Materials Innovation and Lightweighting – Page 10
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ArticleThe sum of its parts
As OEMs increasingly explore the use of additive manufacturing in production AMS looks at its unique advantagesThe 2014 Chevrolet Malibu from General Motors boasts several neat features intended to increase driver and passenger convenience as well as vehicle appearance and performance. On the former count, there is a redesigned centre ...
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ArticleEditor's note: Getting serious about lightweighting
I’m happy to admit the subject of lightweighting fascinates me, which is a good job since it crops up in almost every item that covers the future of vehicle manufacturing. Being something of a factory ‘geek’ I’m really looking forward to some plant visits to see how this challenge is ...
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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 ...
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ArticleJoining the dots
New materials are creating additional challenges in vehicle assembly. AMS reports on the joining solutions being adopted by OEMsLaunched at the New York Auto Show in March 2013, the second-generation Range Rover Sport neatly illustrates the major trends in fastening and joining in automotive final assembly, according to Adrian Ellis, ...
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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 ...
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ArticleMaking sure coatings measure up
Duplex coatings designed to prevent corrosion need to be measured with appropriate equipment, says Peter Neumaier, technical sales manager, Helmut Fischer Measuring Class 2 & 3 coatingsHand-held instrumentationGalvinised steel & lightweighting trendsCorrosion-protective duplex coatings are frequently used in the automotive industry for pipes and wires in brake and fuel systems, ...
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ArticleThe hardened facts
Some OEMs have been quick to take press hardening under their own roof. AMS asks what is still to come for the technique.Press hardening is the integration of a hot-metal forming procedure in which the material, until very recently some grade of boron steel, is heated to a very high ...
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ArticleFuture forming
AMS looks at production techniques and material innovation in the press shopAs director of the Centre for Precision Forming (CPF) at Ohio State University in the US, Professor Taylan Altan is in a prime position from which to comment on developments in metal forming technology and applications. Set up in ...
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ArticleSparking new ideas
AMS takes a look at what visitors can expect to learn about sheet metal processing at this year’s Blechexpo showThe 11th Blechexpo exhibition will take place in Stuttgart on November 5-8. While closely focused on the core processes of sheet metal processing, the event’s almost 1,000 exhibitors span numerous industrial ...
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ArticlePlastics evolution
Lightweight and strong, plastic composites are increasingly used in automotive manufacturing but is Henry Ford’s all-plastic car concept coming any nearer to reality, asks Malcolm WheatleyLocated in a leafy suburb of the Canadian capital of Ottawa, the country’s National Research Council (NRC) is one of the world’s premier scientific and ...
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ArticleLightweight luxury
With lightweighting in vehicle construction being a hot topic, AMS visited longtime aluminium users Jaguar at the company’s Castle Bromwich facility to see how they produce luxury cars from this materialJaguar’s new all-aluminium sports car, the F-Type, has been making the headlines recently, but it’s only the most recent vehicle ...
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ArticleFasteners take hold
Saving cost, weight, time and the planetThe nuts and bolts of itSimplifying logisticsTechnical advancesJaguar Land Rover’s ‘all new’ 2013 model Range Rover marks a radical departure from the hefty leviathans that have previously made up the marque’s 40-year history. The fourth generation Range Rover is said to be the first ...
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ArticleJoined-up thinking at Fronius conference
Industry expertsComplex casingsLow volume approachGlobal production processesDelta spot weldingQuality controlFronius recently held its annual international conference, and this year’s topic was 'Demands of joining technology for modern vehicle makers'. The Austrian company’s close working relationship with major OEMs was apparent from the number and quality of speakers present. All those ...
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Editor's Note: Sense of direction
Industry gatherings are always a good opportunity to get a sense of where things are heading, whether it’s markets or technology. Attending two separate events recently, one a conference with a large OEM presence and the other a major trade exhibition for Tier suppliers, I tried to gauge where the ...
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ArticleA lighter touch with aluminium
Joined-up thinkingCommitment to the right mixGoing all the wayPainting problemsThe mark of classLightweighting is a key factor in modern vehicle construction. The latest mainstream model to get the all-aluminium treatment is the new Range Rover, from Jaguar Land Rover. The third generation of the iconic SUV is bigger and has ...
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ArticleExplosive growth of plastic parts drives new processes
Adding protection and beautyFaster finishes with fewer stepsUV technology joins a new clearcoatSolvent still a solutionAll that glitters is not chromePerfection in preparation Steam heatAs OEMs strive to develop cleaner and more efficient vehicles and increasingly turn to lightweight materials, the finishing industry is developing systems to keep the quality ...
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ArticleLightweight powertrains
Strength and resilienceMaterial substitutionBodywork and chassis are not the only parts of the car that make use of aluminium. The powertrain has been revolutionised over the past 10 years or so. Before then, engine blocks and gearbox casings were either steel or iron. Not so any more. “We wouldn’t think ...
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Editor's Note: Cutting edge
Making ‘cuts’ seems to be the automotive manufacturing solution of the moment; whether it’s cutting weight from a vehicle, perhaps most dramatically exemplified by the new Range Rover, or cutting production in the case of many of the European OEMs in the face of a lifeless market. Lightweighting vehicles (a ...
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ArticleIn the comfort zone for assembly
Full scale testsComplete measurementErgonomic pitfallParts presentationReducing non-value-adding timeSupply chain focusHuman modelling moduleOne of the persistent bugbears of the automotive manufacturing industry, most obviously in actual vehicle assembly operations, is the incidence of musculo-skeletal disorders (MSDs) – in layman’s terms, pulled muscles and twisted joints – among assembly workers.Someone who confirms ...
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ArticleManufacturing with UHSS
Definition and familiesProduction methodsUsage – where and when?Joining and fasteningHigher strengthCorrosive influenceElectric lightThe pressure on reduce weight, while maintaining strength and improving safety, continues to drive the development and usage of advanced materials. Along with engineering plastics, engineered metals are enjoying a raised profile and being employed in more areas ...