Powertrain – Page 12
-
Article
Building for the future
Subaru has spent $1.3bn at its US plant to increase its capacity and is now preparing to produce a new SUVSubaru of Indiana Automotive (SIA) reports that it has invested $1.3 billion at its 832-acre site in Lafayette, Indiana, over the last four years. This has increased both powertrain and ...
-
ArticlePolymeric coated engine bearings
IROX 2 is a new range of polymeric coated crankshaft bearings from Federal-Mogul Powertrain. The company says it has developed this technology to reduce friction and improve the wear resistance and fatigue limit of the bearings used in downsized engines.The bearings have an overlay that is a PAI (Polyamide-imide) polymer ...
-
ArticleOff the grid
By convention, single-seater cars are machines for the racing circuit but one family business is striving to create and manufacture the exceptionSingle seater cars are usually machines for the race track only but there can be exceptions. One of them is the BAC Mono, made by small UK company Briggs ...
-
ArticleRenault evolves its Drive strategy
Having driven the change, Renault is now driving into the future – according to its new strategic strapline. Just a few days after Ford announced its latest corporate strategy under new CEO Jim Hackett, Renault’s long-standing leader, Carlos Ghosn, announced its own strategic plan. According to the CEO, Renault had ...
-
ArticleNovares opens Mioveni plant
Romania – Until recently known as Mecaplast-Key Plastics, the company said it has established itself in the country in order to be close to its main customer, Dacia. The factory near Piteşti is Novares’ first in the country.According to Novares, the objective of the new facility is to “support the ...
-
ArticleBody conscious
The growing trend for OEMs opting for AHSS components has surpassed the expectations of steelmakersAudi’s decision to use a mass-produced carbon-fibre-reinforced plastic (CFRP) part in the body structure of its A8 may have secured many headlines, but the company’s extensive use of steel rather than aluminium in this model may ...
-
ArticleJLR to electrify all models from 2020
UK – The company made the announcement at its inaugural Tech Fest focusing on the future of mobility, with CEO Ralf Speth saying it will be “embracing fully electric, plug-in hybrid and mild hybrid vehicles”. JLR’s first fully electric SUV, the I-PACE, will go on sale next year.With the I-PACE, ...
-
ArticleWilliams unveils lightweight EV platform
UK – The FW-EVX concept features innovations in the battery pack, cooling systems and lightweight structures which are integrated into a scalable platform, says the company. A near zero-waste process and the forming of high-strength 3D structures from 2D materials are used for parts of its construction.The near zero-waste process, ...
-
ArticleTroubled times
New global politics and difficulties at home threaten the production and export hubs of Japan and Korea Nissan reforming Mitsubishi Production is laboured in Korea Motorcycle decline slowing Suppliers finding new partnersThreats from the US to tear up free-trade agreements and impose tariffs on imported vehicles is causing fear in ...
-
ArticleCapital gains
Having made more than 1m Mercedes-Benz cars at its Beijing factory, BBAC is proud of its place in the Daimler portfolio. AMS travelled to China in order to tour the largest Mercedes-Benz car factory in the worldMade in China, for China: that has been the Mercedes-Benz strategy for more than ...
-
ArticleInterview: Bill Russo, Ford
AMS met Ford’s vice-president for manufacturing in Asia-Pacific at its Shanghai headquarters to discuss the challenges the OEM is tackling in the region, especially through its JMC and Changan JVs in ChinaBill Russo has been in China full time for a little over 18 months but in the automotive and ...
-
ArticleFord announces leadership appointments
US/China – David Filipe will take the role of vice-president, Powertrain Engineering, while Jason Luo will become president and CEO of Ford China, responsible for all business in Greater China, including Lincoln, Changan Ford, commercial vehicle investment in Jiangling Motors, imports and operations in Taiwan. The appointments will be effective ...
-
ArticleManaging complexity
AMS spoke to Leah Bruce, Ford’s manufacturing business manager, diesel specialist, to find out more about the OEM’s plans for diesel engine productionWhere does diesel fit into Ford’s powertrain strategy?Leah Bruce: From a production point of view, diesel is still very much part of Ford’s plans. We believe in a ...
-
ArticleRenault Samsung goes Rogue
Since launching in 2000, Busan Plant has developed into a flexible and productive operation. The OEM has pushed through a 'Big Deal' with unions which halts the automatic wage increase typical of South KoreaBusan in the south-eastern corner of Korea is the location for Renault Samsung Motor’s (RSM) sole vehicle ...
-
ArticleDaqing connection
The story of how ABB Robotics helps the export of the new Volvo S90 from China to the USThis summer, Volvo began exporting its new S90 long-wheelbase sedan from the Daqing manufacturing facility across the Pacific Ocean. The first 400 vehicles were transported to Tianjin for shipment, ready for a ...
-
Article
VW makes production appointments
Germany – Andreas Krüger will become head of Product Line Small, Stefan Gies will be head of Product Line Mid-/Fullsize and Friedrich Eichler will be head of Chassis Development. The appointments will be effective from September 1.After joining VW at Wolfsburg in 1991, Krüger went on to take senior positions ...
-
ArticleEVs: Is this the tipping point?
The momentum behind the move towards vehicle electrification continues unabated. Most recently, both the French and UK governments stated their intention to ban the sale of conventionally powered vehicles by 2040. Volvo also caused a stir when it announced that its all-new model launches from 2019 onwards will only be ...
-
ArticleUntertürkheim leads Daimler EV focus
Mercedes-Benz UntertürkheimGermany – The OEM’s global lead plant on conventional powertrain production will also become a competence centre for electric vehicle components. Battery production is to be added as a new product group providing more than 250 new jobs in a specialist e-mobility production area. As part of the ...
-
ArticleExcel and export
The story of how ABB Robotics helps the export of the new Volvo S90 from China to the USEarlier this summer, Volvo began exporting its new S90 long-wheelbase sedan from the Daqing manufacturing facility across the Pacific. The first 400 vehicles were transported to Tianjin for shipment, ready for a ...
-
ArticleSmarter and safer
As production facilities grow in complexity through the interconnection of cyber, physical and human capabilities, automotive manufacturers are encountering additional safety risks alongside new possibilitiesAutomotive manufacturing is entering what Christian Dunckern, head of BMW Group Production System, Planning, Toolmaking and Plant Engineering, calls “the time of smart devices and digitalisation”, ...