All Maintenance articles – Page 16
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ArticleConnected services for robot systems
Connected Services are a suite of resources designed to help UK manufacturers maximise robot uptime using data access and problem resolution says ABB Robotics. Delivered via the company’s single interface called MyRobot, Connected Services will make actionable data immediately available to plant engineers, maintenance staff and managing directors via smart ...
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Article
Zero tolerance for error
If a single word can sum up the key challenge involved in the manufacture of injector valves for diesel engines it is very likely ‘tolerances’Summing up the high-precision machining operations at Delphi’s Storehouse plant, chief manufacturing engineer for commercial vehicle fuel injection systems Dave Jewell says: “We have got to ...
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ArticlePosition of power
Flexible power distribution systems are energising automotive tier one suppliers’ growthGrowth in the automotive industry is benefiting from an extensive global network composed of thousands of tier one suppliers. While not only good for business, this growth functions as a catalyst for advancements in technology that eventually will be adopted ...
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Article
Workforce of the future
Brian Fortney, global business lead, Workforce and Training Services, at Rockwell Automation tells AMS how automotive companies can prepare for a digitally connected era – and the arrival of the millennial generationJoanne Perry (JP): Can you explain what OEMs normally ask Rockwell to do as a training provider?Brian Fortney (BF): ...
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ArticleFabric-cutting solution
Lectra claims its new Vector iQ fabric-cutting system can increase productivity by up to 10% and features Eclipse continuous cutting, which provides automatic material advance to cut without interruption. The company says the entry-level Vector models come with its Power Premium service coverage, which includes predictive maintenance designed to reduce ...
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ArticleWorkforce of the future
Brian Fortney, global business lead, Workforce and Training Services, at Rockwell Automation tells AMS how automotive companies can prepare for a digitally connected era – and the arrival of the millennial generationJoanne Perry (JP): Can you explain what OEMs normally ask Rockwell to do as a training provider?Brian Fortney (BF): ...
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ArticleStackers of steel
Six Kuka KR 1000 titan robots are providing new flexibility in production at steel supplier MannstaedtBased in Troisdorf in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia, Mannstaedt can trace its origins back nearly 200 years. Today, the company is part of the Georgsmarienhütte Group and specialises in the manufacture of hot-rolled ...
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ArticleBalance of power
For its vast new Pesqueria plant, Kia needed a comprehensive, reliable and flexible electrical distribution system. Siemens’ Totally Integrated Power provided the solutionIn July 2015, Kia Motors began distributing their cars in Mexico. In addition to establishing a close-knit network of car dealerships in the country’s ten largest cities, Kia ...
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ArticleKeeping up with demand
Upgrading its San Luis Potosi plant, Plastic Omnium asked robotics experts at ABB to fit out the new paintshop for automotive components productionWhen Plastic Omnium (PO) realised that many of the world’s major vehicle manufacturers were upgrading or building new plants in Mexico, it decided to respond. The likes of ...
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ArticleThe cutting room
Bringing in Lectra’s expertise, suppliers are finding more ways to streamline their production of fabric and trim for automotive seatingMature and dynamic, Mexico is an especially attractive location for companies aiming to establish or maintain a North American manufacturing footprint. Drawn by the appeal of Mexico’s low wages and improved ...
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ArticleBundles of energy
Constructing its new plant at Pesqueria near Monterrey, Kia needed an ergonomic supply of power for lineside applications and so turned once again to Conductix-WampflerThe automotive industry is in permanent evolution, implementing new production technologies and systems to reach higher standards and production rates. Over the last decade, the global ...
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ArticleMultistory makeover
An international team made its way to China as Dürr completed a major modernisation project in record timeIn mid-May 2015, Dürr completed a €33m ($36m) conversion project at SAIC General Motors (SAIC-GM), the dimensions of which were exceptional even for the German plant construction company. The project objective was to ...
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ArticleCNC human machine interface
FANUC claims its iHMI (intelligent Human Machine Interface) provides a simpler, more efficient and intuitive way to interact with its 30i/31i/32i-model B CNCs. The iHMI features a flat-panel touch-screen display and a graphical navigation. It also incorporates a suite of new tools and features.The new Cycle Time Estimation function can ...
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ArticleHigher power
Creative, convenient and customisable ways to reconfigure power supply are key to any lean manufacturing operationFrom conventional cars and electric engines to state-of-the-art intelligent vehicles, it is indisputable that the next decade will continue to test the automotive industry’s ability to satisfy customers’ expectations. Success and growth at the manufacturing ...
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ArticleLess noise, less cost, more benefits
When Iveco decided to renew its paint circulation line pumps in Madrid, Graco stepped forward with a more efficient and quieter solutionAutomotive companies are increasingly migrating from old pneumatic paint circulation pumps to electric pumps, on account of the cost savings possible and a range of other benefits. Take Iveco, ...
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ArticleSkid-free flexibility
With the energy savings it brings, the skidless paintshop is proving to be a popular ideaThere are some real heavyweights on the move inside automotive manufacturers’ production facilities: 200kg skids transfer 300kg vehicle bodies from the bodyshop to pretreatment, and on through the entire paintshop. Over 1,200 conveyor components and ...
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ArticleThe call of customising
With the popularity of personalisation, OEMs are looking to their painting lines to provide the answersHave you ever considered the number of customised cars that pass in front of you when stopped at a red light? It's no fewer than four cars in ten.Sober or more striking, the customisation of ...
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ArticleMultistory makeover
An international team made its way to China as Dürr completed a major modernisation project in record timeIn mid-May 2015, Dürr completed a €33m ($36m) conversion project at SAIC General Motors (SAIC-GM), the dimensions of which were exceptional even for the German plant construction company. The project objective was to ...
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ArticleChoices for China
BAIC ZengCheng’s new plant is a typical example of perfect collaboration between a customer’s requirements and ABB’s expertiseABB Paint automation started in early 2000. It quickly became a leader in paint automation for all industries including tier one and GI with a special focus towards automotive, with more than 1,000 ...
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ArticleBrilliant simplicity
Geico Taikisha’s chief operating officer, Daryush Arabnia, explains how the company’s new LeanDip system was inspired by customer feedbackCharacterised by its extreme simplicity of operation and maintenance, the LeanDip conveyor system handles bodies continuously and in a stop-and-go process recommended for high and low production volumes. LeanDip allows the body ...