All articles by Mike Farish – Page 14
-
ArticleDitching the dirt at Ford
A European innovation which has been rolled out at Ford plants in the US European origins, American implementation Processing power & performanceAlmost every freshly painted surface on a vehicle will attract airborne contaminants; tiny particles of dust will stick to the wet paint and, as it dries, become part of ...
-
ArticlePredictive software for cutting energy use
Control system supplier Rockwell Automation is currently bringing to market a software system called Paint Shop Model Predictive Control (MPC), which is designed to predict and therefore accurately schedule and operate paintshop equipment in a way that can minimise their energy consumptionPaint Shop Model Predictive Control Todd Montpas, automotive and ...
-
ArticlePainting Jackals, Coyotes and other big beasts
AMS takes a look at paint processes employed by specialist vehicle manufacturer SupacatOne of the UK’s most interesting specialist vehicle manufacturers is to be found in a collection of low-lying buildings at the edge of an old airfield at Dunkeswell, Devon, in the rural South West of the country. Supacat ...
-
ArticlePainting by numbers
Dr. Ing. Qiaoyan Ye and Dr. Oliver Tiedje of Fraunhofer IPA discuss the ability of modelling and numerical simulation to improve painting processes The benefits of numerical simulationNo need to watch paint dryGreen Carbody TechnologiesComputer-aided engineering and numerical simulation based on computational fluid dynamics (CFD) can be a very useful ...
-
Article
Editor's Note: Automotive Paintshop Solutions
There is nothing superficial about automotive paint – at least not when it comes to the crucial matter of making potential customers actually want to buy a car. At that point the ‘look’ of a car can make all the difference to whether they might want to consider purchasing or ...
-
ArticleA new generation for paint robots
According to automation provider ABB, paintshop robotics have moved on to a bold new eraFaster & furtherA high-flow atomiserOverall ‘footprint’ optimisationThe use of robots to automate the processes of automotive paintshops is now entering a ‘third generation’. That is the verdict of Didier Rouaud, manager paint and sealer process engineering ...
-
ArticleZero waste disposal
Mike Farish reports on the methods being developed to reduce the amount of automotive manufacturing waste being sent to landfill.A previously derelict parking lot in Detroit, Michigan, now bears the name Cadillac Urban Garden, marking the fact that the 250 plant beds it contains are made from redundant shipping crates ...
-
ArticleSimulation stimulates Ford's improvement
Mike Farish reports on Ford’s use of computer simulation to develop its manufacturing processesBefore any new engine goes into production within the Ford organisation in Europe, essential details about it will come to John Ladbrook’s team, based at the company’s Dunton Research Centre in the UK. Ladbrook is a simulation ...
-
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 ...
-
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 ...
-
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 ...
-
ArticleThermal modelling
AMS reports on the latest software for modelling the thermal performance of electronic systems.The typical list of electronic application areas in even a standard mass-produced vehicle might well include, for instance, anti-lock braking, fuel management, suspension system, satnav, lighting and instrumentation. But electronics generate heat, and if that thermal energy ...
-
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 ...
-
ArticleSomething to Prove
Mike Farish reports on a UK initiative to prepare new technologies from small companies for mass production" alt src="https://d2hkn54fqqmadw.cloudfront.net/web/AL/wp-content/uploads/file/prove-1.jpg">Tata Steel’s manufacturing site in Rotherham, UK, was the location for the recent announcement of a venture called the Proving Factory, which aims to smooth the way to high volume production for ...
-
ArticleFlexible philosophy at Ford
Mike Farish takes a close-up look at how devolved management helps Ford operate highly flexible production on its powertrain linesOpened ten years ago at a cost of £325m, the Ford Dagenham Diesel Centre (DDC) comprises a climate-controlled production hall with 44,530 square metres of floor space for diesel engines plus ...
-
ArticleA gauge of quality
Digital modelling and laser measurement are just some of the technologies being used to prove the latest vehicle systems and maintain quality, writes Mike FarishProtean Electric’s product validation manager Mark McDonnell has a 90-strong team working to bring to the market an in-wheel electric drive system in which motor, inverter ...
-
ArticleHigh speed design
Mike Farish looks at some examples of how CAD systems have become an indispensible part of vehicle manufacturingAston Martin Racing (AMR) based in Banbury, Oxfordshire is an autonomous design operation that effectively uses the [Aston Martin] road car designs as a starting point to create heavily modified vehicles for quite ...
-
ArticleSafety moves in an integrated way
Comprehensive and globalImprovement through safetyIntelligent designLearning the waySafety in automotive assembly operations involves the interplay of numerous different factors – not least international managerial and technical standards, internal counterparts particular to individual companies and the effective application of appropriate procedures and technologies in the workplace. Each is in constant development ...
-
ArticleAlways on the move in conveyors
Small but strongTime is of the essensceConveyors for container convenienceRapid pay-backPromoting performanceQuality control in commandAs a means of moving goods around production plants – whether isolated components or vehicle assemblies – conveyor systems remain a reliable, robust and proven option. Some basic attributes also remain constant, irrespective of the complexity ...
-
ArticlePicture perfect: Vision in vehicle assembly
Clever engineeringWorking environmentIndustrial vision marketNew applicationsThe BMW factory at Landshut in Germany manufactures components for the company’s final assembly sites around the world, including body-in-white elements in various metals. The latter include instrument carrier panel frames for the Mini Countryman. The part aluminium-magnesium alloy unit acts as the mounting for ...