All Maintenance articles – Page 21
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ArticleDriving the future
Mark Simms looks at the technologies propelling the development of future hybrid and electric vehiclesThe number of hybrid and electric vehicles in showrooms and on the roads continues to grow, with the technology that underpins them already seemingly established. Yet, in many ways, we are only at the very beginning ...
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ArticleManufacturing velocity
Todd Montpas, automotive and tyre market development manager at Rockwell Automation, explains how and why vehicle-makers must position themselves to keep pace with market demandsThere is no slowing down in the automotive industry. A customer base with a range of differing priorities for new-vehicle purchases – including safety, fuel efficiency, ...
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ArticleSkoda sets to work in summer break
Czech Republic – Between August 4-15, preparations will take place at Mladá Boleslav for the production launch of the new Skoda Fabia at the end of the month. The OEM says that “extensive” maintenance and modernisation projects will also be carried out at Kvasiny and Vrchlabí.At Mladá Boleslav, Skoda will ...
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ArticleCoding & marking for the automotive industry
Linx Printing Technologies explores how effective coding and marking solutions can deliver important benefits throughout the vehicle manufacturing processWith a modern vehicle containing thousands of individual components, many needing to carry a specific part number, there is no room for error in the selection of coding and marking equipment. From ...
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As aluminium becomes increasingly used by carmakers, Mark Simms looks at the mechanical methods required to join this material Ever increasing pressures to reduce fuel consumption and vehicle emissions have seen a raft of technical innovations introduced to the automotive industry, but ultimately it is weight that has the single ...
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ArticleSolutions on the spot
Recent innovations are ensuring that spot welding is a viable joining method for aluminium automotive parts and structures While spot welding has been the joining method of choice for automotive BIW applications, one area where it has shortcomings is welding aluminium. The use of this material in BIW structures has ...
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ArticleNissan starts new Juke production for Europe
UK – The OEM has invested £20m at its Sunderland plant to make the revised model, enabling a range of design enhancements, new engines and technologies, as well as a personalisation programme. The car is now on sale in the UK and will be launched in all European markets in ...
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ArticleJoining aluminium
As aluminium becomes increasingly used by carmakers, Mark Simms looks at the mechanical methods required to join this material Ever increasing pressures to reduce fuel consumption and vehicle emissions have seen a raft of technical innovations introduced to the automotive industry, but ultimately it is weight that has the single ...
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ArticleSurface preparation for thermal spray coatings
Thermal spray coated liners offer an alternative to cast iron liners in aluminium blocksOne of many challenges for today’s automotive manufacturers is reducing vehicle weight and frictional losses in the powertrain as a means of improving overall vehicle efficiency. This has been a driving force in the adoption of aluminum ...
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ArticleMBUSI: Adding to Alabama
The German carmaker is introducing new models, including the C-Class sedan, to its Alabama plantIf you visit the Tuscaloosa County, Alabama, tourist board site, amongst the half-a-dozen local attractions listed is the Mercedes Benz Factory Tour at the German automaker’s Vance facility. When it was first opened in 1997 the ...
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ArticleVolvo opens new bodyshop at Torslanda
Sweden – The manufacturing facility, inaugurated on the OEM’s 50th anniversary at the location, covers 24,000 sq. ft and will boost its annual capacity from 200,000 to 300,000 units. The move will bring Volvo closer to achieving its long-term goal of selling 800,000 cars per year.The bodyshop will be used ...
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Tech Mahindra to provide Volvo’s IT
Sweden – The provider of connected solutions will supply end-to-end IT infrastructure support and services for the carmaker not only in its domestic market but in China and Belgium, covering factories, R&D facilities, offices, dealerships and a global data centre. This will include 4,000 factory devices, 2,800 servers and 30,000 ...
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ArticleTaking the next step
The theme for this year’s Hannover Messe will be: 'Integrated Industry – Next Steps'. The show will run from April 7-11For automotive OEMs, Tier and equipment suppliers, the demands for greater efficiency and flexibility are increasing. Key to meeting these demands are higher levels of integration in the manufacturing process. ...
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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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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 ...
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ArticleEnergising EVs
As OEMs bring out more electric vehicles, AMS investigates the power behind the wheelElectric vehicles (EVs) have certainly come a long way from 19th century prototypes and small 20th century models such as the Enfield 8000. Following the success of the LEAF, Nissan recently announced plans to introduce its second ...
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ArticleAdaptive assembly
As powertrain options proliferate, automotive OEMs are adopting a flexible approach to the assembly processThere is little doubt that powertrain assembly is bearing the brunt of the global drive to increase fuel efficiency and reduce emissions. Automotive OEMs are devoting huge resources to developing more efficient powertrains and these are ...
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ArticleBright ideas for energy use
Energy is arguably the largest controllable element in automotive manufacturing. AMS investigates how to get the biggest ‘bang’ for the smallest ‘buck’ Raw material costs fluctuate according to classic supply and demand, leaving aside the impact of leveraging by hedge funds. A car needs metal and is not easy to ...
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ArticleLeading a UK revival
AMS takes a look inside JLR’s plant in Solihull, West Midlands, UK, where production is increasing and aluminium will soon replace steelThe recent success of Jaguar Land Rover is at the centre of the ongoing revival of UK vehicle production, and at the heart of JLR is its Solihull factory. ...