All Manufacturing engineering articles – Page 10
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ArticlePlant reborn
New material usageBody testingBeyond FreelanderAutomation in productionRaising the roofSealing the doorCustom paintMeeting expectationThe Land Rover Freelander 2 is not, by any definition, an entry-level model. Yet the new Range Rover Evoque, which borrows its layout from the Freelander, has undergone a series of major revisions in terms of its manufacturability ...
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ArticleHow to make it in America
Executives at three transplant OEM production sites in the United States discuss how their respective operations are developing and what challenges had to be overcome in order to achieve success in manufacturingClose relationshipsBenchmarking worksPeople powerProcess leadershipDecoupled shiftsDifferent future pathsNo restIn 1966, Nissan was the first transplant carmaker to set up ...
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ArticleAluminium gets tough
Research into steel substitutionRecycling aluminium for automotive usageStadco predicts increased aluminium usageTesting to continueAMC takes shapeBreakthrough weight savingsThe advantages to be gained from using aluminium to build cars – whether as body panels, chassis solutions or powertrains – are now widely recognised. The material is significantly lighter than sheet steel, ...
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ArticleWhen carbon counts for the better
An alternative to wet-chemical cleaningProcess technology – the decisive criterionComprehensive testing validates cleaning resultsRobot system with three nozzle arraysSmooth operation with many advantagesTopcoat line to go CO2As part of its drive towards greener paintshop processes, BMW has introduced a revolutionary cleaning technology at its Landshut plantTraditionally, plastic components for automobiles ...
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ArticleA good problem to have
New models and plant makeoversPlant analysisNissan looks to lean productionToyota turns to technologyDomestic brands are quality winnersBankrupt in 2009, General Motors has a new problem; not being able to meet customer demand. GM’s VP of Manufacturing Diana Tremblay talks about increasing capacity, and analyst Ron Harbour explains how US carmakers ...
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ArticleReality meets potential
GM production set-upModulesGoing globalRapid responseImplementing efficienciesEngine and chassis productionBrazilian manufacturing chiefs from GM, PSA and Daimler reveal the key factors supporting record production figures - and whether those numbers are sustainableThe retail prices of new cars in Brazil have, like a lot of other products, been on the increase. But ...
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ArticleForging ahead to reduce waste
Alcoa helps reduce the weightLife cycle assessmentCorrect tool selection builds efficiencySolving large part size issuesBuilding value into raw castsBlast finishing for complex castsOver 90% of manufacturers across all industries rely on metal castings or forgings for production of their engineered goods. Automotive industry castings are worth around $28 billion annually, ...
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Article
Fischer appointed to Plant Manager of Ford Southampton
Southampton, UK – Thomas Fischer has been appointed Plant Manager of Ford Southampton following the promotion of Martin Chapman to Operations Manager, Cologne plant.Fischer joined the Southampton plant in 2007 as area manager of trim and fi nal. More recently, he was responsible for quality and manufacturing engineering.Originally from Ulm, ...
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ArticleAMS 10th Anniversary: Digital manufacturing
Getting the full pictureVirtual part and plant developmentFull circleLegacy creates problemsThe first issue of AMS noted that General Motors had, in 2000, already been using simulation tools for over a decade. At plants around the world the company had put various software packages into widespread use in applications ranging from ...
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ArticleChanging times
AMS magazine is 10 years old this year. During this time, it has reported on some of the most exciting - and turbulent - times in car making’s historyNano – a car for everymanHow globalization really panned outQuality expectationsWritten on the bodyIn the eye of the beholderPowertrain – testing timesFrom ...
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ArticleKorea’s flexible carmakers
These are hard times for carmakers, no matter where they are located. South Korean producers are facing market downturns, but hope to manufacture their way out of trouble by playing a series of flexible production equipment trump cards.Lighting solutionsPutting it togetherEight is the magic numberSomething new – something newFlexibility is ...
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ArticleGoing in the white direction
Splitting, thinning and wrinklingPressing mattersMoving things alongLaser-based welding controls the heatExtending the focusing lengthTechnology streaks aheadTests show positive resultsAdjustable system is requiredThe need for speedAdding a dimensionEnhanced inspection measurementsAs a vehicle’s largest structure, the body-in-white is deserving of the attention it receives from a process optimisation perspective. AMS looks at ...
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ArticleThe Indian juggernaut
Mercedes-Benz – the road to full manufacturingBMW looks to local marketsGM launches second plant in TalegaonFord undertakes powertrain expansionMahindra & Mahindra goes globalBajaj Auto’s new-age philosophyAs carmakers and suppliers around the world re-assess their position in the global market and adjust to economic uncertainty, India’s key automotive players have plans ...
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ArticleNew methods for manufacturing
Welding robotsMilitary spaceframesThroat sizeMoulding the linerPUR skinLFI InmoldTaking out the VOCsBy-passing the bridgeResearch effortScanning for accuracyProduction futureTier suppliers and manufacturers of vehicles outside the passenger car market have long been pioneers in the adoption of new technologies. AMS examines some of the latest innovations and techniques being used to cut ...
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ArticleFit for automated purpose
Greater product varietyDevelopments in weldingReprogrammable robotic devicesClose co-operation between user and supplierThere was a time when ‘hard’ automation – tailor-made, dedicated installations – was the trend, but things are moving to a more flexible approachIt appears that the use of robots in the automotive manufacturing sector is entering an unpredictable ...
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ArticleNavistar rising
Vertical foundriesLeaving the transfer lineDistinguishing featuresCommonality and changeEnvironmental challengeQuality assurance stationsCompetitive cultureIn the face of emissions regulations, global competition and new materials, truckmaker Navistar is putting new manufacturing processes into effect. AMS talks to Vice President of Manufacturing Tom Horn about themTom Horn is the man responsible for the company’s ...
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ArticleHinrichs wants a revolution in robotics
Forefront of efficiencyCompetitive operatingPriorities for recoveryThe role of robotsQuality gainsPlanning and programmingParamount safetyRobot wish listJoe Hinrichs has got a wish list. He wants to see robots on the shopfloor that will revolutionise productivity and offer new levels of skilled automation and safety. AMS talks to him about the future of ...
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ArticleTwo microns for good measure
Pinpoint accuracyMillion-point metrologyErgonomics 101Safety firstImage is everything when it comes to measuring and inspection, and the meticulous accuracy of the latest digital holography tools promise great leaps forward in quality, safety and performanceThe new wave of digital holographic imaging technology developed at the University of Michigan is emerging as the ...
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ArticleHigh stakes and great expectations
Processes are digitally unifiedWork sharing from a global perspectiveVirtual assessment roomsFord’s virtual builds win plauditsProduct development cycles are reducedPressure pointsLean is the new themeDigital manufacturing is only now coming in to its own, and carmakers are using the virtual factory to assist in reducing time to market of products.But this ...
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ArticleA platform for reduction
Zero wasteTotal system approachCommon compatible chemistryValue analysisFord is minimising environmental impact while maximising cost efficiency and performance at its Dagenham plant in a collaboration with BPReducing manufacturing costs, whilst simultaneously minimising the effect automotive production activities can have on the environment, seems like an impossible task.Ford and BP have worked ...