All Maintenance articles – Page 12
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ArticleHeading for the clouds
Steed Webzell scrutinises the technologies currently available to assist those wanting to digitise their machining processesMajor machine tool OEMs are upping their game when it comes to digitalisation. “Industry 4.0 (I4.0) is not just a gimmick, as some would have you believe, but a cornerstone of advanced manufacturing,” states Matthias ...
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ArticleJack of all trades
Ford Otosan’s Inönü plant houses an unusual production mix, and is taking on more projects. Michael Nash investigatesInönü is a small, sleepy town in north-west Turkey. The nearest city, Eskisehir, is a 40-minute drive away and is populated by young students who attend its two universities. Aside from an array ...
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ArticleCollective thinking
Closer collaboration between product development and production teams could lead to significant improvements in vehicle manufacturing processes. Ford Otosan holds a unique position. Michael Nash reports The scenery in Turkey is full of surprises. A quick car journey can lead to towering mountains, pristine beaches and lush forests, while historical ...
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ArticleThe best of our Ability
A solution portfolio for automating and digitising paint lines, ABB Ability solutions for paint provide car manufacturers with a leaner operation with greater precision and earlier fault detectionToday’s automotive production is characterised by short product life cycles as well as a multitude of models and variants, which are manufactured on ...
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ArticleStay in control
Manufacturers face many risks – safety hazards, poor quality, disrupted cycles – leading to loss in time, money and reputationThroughout the years, automotive manufacturers and integrators were introduced to numerous systems to reduce risk, ensure quality, operate at high production levels, and reduce costs while maximising return on investment and ...
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ArticleRobots on the rise
Advances in robotics go hand in hand with new approaches to automotive manufacturing, writes Chris PickeringThe automotive industry is at a crossroads. Ahead lays the most radical shake-up in a generation, with disruptive trends such as electrification, autonomous driving and lightweight materials bringing opportunity and uncertainty in equal measure. It ...
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ArticleShow us what you’re made of
Dürr explains how, a variety of different materials are being used to construct the latest models hitting the market, and paint lines need to adapt accordinglyThe future belongs to electric vehicles (EVs), since they allow emission-free and sustainable mobility. The established car manufacturers are increasingly being joined in the market ...
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ArticleArc-welding aluminium: challenges and solutions
Lincoln Electric’s Tim Hurley and Michael Klee look at how the number of aluminium structures in BEVs can create new challenges to those unaccustomed to welding the metal AutoDrive SAWith the increasing number of electric vehicles that are being developed and introduced to the automotive market, vehicle architecture is changing ...
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ArticleWin the race to marketplace
Rockwell Automation’s John Miles and Paolo Butti explain how smart manufacturing strategies can help to produce EVs quickly, affordably and with minimal riskIf you’re racing to stake a claim in this fast-growing and increasingly crowded electric vehicle (EV) market, you probably have one goal: getting your EVs to market as ...
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ArticleForging a future in Factory 56
New car manufacturing facilities will need to be highly flexible as the trends of vehicle electrification and autonomous driving continue to evolve. Mercedes-Benz futuristic ‘Factory 56’ paves a new path.
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ArticleTravel blog: A slice of Turkish delight
Once renowned for its pristine beaches, soaring temperatures and enthusiastic hospitality, Turkey was a hot spot for tourists across the world looking to get away for a week or two. But as conflict in neighbouring Syria erupted in 2011, the number of holidaymakers visiting the country plummeted. Change is now ...
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ArticleRaise a glass
The Transparent Factory, Volkswagen’s unconventional facility in Dresden has been repurposed to assemble the eGolf and become the showcase for the OEM’s e-mobility philosophyAfter 14 years of assembling high-powered, premium models, Volkswagen’s Dresden facility entered a new phase in the spring of 2016. With the Phaeton model discontinued and assembly ...
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ArticleExact and to the point
inos took on the task of integrating a new gap and flush system into an existing production line shared by two separate and distinct vehiclesAs modern vehicle design responds to the customers’ growing expectations on fit and finish quality, the demand grows for increasing sophistication in manufacturing techniques. Semi- or ...
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ArticleDigital factories need forward thinking
Michael Nash talks to Bosch's Stefan Assmann about changes taking place on vehicle production linesStefan Assmann was previously a plant manager at Bosch’s gasoline and diesel systems components facility in the Czech Republic. He is now head of Bosch Connected Industry – a new unit created by the supplier in ...
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ArticleDigital factories require forward thinking
Michael Nash talks to Stefan Assmann at Bosch about current changes taking place to vehicle production lines across the worldStefan Assman was previously a plant manager at Bosch’s gasoline and diesel systems components facility in the Czech Republic. He is now head of Bosch Connected Industry – a new unit ...
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ArticleSpotting an opportunity
Steed Webzell talks to major players in joining, automation and materials technologies to get their take on the future of spot welding ABB spot welding technology at Scania's plant in OskarshamnAccording to a Technavio 2017 report, spot welding is the most popular type of robotic welding, generating more than 48% ...
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ArticleArconic-Köfém to build new wheel plant
Hungary - Arconic-Köfém has broken ground at a site where its new truck wheel factory is being built. Costing €105m (US$130m), the plant is located in Székesfehérvár, Hungary. Operations are scheduled to begin at the end of 2019 and the new factory should create around 200 jobs.“Our truck wheels help ...
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ArticleLessons to learn
As the automotive industry changes, OEMs and Tier suppliers need to train and retain skilled work forces. Audi takes on approximately 800 apprentices at its two sites in Germany in Ingolstadt and Neckarsulm each yearOptimising production processes is a never-ending task for vehicle makers and while automation offers some ...
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ArticleFuturistic assembly at 'Factory 56'
Mercedes-Benz is building a new vehicle assembly facility that will act as a blueprint for the future development of all its production sites. Michael Nash reports Assembly of the Mercedes-Benz S-Class at the company's Sindelfingen plantMercedes-Benz has long been a champion of flexible and efficient manufacturing techniques, carrying out numerous ...
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ArticleJoined-up thinking
The welding of plastics and other non-metallic materials is now well established as a fabrication technique for automotive componentsThe welding of non-metallic materials is frequently used to create parts such as cabin consoles, lights and mirror assemblies, intake manifolds and fluid reservoirs, including fuel tanks. However, despite being a common ...