All Maintenance articles – Page 22
-
ArticleTurning painting green
The BMW Brilliance Tiexi plant in China is leading the way towards more environmentally friendly paintshops'Best-in-class technology''The most sustainable plant in China'Developing key workforce competenciesNew standards & future plans"The world’s most environmentally friendly paintshop” is currently being ramped up towards full production capacity at BMW Brilliance Tiexi, Shenyang. So says ...
-
ArticleHandling with care
New materials and the drive for greater flexibility in production have created new challenges in handlingWalk through almost any modern automotive assembly plant and the major trends in automotive assembly aren’t difficult to spot. Equally clear to see are the tensions and trade-offs that exist between them. The inexorable march ...
-
Article
EcoDryScrubber wins Peugeot Citroën award
Peugeot Citroën has awarded Dürr an ‘Industrial Equipment Performance Award’ for its EcoDryScrubber paint booth system, used at the car maker’s plant in Sochaux, France. EcoDryScrubber enables separation without the use of water or chemicals, generates energy savings of 60%, and cuts paint particle and CO2 emissions. It can operate ...
-
ArticleA new framework for assembly
As vehicle-makers move towards multi-model assembly lines, a framing innovation enables greater efficiency.Automotive assembly doesn’t get much more fundamental than framing, the point at which body panels and sub-assembly structures come together to be welded into a single body shell.ABB’s gateway to a new type of framingMulti-model framingTraditionally carried out ...
-
ArticleAC500 PLC able to handle ‘eXtreme Conditions’
ABB says its AC500-CX PLC offers protection against a wide range of threats, including high and low temperatures (normally -30 to +70C), high humidity, low air pressure (altitudes of 4,000m), salt mist and hazardous gases, plus vibration and shock (acceleration of 4g from random vibrations up to 500Hz, or 2g ...
-
ArticlePunchBend fabrication tool for quality and accuracy
A fully automatic fabrication solution for cut-to-size materials called PunchBend has been developed by Prima Power. The servo-electric technology processes pre-cut material automatically into readybent components, with the quality and accuracy which Prima Power says are required by design products.The punching stroke is NC-controlled and the high repeatability facilitates forming, ...
-
ArticleTesting times for training
OEMs’ workers must help to deliver higher volume and quality in a globalised industryDemand for improved quality and higher production targets means that the training of workers and the constant refreshment of their skills is a crucial component of any vehicle-maker’s business strategy. It is not just the manufacturing processes ...
-
ArticleFinding solutions for Avtovaz
Interview with Luigi Lazzari, president of Geico Taikisha Europe, on the company’s current projects AMS: What are the details of the recent contract with Avtovaz for a new paintshop?Luigi Lazzari: This will be both a brown field project, as, from a building environment perspective, we will reuse some of the ...
-
ArticlePlants reaping their rewards
Manufacturers such as Volkswagen, BMW and Mercedes are now firmly ensconced on US soilThe three European car companies building in the US have contributed as much to revised fortunes in the southern states as any manufacturer. The states themselves certainly paid handsomely for the privilege as the attraction of running ...
-
ArticleSafety and sustainability linked up for efficiency
Kimberly-Clark Professional says manufacturers should consider safety and sustainability together, in order to maximise their performance in both areas.The company’s Efficient Workplace programme aims to help businesses eliminate hazards and enhance the sustainability of their operations by highlighting the best way to select, dispense, use and store equipment and supplies ...
-
ArticleFreeform flexibility in stamping dies
Ford’s 3FT may one day provide prototype variations without the need for dies and stamping, AMS reportsStamping out sheet metal parts for production vehicles in a fullscale automotive manufacturing environment can be a matter of just a few seconds per part. Making the dies in which the parts are stamped ...
-
ArticleFirst for Fiesta
Glenn Brooks talks to the man in charge at Ford’s Cologne manufacturing plant to find out what impact the company’s restructuring in Europe has had at the facility.A Ford veteran of 30 years, as plant manager at Ford Cologne Karl Anton finds himself in charge of a facility running at ...
-
ArticleLaser machine for 3D-metal working
The Jenoptik-Votan BIM robotic laser machine promises industrial manufacturers a flexible, fast-working, and cost-effective laser machine solution. The core element is a robot arm with integrated laser beam. The laser coupling is located at the base of the robot so the transport fi bre does not move concurrently with the ...
-
ArticleNew RFID on the block
From the year 2000 onwards RFID technology started to significantly impact manufacturing efficiency. M2M represents the next step, AMS reportsRFID is fantastic at providing basic information, but due to the need for all items to be scanned individually it also creates a bottleneck at control points. However, the latest M2M ...
-
ArticleRacking up the benefits of tracking
Zebra Technologies product manager, John Fulton, discusses a rack tracking project with a major US vehicle manufacturer.A major US OEM had a multi-million dollar problem with the purchasing and tracking of steel, reusable parts racks and wanted to be more efficient and save money. To address this they brought in ...
-
ArticleSchweissen & Schneiden 2013
AMS previews this year’s Schweissen & Schneiden trade fair being held in Essen from September 16-21, and some of the exhibitors that are of particular interest to the automotive industry.The international trade fair for joining, cutting and surfacing is promoted by the German Welding Society and should certainly capture the ...
-
ArticleIroning out the details
Compacted Graphite Iron (CGI) has not only changed auto engine manufacturing beyond recognition, it has changed machining operations too.The strength, stiffness and fatigue resistance of CGI is well documented – all of which are enhanced at far less weight when compared with traditional grey iron. The upshot is that an ...
-
ArticleKeep press moving for efficiency
Improving both machine productivity and worker safety by detecting zero-speed, overspeed and motion direction is the objective of new encoders from Pepperl+Fuchs, which are designed to allow safe access during setup and maintenance, the company says.“For example, using this solution in a rolling press application would enable the press to ...
-
ArticleEnhanced automation at Siemens
Mike Farish describes two developments from Siemens which can cut down re-programming and prevent theft of crucial production processesAs a major supplier of automation systems right across industry – not least to the automotive production sector – the product strategies adopted by German-owned multinational Siemens is bound to have significant ...
-
ArticleAlternative approach
A visit to Volvo’s Torslanda plant reveals the company’s alternative approach to improving productivityThe main points of interest for my visit to Volvo’s Torslanda plant had been to look more closely at production of hybrid cars (and Volvo had recently increased production of their V60 Hybrid) and find out about ...