Latest News & Features – Page 84
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ArticleRobotic materials handling for industrial saws
Kasto claims it can implement combined storage and sawing systems for its customers in which all processes are automated, from storage of the raw material to retrieval of the cut parts. The company says control software can be linked to existing ERP systems offering improved transparency and efficiency. Also the ...
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ArticleVW to 3D print for mass production
Germany - The OEM has announced that it is the first car maker to be using HP Metal Jet - a metallic 3D printing process that is more simple and faster than other existing techniques. According to the company, productivity is improved by fifty times compared to these other methods."Automotive ...
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ArticleCompact welding robot
Claimed to be designed for manufacturers with compact floor spaces, but managing large workpieces, Fanuc says its ARCMate 100iD/10L is suitable for high-batch production lines where the quality and function of the weld are critical. The company says this robot has capacity for 10kg of additional tooling, such as welding ...
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ArticleTwo-wheel e-mobility
BMW’s e-mobility ambitions have not been limited to four wheels; Nick Holt visits the company’s Berlin plant to see how its sophisticated C evolution maxi scooter is built
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ArticleLeading a winning team
Nick Holt talks to Ford Craiova’s award-winning engine plant manager, Jo Payne, about the facility’s award-winning enginesJo Payne is no stranger to accolades, having been crowned winner in the manufacturing category of this year’s Autocar Great British Women in the Car Industry awards. She also won the award back in ...
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ArticleTime for an upgrade
As Toyota shapes up its global manufacturing network to build the new vehicle platform, Nick Holt visits the OEM’s Valenciennes facility to see the progress being madeTo meet the challenge of rapidly changing markets and segment volatility, the development and adoption of common, modular vehicle platforms is now a familiar ...
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ArticleExpanding and restructuring
As the move to electrified and autonomous vehicles accelerates, Toyota is expanding in both technology areas and restructuring its operations. Ian Henry reports Toyota is making a number of key organisational changes to simplify and rationalise its operations in response to the fast-changing automotive market. As of the end of ...
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ArticleTriple edge cutting
Mapal says it is expanding its triple edged Tritan-Drill range, which now includes a new universal version, made from HSS that has been developed for small-series production.The company says this tool offers stable cutting edge corners, reducing the chance of damage to the cutting edge and, it’s claimed, higher feeds ...
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ArticleNew coating for composite battery cases
Zircotec says it has developed a new conductive ceramic coating that enables vehicle manufacturers to use carbon or plastic composite battery casings for hybrid and electric vehicles. The company claims this coating overcomes composite’s inability to isolate the battery from electromagnetic fields and radio frequency interference (RFI), which has prevented ...
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ArticleIndustrial stack lights
The 151SSLD-RYGN-NNS1 3-segment stack light has 40mm diameter indicators, standard height lenses and is suitable for OEM and systems integrator machine builders, says Onyx Industries.The lights use an industrial grade, stainless steel housings and long-life LEDs, and the company says it offers number of options that allow OEMs and system ...
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ArticleJapanese OEMs target China for EVs
An increasing number of car manufacturers based in the US and Europe are turning their sights on China, especially since authorities recently promised to abolish the rule that companies outside the country can own a maximum stake of 50% in joint ventures with Chinese companies. Tesla was among the first ...
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ArticleStructural adhesive joining solutions
Dow Automotive Systems claims its Betaforce, Betamate and Betaseal structural adhesive solutions will enhance lightweight module construction. The company says its structural adhesives are developed with rapid-cure characteristics that are suited to mass production manufacturing environments. Primerless-to-plastic formulations help remove VOCs from assembly operations, and new multifunctional adhesives are in ...
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ArticleVW opens SUV assembly facility
China - Volkswagen has officially opened an assembly plant with FAW at the port city of Tianjin, China. The FAW-VW Tianjin Plant will make VW and Audi brand SUVs, including PHEV models, with chassis parts and transmissions supplied from two other Tianjin-based facilities. The carmaker said that daily production was ...
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ArticleSprinter production starts in US
US - Mercedes-Benz Vans has started making the Sprinter in North Charleston, South Carolina. This follows on from an investment of US$500m in the facility, which was announced back in March 2015."The USA is already the second largest market for our Sprinter today," commented Volker Mornhinweg, head of Mercedes-Benz Vans. ...
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Article
Porsche and Schuler build press shop
Germany - The two companies have announced that they will work work together to construct a ‘Smart Press Shop’ as part of a new joint venture, the location of which is yet to be revealed. Both Porsche and Schuler will invest a double-digit million euro amount in the project. “Porsche ...
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ArticleDaimler to print aluminium components
Germany - The OEM has been working with Premium Aerotec and EOS to develop an additive manufacturing production cell that can make parts out of aluminium. The cell is fully automated, and is located at the Premium Aerotec facility in Varel, northern Germany.A EOS M 400-4 four-laser 3D printing system ...
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ArticlePorsche begins building new Macan
Germany - The new compact SUV, which debuted at an event in Shanghai in July 2018, has started rolling off production lines at the Leipzig factory. This follows on from a previously announced extension to the plant, whereby the OEM built a body shop and paint shop.According to Porsche, demand ...
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ArticleAudi starts making e-tron electric SUV
Belgium - The company's first all-electric SUV started rolling off production lines at its factory in Vorst - a southwestern municipality of Brussels. This follows significant investment in the plant."The Audi e-tron is a real pioneer," commented Peter Kössler, board member for production and logistics at Audi. "It has innovative ...
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ArticleVW to build two new plants
Ghana - The OEM has signed memorandums of understanding with the governments of Ghana and Nigeria, revealing plans to build a plant in each country. VW thinks it could turn Nigeria into an "automotive hub," where it already operates a small facility with an output of around 5,000 vehicles a ...
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ArticleDrones take off at Ford Dagenham
UK – Maintenance teams at Ford's Dagenham Engine Plant are now using camera drones to inspect the hard-to-reach parts of the facility.Previously, access to areas such as high-rise gantries, pipework and roof areas required automated extendable platforms and scaffolding to assess the 40-metre-long gantries that support the plant’s heavy machinery. ...