All Maintenance articles – Page 17
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ArticlePrinting the future
Additive manufacturing offers many benefits and the technology is seeing wider application in the automotive industryAmong the most recent additive manufacturing (AM) trends are the advantages it can bring to mould-making processes. The quality of plastic components in modern cars has increased greatly over the years in terms of precision, ...
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ArticleFive steps to workforce readiness
With workforces strained like never before, automotive manufacturers must act to help protect profits, productivity and safetyBy Larry Smentowski, senior industry consultant, automotive and tire, Rockwell AutomationEven as global automakers build new facilities and look to surpass producing 90m light vehicles for the first time this year1, their workforces are ...
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ArticleSmall vehicles, big numbers
Building motorcycles in India is all about high volumes. AMS takes a look at Bajaj Auto’s plant at ChakanThe 1,400 employees at Bajaj’s Chakan plant produce around 80,000 bikes per month across five assembly lines in two shifts over six days a week. These are big numbers especially when you ...
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ArticlePacifica progress
As FCA US smoothly implements a $744m upgrade at its Windsor plant in Canada, AMS focuses on the new equipment in the paintshop, including innovative oil separation technology and a robotic sealing system“What we were asking the Windsor team to do had never been done before,” said Brian Harlow, vice ...
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ArticleSeeing the light
With the attractiveness of a vehicle’s finish being key to purchasing decisions, automotive manufacturers are striving for better means of quality control. AMS reports on the most sophisticated technologies availableOne thing that has not changed in the automotive market is that the appearance of a vehicle in the showroom remains ...
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ArticleKeeping finishes up to scratch
As vehicle-makers add more innovative materials in body construction and change their production processes to meet new environmental regulations, paint suppliers are striving to match their requirementsThe majority of consumers take them for granted, but exterior coatings have to cover a lot of ground. Ray Schappert, global director of product ...
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ArticleCompact push-pull robot welding torch
The Robacta Drive TPS/I welding torch has received a number of improvements including increasing the dynamic of the drive unit to33m/s², which Fronius says is ten-times that of its predecessor. Available as either a gas- or water-cooled version, the welding torch can now be fitted to robots capable of supporting ...
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ArticleCarry forward
State-of-the-art electrified conveyors contribute to production levels and offer a safer working environment Self-propelled electrified carriers, monorail systems and skillet lines with lifting platforms are state-of-the-art solutions in today’s automotive manufacturing process. Electrification with conductor rail systems has been in common practice for several years, continuously adapting to real-world ...
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ArticlePower to the machines
While human flexibility offers special advantages in the assembly hall, modern paintshops rely heavily on automation to tackle hostile conditions and a strong need for consistency. AMS reviews the recent trendsRobotic technologies have for decades been centre stage in automotive manufacturing. The industry is top of the league for robot ...
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ArticleMonitoring vital statistics
As OEMs look to reduce energy consumption in their paintshops, the latest software can improve efficiencyPaintshops account for the greatest energy use at any automotive manufacturing operation – around 70%, says Bill Sarver, senior consultant, Global Automotive at Rockwell Automation – and that makes efficiency in this area crucial to ...
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Article
Swift system switchover
When a company needs to replace a major manufacturing-related IT system it has to find a way that has minimal negative impact on production schedules.Downtime is a word that no-one in the automotive manufacturing business likes. Any interruption to production outside of scheduled annual breaks can quickly rack up into ...
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ArticleSwift system switchover
When a company needs to replace a major manufacturing-related IT system it has to find a way that has minimal negative impact on production schedules.Downtime is a word that no-one in the automotive manufacturing business likes. Any interruption to production outside of scheduled annual breaks can quickly rack up into ...
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ArticleFord reduces summer shutdowns
US – The OEM announced that certain plants in North America will not close for the full two weeks as usual due to strong demand for SUVs, with sales at a record high for the first five months of the year. Ford will make an extra 22,000 units this summer.The ...
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ArticleDriving customer performance
In business since 1973, noted cutting room authority Lectra has established an industry-leading position by helping customers to achieve operational excellence through a unique combination of expertise, advanced technologies and best-in-class services.As the privileged partner to a broad portfolio of premier businesses, Lectra provides integrated cutting room solutions for the ...
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ArticleNissan Sunderland makes 50,000th Leaf
UK – The milestone vehicle rolled off the production line earlier this month, three years after the OEM started making electric vehicles and batteries in Europe. Nissan claims it is the first carmaker in the continent to make 50,000 electric vehicles and their associated batteries.The Tekna-grade Leaf will be shipped ...
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ArticleFCA Windsor makes first new Pacifica
US – Production of the sixth-generation Chrysler vehicle began after the completion of major construction projects at the end of 2014 and the beginning of 2015, plus subsequent upgrade work. Since September 2014, the number of personnel has also increased by 1,200 to 6,000 on three shifts.According to Fiat Chrysler ...
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ArticleHonda reinvents assembly line
Thailand – The company has developed a mass-production vehicle assembly line which incorporates a 'flowing cell' system. Honda has named this the ARC (Assembly Revolution Cell) Line and introduced it to the new Prachinburi plant.Contrasting with conventional production in which one worker is responsible for a single installation task as ...
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Article
AGVs find their way
Automated guided vehicles are carrying the assembly lines to a flexible futureHistorically, the automotive industry has relied heavily on the use of robotics technologies for pure manufacturing operations like assembly, welding and stamping – but in recent years other robotics applications such as automated guided vehicles (AGVs) have become more ...
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Article
Cool down, clean up
Beside selecting the right coolant or cutting fluid for the material being machined, ensuring the fluid is kept clean for as long as possible is just as important, both for quality and cost savingMachine shops using water-based metalworking fluids are being urged to initiate a regular system cleaning regime, amid ...
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ArticleAGVs find their way
Automated guided vehicles are carrying assembly lines toward a more flexible futureHistorically, the automotive industry has relied heavily on the use of robotic technologies for pure manufacturing operations like assembly, welding and stamping, but in recent years other applications such as automated guided vehicles (AGVs) have become more popular in ...