All OEMs articles – Page 2

  • mar-2
    Article

    Making at Maranello

    2009-11-01T14:52:11Z

    A new beginning Component delivery Keeping up the numbers Although aluminium usage remains piecemeal when it comes to production of standard vehicles, Ferrari has a proven track record of using the material. While the recent 612 Scaglietti and F430 were respectively the company’s first all aluminium-bodied V12 and V8 models, ...

  • glean-2
    Article

    Green = lean at Reva

    2009-11-01T11:01:23Z

    US production for the Reva NXR Efficient beauty Volvo uses local resources Toyota’s Tsutsumi ‘Eco-Factory’ Methanol fuel cells reduce Nissan CO2 emissions If India’s Reva Electric Car Company has its way, a new term will soon be added to the automotive lexicon: ‘Born green’. This, says the India-based firm, is ...

  • plans-2
    Article

    Germany plans for success

    2009-09-01T14:43:41Z

    Numbers fall but strengths emergeExports and emissionsTruck and bus – how fast is the barometer falling?Suppliers under pressureBMW – quiet confidence behind cost cutsMercedes-Benz – sharing the painThe German car industry’s workforce has been dealt a bad hand by the global downturn; jobs that were almost guaranteed for life have ...

  • dry-1
    Article

    Volkswagen opts for sustainable dry separation

    2009-09-01T11:17:54Z

    The German carmaker and its supplier partner drive their green manufacturing message abroad by opting for Dürr’s EcoDryScrubber systemSupplier partner lead the wayUp to 150,000 vehicles a year will roll off the production line at Volkswagen AG’s new plant at Chattanooga in the state of Tennessee, US from 2011. EcoDryScrubber, ...

  • view-1
    Article

    View from the top at GM

    2009-09-01T11:05:14Z

    Following on from his interview in our 10th Anniversary issue, AMSwent back to GM’s Gary Cowger for more on how the auto manufacturing landscape has changed and what the future holds for General Motors Manufacturing AMS - What changes in manufacturing technology have had the most impact? GC - One ...

  • invest-2
    Article

    Invest to impress for R-R's new baby

    2009-09-01T10:37:12Z

    Press sharingGoodwood reworkPersonal touchRemote suppliersWhen BMW took full control of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars in 1998, it was quick to launch the first new model, the Phantom, just five years later. Since then, Rolls-Royce has expanded the Phantom range to include the standard car – if a Rolls-Royce can ever be ...

  • mazda-4
    Article

    A green and better paint finish at Mazda

    2009-09-01T10:26:49Z

    Reducing VOCs and CO2 emissions have been contradictory aims in paintshop for many years, but Mazda has come up with a revolutionary solution Cleaner plant and brighter finishes Energy saving flash off process Mazda Motor Corporation recently announced the successful launch of the newly developed Aqua-tech Paint System for vehicle ...

  • storm-2
    Article

    Surviving the storm at JLR

    2009-09-01T09:45:04Z

    Body shop – robot re-useCelebrity squaresSealing out the elementsPaintshop and final assembly – raising the quality barINTERVIEW Michael StraughanThe Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) plant at Halewood, UK, occupies a 300-acre site and provides capacity for the Jaguar X-Type and Freelander models. It is equipped for up to 100,00 cars per ...

  • special-1
    Article

    Special customers, special cars, special coatings

    2009-09-01T09:40:36Z

    Audi uses a mix of robot and manual spraying, matching and inspection on mixed material substrates to give its customers a range of colours and effects, as two of its heads of paint operations explain Selling cars in the ‘mid-premium-sports’ sector of the market combines the challenges of satisfying increasingly ...

  • Article

    Muir steps down as CEO of Mazda

    2009-05-01T15:09:34Z

    Oberursal, Germany – Mazda Motor Europe CEO James Muir has stepped down from his position. Muir’s replacement will be current Chief Financial Officer Jeffrey Guyton. Muir, who had been head of Mazda’s European operations since 2005, is said to be taking up a new position outside Mazda, possibly with ...

  • korean-2
    Article

    Korea’s flexible carmakers

    2009-05-01T09:31:57Z

    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 ...

  • traditional-1
    Article

    Traditional modernists

    2009-03-01T15:36:00Z

    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 ...

  • staying-1
    Article

    Staying on top at Maruti

    2009-03-01T11:14:19Z

    Maruti Suzuki has topped India’s JD Power customer satisfaction survey for the ninth year in a row. AMS visits the company’s Gurgaon plant to talk with the company’s manufacturing guru, M.M. Singh, about this, the largest Suzuki manufacturing facility outside Japan.The importance of defining rolesHarmonizing labour and automationFactory layoutIn-house production ...

  • trust-1
    Article

    Building trust to invest in Canada

    2009-03-01T11:02:01Z

    Size mattersLooking aheadThreat from the southProvoking union ireBuyers are the solutionThrow a stone seemingly anywhere in Ontario and chances are it will land somewhere near either a parts or vehicle manufacturing facility. Home to OEM operations of companies such as GM, Ford, Chrysler, Honda, Toyota and Suzuki, plus Tier suppliers ...

  • pressing-a-1
    Article

    Pressing ahead at Volvo

    2009-03-01T09:57:35Z

    Volvo Car’s new transfer line is the latest interpretation of so-called classical manufacturing. AMS talks with Jonas Knutsson about the technologies that make it possible New take on an old idea Haste makes no waste Alist of the attributes of a classical manufacturing ‘transfer line’ reads like a litany of ...

  • dream-3
    Article

    Koenigsegg living the dream

    2009-01-01T12:14:55Z

    Christian von Koenigsegg talks about his passion for all things automotive, and his continuing drive for innovation Pioneers of technology Working with carbon fibre Fourteen weeks from start to finish Christian von Koenigsegg is, like his father and grandfather before him, an entrepreneur, who formed a company with the sole ...

  • focus-2
    Article

    Building in Russia - the GM way

    2009-01-01T12:13:28Z

    Despite a recent decline in domestic sales, the long-term future of the Russian car market still looks bright. The new GM plant in St Petersburg illustrates what foreign OEMs moving into the region can expect Strong potential of Russian market St Petersburg – automotive centre in the making Ensuring staff ...

  • the-2
    Article

    Follow the light

    2009-01-01T11:58:38Z

    As the global vehicle manufacturing business suffers, Nissan’s light commercial vehicle division is bucking the trend, investing heavily in new plants and product programmes from North Africa to North America. Andy Palmer, the head of this business unit, explains how Nissan plans to leapfrog its rivals to become the number ...

  • ml1
    Article

    Making light work of heavy equipment

    2008-11-01T16:30:25Z

    Adapting to current economic conditionsFacility investment to improve efficiencyFarm and construction equipment innovationsDeveloping the product rangeJCB launches first in-house diesel engineGuarding against excessive complexityLessons for carmakersAs carmakers search for solutions to help steer them through tough economic conditions, there are lessons from recent innovations by agricultural and construction equipment manufacturersIt’s ...

  • fp1
    Article

    Future perfect for GM in South Africa

    2008-11-01T15:09:01Z

    Different plants, similar challengesSourcing local suppliersTaking advantage of export marketsCatering for the local marketGood prospects for the futureDespite fluctuating demand, high inflation and volatile currencies, General Motors South Africa is optimistic about future prospectsBefore being appointed Vice-President of Manufacturing for General Motors South Africa, Rick Demuynck was head of the ...