OEMs and Suppliers – Page 25
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ArticleMuscovite foresight
Preparing assembly operations for a new SUV, Renault Moscow plant director Jean-Louis Theron tells Nick Gibbs about investments in automation and a renewed focus on quality Russia’s boom-and-bust car market makes operating a plant in the country incredibly difficult. Running one in Moscow, where staff turnover is ...
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ArticleScania sets sights on Thailand
Thailand - Scania has opened a new assembly facility for truck cabs, truck chassis and bus chassis in the Bangkok Free Trade Zone, Thailand. The Swedish OEM says that the move is an important part of its plan to strengthen its presence in the region. “With this new industrial establishment ...
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ArticleBuilding on framework
The Freightliner Custom Chassis plant in Gaffney, South Carolina, houses a diverse assembly mix, and has recently taken on a new project Gaffney is a small town sitting off the beaten track. It was previously described as ‘the peach capital’ of South Carolina, with the local economy dependant on orchards ...
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ArticleThe break-up of Fiat Chrysler gathers pace
A couple of years ago, Ferrari became an independent quoted company, separate from Fiat Chrysler. This was followed by the separation of CNH Industrials, the holding company for Iveco Trucks. Now Fiat Chrysler has spun off its components activity, Magneti Marelli, to CK Holdings in a deal worth over 6bn ...
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ArticleVan production boost at Renault plant
France - The Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance has revealed new plans for the production of vans in the country. Specifically, €450m (US$393m) is being spent over the next five years to make the next-generation Renault Kangoo family at the Renault Maubeuge plant, where the Mercedes Citan van is currently built. The new ...
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ArticleJLR opens Nitra plant
Slovakia - Jaguar Land Rover has opened its manufacturing facility in Nitra, which is located in the west of the country, an hour’s drive from the capital Bratislava. It cost the company €1.4bn (US$1.59bn) to build, covers an area of 300,000 sq.m, and has an annual output of 150,000 vehicles. ...
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ArticleFord Bridgend makes petrol engines
UK - The OEM has started production of its new three-cylinder 1.5-litre EcoBoost petrol engines at the Bridgend plant in South Wales. This follows on from an investment of £100m (US$128m) in the facility. “I’m personally very proud to see production start of this all-new engine, here in Bridgend,” commented ...
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ArticleFord's future
The UK press was rather excited recently when one of the Sunday papers claimed that the Ford Mondeo would be axed. Given that this model is not, and has never been, made in the UK, such concern was perhaps surprising. This was part of a wide-ranging story that Ford was ...
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ArticleFrom prototypes to production
The use of additive manufacturing technologies has now expanded beyond their initial ‘rapid prototyping’ exclusivity. Mike Farish provides an insight As well as being used in limited production roles, additive techniques are still being applied in new and innovative ways as product development tools. One example is at the Plastics ...
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ArticleTwo-wheel e-mobility
BMW’s e-mobility ambitions have not been limited to four wheels; Nick Holt visits the company’s Berlin plant to see how its sophisticated C evolution maxi scooter is built
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ArticleA slow return to growth
Vehicle-makers in South America are seeing signs of recovery, boosted by growing exports, reports Nick Gibbs
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ArticleCollective thinking
Closer collaboration between product development and production teams could lead to significant improvements in vehicle manufacturing processes. Ford Otosan holds a unique position. Michael Nash reports The scenery in Turkey is full of surprises. A quick car journey can lead to towering mountains, pristine beaches and lush forests, while historical ...
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ArticleMercedes invests in East London plant
South Africa - Mercedes-Benz Cars has announced plans to produce the next generation of its C-Class in East London - a city on the southeast coast of South Africa in the Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality of the Eastern Cape province. To do so, it will spend €600m (US$528.84m) to construct ...
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ArticleForging a future in Factory 56
New car manufacturing facilities will need to be highly flexible as the trends of vehicle electrification and autonomous driving continue to evolve. Mercedes-Benz futuristic ‘Factory 56’ paves a new path.
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ArticleMercedes-Benz do Brazil gets new line
Brazil - A building has been constructed at the company’s plant in Sao Bernardo do Campo to house a new production line for light- and heavy-duty trucks. The project lasted for three years and cost a total of €125m (US$153.83m). According to the OEM, the line is 15% more efficient ...
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ArticleGM invests nearly $1.3bn to upgrade five US plants
US – The investment will be split between facilities in Detroit, Flint and Romulus in Michigan, Toledo in Ohio and Bedford in Indiana. It is intended to support the production of a new V6 engine, a new 10-speed transmission and an existing 6-speed transmission, as well as funding assembly plant ...
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ArticleTraditional modernists
In 2009, the Morgan Motor Company, based in Malvern, UK, is celebrating its centenary year. With a series of events scheduled to mark the occasion, there is perhaps none more important than the April opening of the company’s new visitor centre. During the summer, the facility is expected to ...