a 70-strong workforce, will begin operations in 2014 with the aim of developing the next generation of lithium-ion battery technology.“In setting up this joint venture, we want to achieve nothing less than a giant leap ...
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Article
BorgWarner appoints Sato to the board
US – Vicki Sato has served as professor of management practice, Harvard Business School, and professor of the practice in the Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology at Harvard University since 2006.Sato was previously president of Vertex Pharmaceuticals and is currently a director of Bristol-Myers Squibb, Perkin Elmer and Galapagos.www.borgwarner.com
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ArticleBus-making moves in the right direction
Buses are a sustainable form of public transport, but only if they are manufactured in similar fashionLike all sectors of the automotive industry, the drive is on to increase sustainability within the coach and bus sector. One such programme is under way at Thomas Built Buses, the manufacturer of the ...
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ArticleBig challenges off the road
The volumes may be lower and the unit size larger, but the logistical and manpower issues involved in off-highway manufacturing are similar to the automotive industryThe manufacture of huge off-road vehicles follows many of the same processes found in automotive production. Most of these models are made using flow line ...
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ArticleTata and Westport launch natural gas engine
India – The new spark-ignited (SI) natural gas 3.8-litre turbocharged engine features Westport’s WP580 engine management system (EMS).According to Westport, the EMS features engine control strategies which offer reduced fuel consumption and emissions, increased load carrying capabilities with launch torque, and integrated vehicle functionality. The system is also designed to ...
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ArticleToyota: The titan marches on
While production is set to decrease in Japan, the OEM is expanding its worldwide footprintOn December 5, 2013, Toyota passed a notable production landmark when the total number of vehicles made in Japan since the company’s inception passed 150 million, 78 years and five months since the first model, a ...
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ArticleValenciennes to make Toyota Yaris in 3 shifts
France – The move has been made to accommodate an increased production plan for 2014 of 220,000 units, following particularly successful sales of the Yaris Hybrid. The 15% boost in output will require an expansion of the workforce by 500 temporary personnel to a total of 4,000. Toyota Motor Manufacturing ...
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GM ploughs €250m into engines at Tychy
Poland – The OEM has allocated a new generation of mid-size diesel engines to its facility in the Katowice Special Economic Zone, with production set to begin in 2017. Annual capacity will be 200,000 units.The investment is the largest in the history of the Tychy plant and will enable the ...
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ArticleCoping with coatings
The latest solutions for steel include metal-cored welding wires, zinc-magnesium-aluminium alloys and a nanoceramic methodA car body goes through the GardoFlex galvanising bath at Kia Motors SlovakiaThe automotive industry has found steel such a useful material that it seems almost churlish to mention its habit of bonding with oxygen and ...