All Maintenance articles – Page 31
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ArticleMaximum overdrive for MINI
BMW’s Plant Oxford is a benchmark for getting the most out of what you’ve got. AMS reports on a prosperous production strategy for the MINIGlobal successCustomer-driven complexityTime managementBrand buoyancyRestructuring at OxfordIn a rare example of consensus, the automotive industry seems to have decided that the global economy is a good ...
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ArticleAll about motion, mechatronics and efficiency
The latest offerings in the world of automotation products were showcased at the SPS/IPC/Drives show which was held in Germany at the end of 2006EuchnerFestoigusLeuze ElectronicPhoenix ContactPilzRockwell AutomationSchneider ElectricSchunkSICKSiemensA record 43,000 visitors – an increase of 24 per cent increase over 2005 figures, say the organisers – complemented very positive ...
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ArticleCross-breeding the brand in Kentucky
Toyota’s popular Camry now comes in a hybrid version thanks to innovations and investment in the assembly line at Georgetown, Kentucky. AMS looks at how the manufacturing process has been modified to accommodate the new, cleaner model.Smooth transitionDesigned with visionMinor changesSimplified assemblyBypass processesToyota teamIncreasing hybrid ratiosProduct levellingToyota celebrated the production ...
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ArticleFollowing a magnesium and aluminium diet
Demand for steel has sent prices for the metal rocketing, but alternatives such as aluminium and magnesium are being combined to find favour with carmakers.Raising the steel bar for safetyAluminium alternativeLAFE at BMWFifty-fifty weight distributionMagnesium IP reductionsMagnesium castings for automatic housingsIt’s a sad irony that the world seems to be ...
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ArticleGE imagination at work in China
Joint venture Shanghai GM has chosen GE to implement a turnkey communication and control system at its plant in Pudong, ChinaSupplying ChinaPress and partsCommunication and controlEfficient troubleshootingAVI correlationQuality and material subsystemJust-in-time productionProficy TrackerNot every facility has the luxury of designing a production control system from the ground up. The majority ...
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ArticleBuilding the perfect light curtain
We don’t give them much thought, and nor should we – assuming they’re doing their job properly. AMS in conversation with Joe Lazarra and Sergio Aguilar at Omron STIFrequency selection/Scan codesCascading light curtainFixed blankingFloating blanking and mutingReduced resolutionOmron STI’s Joe Lazarra wants to change the way you think about light ...
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ArticleBuilding on common ground with Fanuc
GM’s drive for a common assembly technology is aimed at a more streamlined and stable global supply base. AMS looks at what the Global Mid-Size Vehicle platform means for Fanuc.Common approachNew applicationsFixed supplyRobotic consolidationGeneral Motors is going truly global in the next few years with its Global Mid-Size Vehicle platform. ...
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ArticleWelcome to the House of Flex
Gary Cowger, Group Vice President for Global Manufacturing and Labour Relations at General Motors discusses the carmaker’s “avowed aim” of manufacturing flexibility using its Global Manufacturing System“House of Flex”Making flex work: a global initiativeMoving east in Europe and beyondCowger’s views on technologyAGV applicationsShifting biasWhile flexibility is a much-used term that ...
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ArticleLaser marking with the Electrox Raptor
A British company has launched a unique laser marking system that sets a new four-year warranty benchmark and which places it at least two years’ ahead of its competitors.Letchworth-based Electrox claims its new Enhanced Fibre laser technology platform provides an optimum balance between performance, price and product lifetime.“This enables us ...
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ArticleAutomatic wake-up call for plant maintenance
The new Simatic Teleservice Adapter IE from Siemens Automation and Drives (A&D) facilitates cost-effective remote maintenance of machinery and plants. In acute service cases or emergencies, an e-mail can be sent via the device. The engineer then scans the plant status via remote connection and carries out modifi cations.A new ...
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ArticleHeat treatment system for aluminum parts from Can-Eng
Can-Eng Furnaces has developed a new basketless rotary heat-treating system for the processing of aluminum intensive automobile components. The new Basketless Heat Treating System reduces energy consumption by 40 per cent and fl oor space requirements by 30 per cent when compared to conventional roller hearth systems. Product is transferred ...
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ArticleKerk’s new lead screw coating offers best performance
Kerk Motion Products, one of the world’s premier manufacturers of non-ball lead screws, offers superior performance lead screw, linear rail, spline shaft and ScrewRail® actuator assemblies with its Kerkote® TFE coating. Kerkote reduces friction and extends the life of Kerk’s costeffective, maintenance-free assemblies, which are ideal for motion control applications ...
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ArticleEffective guarding with STI’s MiniSafe
Omron Scientific Technologies has introduced its MiniSafe® MS4800 series of safety light curtains available in advanced, standard and basic versions.A cascaded confi guration reduces cabinet space requirements and provides effective guarding in multi-sided and dual-axis applications. Optical scan codes eliminate cross talk, which enables OEMs to consistently build identical machines ...
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Raising the bar on pump pressure with Jet Edge
Featuring an extended life hydraulic system and tie-rod design, Jet Edge’s new iP60-50 ultra-high pressure waterjet intensifier pump is rated for 4,100 bar and is capable of producing output pressures up to 3,800 bar with flow rates of 0- to 5-litres per minute to a variety of cutting, surface-preparation or ...
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ArticleFollow the bear
Major investment is now being made in the Russian automotive industry and the region looks set to become a force to contend with. But companies are still showing caution Why Russia now?Domestic marketNew plans for AvtoVAZGAZ has global ambitionsFord’s ‘early-mover’ investmentAvtoVAZ joint ventureHyundai-Kia importsNew venturesPlants for St PetersburgChinese gaining presenceTata ...
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ArticleSmart handling for vacuum gripping
Replacing conventional vacuum ejectors with high-performance versions brings savings in compressed air, energy costs and downtime at a major carmakerRobot press lineIntegrated high-performanceConsideration of the economic and efficiency aspects of vacuum gripping systems for handling sheet-metal parts are of enormous importance, particularly in the automotive industry.A basic distinction can be ...
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ArticleRaising the tool bar
Having the right tool for the job is a process being made easier thanks to advances in rapid manufacturing, and it is bringing big benefits to every part of the manufacturing process Helping hand heldOrganic ergonomicDucati design cyclesAll in the detailFormula for successExTreme performanceAt the first mention of prototyping in ...
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ArticleAll eyes on design
Convincing 3D environments for automotive designers are becoming more sophisticated thanks to advances in data modelling technologyVirtalis visionMultiple viewing environmentCompany applicationsSubtle advanceCave dwellingSpeed and accuracyAdvanced simulation awardMarketing photo-realismAs if any more proof were needed of the sophistication with which computer technology can now elaborate ‘reality’, take a look at the ...
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ArticleEcoBelt – new Ecoclean belt cleaning system
Dürr Ecoclean has introduced a new belt cleaning system called EcoBelt. It has a modular design and the standard system consists of a cleaning module with tank, a drying module with blower, a spray tunnel, a transport system and a control system. It is available in four different sizes.The standard ...