All Materials articles
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ArticleBreaking the mould: Grainger & Worrall go beyond the block
With the onset of the EV age, casting specialists are demonstrating versatility and diversifying away from engine block production. Mike Farish reports on the solutions Grainger & Worrall has developed to produce its new generation of cast parts
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Voice
Talent on display
Henkel’s Holger Scheufen examines the bonding and sealing solutions enabling more productive manufacturing in the automotive display market
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Analysis
Tier Supplier Profit Analysis: Mitigating Margin Compression and Manufacturing Costs
Automotive tier 1 suppliers are facing unprecedented industry transformation in electrification along with economic uncertainty. Download this report on the top 20 global suppliers for a deep analysis of their historic margins, as well as solutions for how suppliers could cope with growing pressures and changes in manufacturing across the supply base
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Article
Material changes guide the new additive manufacturing routes
Additive manufacturing is offering not only a wider range of application techniques but also materials with polymers now joined by metals and even ceramics
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Article
Drawing attention: aluminium hot form quench
Better known as a niche process for parts with deep-drawn and complex geometries in high-strength aluminium, hot form quench is now being adapted for high volume production
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Article
Creating strong bonds
While mixed-material vehicle body structures yield impressive weight reduction results, the joining processes present a challenge for OEMs. How do they fix the myriad materials but still maintain the requisite properties and structural integrity?
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Article
Form and function
Developments in composite parts are continuing to offer the automotive industry a variety of weight and cost advantages in high-volume production
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Voice
The thermal print principle
Heat treatment specialist schwartz has enhanced its system for tailored tempering – one that is capable of ‘printing’ components
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Article
Suppliers will face squeeze as OEMs push to meet EU CO2 targets
As carmakers strive to reach the more stringent CO2 emissions targets being phased in across the EU next year, we predict that many are likely to put more pressure on their supply base to help reduce emissions
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Voice
Weight out, strength in
A strategic alliance between Henkel and RLE International is exploring the lightweighting innovations available when combining expertise in structural foam technology and engineering design. David Caro and Tobias Wigand describe the findings
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Article
Pressing matters
Our vehicles have all faced hazards at one time or another, from potholes in the road to rocks or broken glass. But what about protection when the hazards are ballistic threats to the safety of civil servants or service men and women? As a specialist for custom automobile protection ...
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Article
Tow tractor materials handling
Designed to support manufacturing operations in transporting material to and from production lines, the new T7.0HS3 three-wheel and T8.0HS4 four-wheel rider tow tractors are capable of towing up to 7000kg or 8000kg respectively, claims Hyster. Both models feature an anti-roll back on ramps device and external ...
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Article
Tornando a produção sob medida
James Bakewell relata o uso crescente de peças produzidas aditivamente em aplicações de personalização para veículos e produção em série da BMW. Em 2006, quando Dominik Rietzel estava terminando sua tese de diploma na universidade, seu professor perguntou se ele gostaria de fazer um doutorado em moldagem por injeção. Rietzel ...
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Article
Producción personalizada
James Bakewell informa sobre el uso creciente de piezas de producción aditiva en BMW tanto para la personalización de vehículos como para las aplicaciones de personalización y producción en serie En 2006, cuando Dominik Rietzel finalizaba su tesis en la universidad su profesor le pregunto si quería realizar un doctorado ...
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Article
VW sets out Wolfsburg upgrade
Germany - New bodyshop AGVs, more automated assembly stations and a series of ergonomic measures will feature in a major upgrade at Volkswagen’s Wolfsburg plant Announcing the new programme of improvements at this month’s site symposium, VW said that the changes will improve productivity at the Wolfsburg plant and ...
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Article
Paneles de instrumentos guiados
a La planta de IAC cerca de Liverpool sustituye la linea de grúas por una flota de vehículos autónomos guiados (AGV) para obtener una mayor flexibilidad a su proceso de ensamblado de paneles de instrumentos Más sobre vehículos autónomos Los vehículos automatizados se abren paso ...
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Article
New foam for instrument panels
A new series of systems in its Elastoflex E product group now allows weight reductions and foam densities of around 120g/L without sacrificing any of the material characteristics, claims BASF. Up to 30% of the foam weight is saved, says the company, depending on the component geometry. This Thin-Light system ...
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Article
Pressed, radial ISO indexable inserts
Mapal says it now offers a milling programme with pressed, radial ISO indexable inserts. The new face, shoulder, slot and shell end face milling cutters are designed for roughing and for medium machining of cast iron, steel and stainless steel, says the company. It’s claimed the tool bodies are designed ...
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Article
能源管理智能化
几十年来，能源管理一直是汽车生产的一个重要方面，但事实证明，能够相互关联的创新新解决方案非常有效 据估计，道路运输约占全球温室气体(GHG)排放量的17%。欧盟委员会的数据显示，欧洲大陆21%的温室气体排放来自乘用车和重型汽车。因此，汽车制造商不断受到政府的推动，以使他们的汽车更加环保。 但是对环境造成破坏的不仅仅是开车造成的。汽车生产也具有重大影响，因此，目前正在世界各地的制造设施中实施许多减少这种影响的方法。能源管理技术的使用就是一个例子，近年来取得了一些令人印象深刻的成果。 选择总监 数字化正日益成为世界各地生产设施的组成部分。尽管许多人仍严重依赖手工流程，但在数字工具的帮助下，工人们的效率正在提高，机器人也是如此。来自这些工具的数据可以证明对能源管理有用。 西门子最近安装了Simatic B。位于瑞士圣加仑的GF铸造解决方案工厂的数据能量管理系统，该公司在那里为汽车行业生产铝和镁合金压铸件。该系统允许GF跟踪在每台机器上使用的电力、水、气体或压缩空气的数量，以及使用时间。 例如，发现两台压铸机在周末消耗了4,500立方米的压缩空气，尽管没有使用。GF的能源经理伯恩哈德塞勒(Bernhard Thaler)解释称:“这么大的数字很难察觉。”然而，在一年的时间里，它很快就积累起来了。因此，公司能够通过突出和消除两台机器的浪费来实现显著的节能。 梅赛德斯-奔驰(Mercedes-Benz)在汉巴赫(Hambach)的智能汽车工厂中和二氧化碳 该小组还能够确定当他们的8个熔炉从燃烧石油转为使用丙烷气体时所节省的能源。仅在一个铝熔炼炉中，每吨能源消耗就减少了630千瓦时，二氧化碳排放量减少了16%，氮氧化物减少了40%。 GF表示，在实现了显著的节能减排目标后，该公司迫切希望研究在其其它设施引入该系统的可能性。塞勒强调:“其中一个有趣的好处是，这种能源管理解决方案不仅具有可扩展性，而且支持跨厂利用。”简而言之，GF可以将不同工厂的每个系统连接起来，让该公司能够精确地找出哪些表现良好，哪些可以改进。 GF的EDP和通信技术项目经理迈克尔内鲍尔(Michael Nebauer)表示，圣加伦工厂的安装过程非常简单，其他设备应该也很容易安装。每个压铸机和熔炉上都有控制箱和接口。它们收集有关流程和所使用的能量的数据，然后将这些数据发送到服务器并由标准web浏览器访问。他补充说:“由于在虚拟伺服器上安装及透过虚拟网络环境设定能源数据传送，我们得以为能源管理系统建立一个成本低廉的基础设施。” 由于安装在虚拟服务器上，并通过虚拟网络环境设置了能源数据传输，我们得以为能源管理系统实现一个成本低廉的基础设施 - Michael Nebauer, GF 描绘图片 ...
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Article
Dashboard meeting
Switching from gantry line to a fleet of AGVs, an IAC facility near Liverpool has brought swift and smart adaptability to its instrument panel assembly process Specialists in interior components, IAC operates in all automotive manufacturing markets around the globe. But it was its production lines at ...
