Tag: suppliers

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Inside Dräxlmaier’s digital drive: COO Arno Güllering on AI, mindset shifts and global smart factory strategy

In a revealing interview at the Automobil Produktion Kongress in Munich, Arno Güllering, chief operating officer of Dräxlmaier Group, shares how the global supplier is accelerating its smart factory transformation. From unexpected digital frontrunners like Tunisia to the growing role of generative AI in maintenance, Güllering discusses his first-year priorities and why a shift in mindset is just as critical as technology.

Christopher Ludwig

How Arno Güllering wants DRÄXLMAIER Group to harness shopfloor visualisation and genAI in production and maintenance

The tier-1 supplier has established a highly connected production and logistics network, with a strong emphasis on data visualisation and a roadmap for AI. But to stay competitive and resilient, COO Arno Güllering wants to ensure both plants and HQ have a mindset ready to embrace change.

Christopher Ludwig

Honda’s $1bn redevelopment of its Ohio plants sets a global precedent in integrating EV, hybrid and ICE production with smart manufacturing and supplier transformation.

Honda North America’s upgraded Ohio operations will be its template for flexible production of ICE, hybrid and electric vehicles on a single line. Project lead Mike Fischer speaks to AMS about the goals, planning and execution behind this major production shift.

Nick Holt

Henkel’s next-generation gap filler solutions for automotive electronics

PARTNER CONTENTThis content was produced by Automotive Manufacturing Solutions in partnership with Henkel.Thermal gap fillers are under greater stresses from electronic components as trends like autonomous driving take shape.

AMS

ArcelorMittal’s Multi Part Integration enhances vehicle manufacturing with reduced costs, better flexibility, and improved safety, offering a scalable solution for the automotive industry.

PARTNER CONTENTThis content was produced by Automotive Manufacturing Solutions in partnership with ArcelorMittal.Philippe Aubron, Head of Global Automotive at ArcelorMittal explains how the automotive producer’s Multi Part Integration (MPI) solves multiple manufacturing challenges and assists automakers to cut costs and exceed critical targets.

AMS

Audi pioneers virtual control systems with Siemens and Broadcom to transform production efficiency and digital automation in its Böllinger Höfe bodyshop

Audi is rolling out virtual programmable logic controllers at its Böllinger Höfe site with Siemens, Broadcom and Cisco, replacing hardware with cloud-based automation to enhance agility, scalability and environmental efficiency

Ilkhan Ozsevim

Henkel’s digital battery simulation team accelerates EV battery design and development, cutting costly iterations and physical testing for faster market readiness

PARTNER CONTENTThis content was produced by Automotive Manufacturing Solutions in partnership with Henkel.Material supplier Henkel has created a new simulation team that is helping customers to be much faster and more efficient during battery design and development.

AMS

hofer powertrain and Pollmann International accelerate EV powertrain manufacturing

hofer Powertrain and Pollmann International have teamed up to accelerate the industrialisation of next-generation electric powertrain solutions. The partnership aims to bring advanced EV powertrain technologies to market faster.

Nick Holt

Evolution of EV platforms: Innovations in design, manufacturing, and scalability

Electric vehicle architectures must be adaptable, scalable, and cost-effective, but evolving battery technologies, crash protection, and manufacturing processes add complexity. While the skateboard design has become standard, innovations like gigacasting and hybrid adaptability are reshaping the industry. Automakers are racing to refine EV platforms, balancing speed to market with efficiency and safety in an increasingly competitive landscape.

Nick Holt

Anushka Dixit

AAM’s $1.4bn acquisition of GKN Automotive could mark a major shift in automotive manufacturing, strengthening its position in driveline systems and electrified vehicle production

American Axle & Manufacturing’s $1.4 billion acquisition of GKN Automotive is set to reshape global automotive manufacturing, strengthening its position in driveline systems and EV production as the industry moves towards electrification

Ilkhan Ozsevim

AI: Enhancing predictive maintenance in production lines

Unplanned downtime is costly and something that the automotive industry has been working hard to reduce through predictive maintenance strategies. AI now offers a significant step forward in real-time monitoring and data gathering and analysis.

Nick Holt

Shape the Future: Join the 2025 Survey on Digital Transformation in North American Automotive Manufacturing and Win Exciting Prizes

The North American Automotive Manufacturing Digital Transformation Survey 2025, in partnership with Kyndryl, explores AI, IoT, and automation in production. Join the survey, win prizes, and access vital insights on sustainability, nearshoring, and workforce evolution.

AMS

Automotive suppliers and producers confront existential crisis: mass layoffs and plummeting electric vehicle investments threaten European manufacturing

Major automotive suppliers including Bosch and Continental announce massive workforce reductions as electric vehicle market challenges intensify European manufacturing sector’s most significant restructuring in decades.

Ilkhan Ozsevim

JATCO opens new manufacturing facility to supply electric vehicle powertrains for Nissan’s Sunderland plant

Nissan and the Japan Automatic Transmission Company (JATCO) have secured a £50m investment deal, in partnership with the UK government, to create a new manufacturing plant in Sunderland.

Nick Holt

HORSE launches new high-performance eMotor production at Aveiro, Portugal, for hybrid and plug-in hybrid vehicles, enhancing automotive electrification

HORSE, a leader in hybrid and combustion powertrain solutions, has started producing its high-performance eMotor at Aveiro, Portugal. Designed for hybrid and plug-in hybrid vehicles, the motor delivers 49kW and 212Nm torque, with a capacity of 160,000 units annually.

Ilkhan Ozsevim

How AI is transforming automotive manufacturing: A deep dive into key technologies, optimisations and efficiency gains

Automotive production is undergoing a seismic transformation with Artificial Intelligence driving unprecedented innovation. From predictive maintenance to autonomous robotics and generative design, here’s how AI is enhancing precision, adaptability and efficiency.

Anushka Dixit

ABB robotics partners with ESS to advance simulation tools for cost savings, efficiency, and emissions reduction in automotive paint shop operations

ABB’s collaboration with ESS marks an important step in digitising automotive manufacturing in paintshop. By harnessing advanced simulation technology, the partnership aims to cut paintshop costs by up to 30 percent and reduce emissions significantly, while levelling the digital playing field.

Ilkhan Ozsevim

The declaration of Martial Law in South Korea raises challenges for automotive production and global supply chains amid political upheaval

The declaration of Martial Law in South Korea has thrown its critical automotive production and logisitics into uncertainty. As political tensions mount, automotive manufacturers and supply chains brace for potential major disruptions in operations and logistics

Ilkhan Ozsevim

Gestamp employs gigastamping and advanced material solutions to drive lightweighting and sustainability

The Spanish supplier believes it is well prepared for the transformation of the automotive industry. Innovations from a wide range of areas are intended to help. The company presented some of these at the IZB in Wolfsburg.

Timo Gilgen

Asahi Kasei breaks ground on Canada lithium-ion battery separator plant

Asahi Kasei has broken ground on its new lithium-ion battery separator manufacturing facility in Port Colborne, Ontario, Canada. The plant will operate as a joint venture with Honda and is expected to begin commercial production in 2027.

Nick Holt

ZF’s Fernando Bera on prioritising real-time data and people-centric strategies for smart factory success

At the AMS Automotive Evolution NA 2024 event, Fernando Bera, Engineering Supervisor and Smart Factory Coordinator at ZF, outlined how real-time data and a people-focused approach are driving efficiency and quality improvements, shaping the company’s smart factory transformation.

Nick Holt

Gestamp’s Paul Belanger on reducing EV production costs with giga-stamping and cross-functional collaboration

At the AMS Automotive Evolution NA 2024 event, Paul Belanger, Director of R&D North America at Gestamp, shared how giga-stamping and customer collaboration are helping reduce production costs, making affordable EVs a realistic goal for the North American market.

Christopher Ludwig

Stellantis’ Jeremy Keating on comprehensive lean practices: Achieving zero waste through organisational alignment and proactive problem-solving

At the AMS Automotive Evolution North America conference, Jeremy Keating, Vice-President of Operations at Stellantis’ Kokomo Transmission Plant, shared insights on lean manufacturing’s value in achieving efficiency. He discussed early lean integration, financial assessments for cost control, and the critical role of union partnerships.

Christopher Ludwig

Stellantis’ Asif Khan on driving cost control and profitability through lean manufacturing in a competitive market

At the AMS Automotive Evolution NA 2024 event, Dr. Sardar Asif Khan, Continuous Improvement Lead at Stellantis, discussed the critical role of lean manufacturing in cost control and profitability. He highlighted the importance of leadership, workforce engagement, and the complementary role of digital tools in enhancing lean methodologies.

Christopher Ludwig

AMS Automotive Evolution: Reducing costs, fast-tracking development, embracing change

The AMS Automotive Evolution conference in Detroit brought together leading car makers and tier suppliers to discuss managing production operations as the EV transition continues. AMS Editor Nick Holt shares some takeaways from the event.

Nick Holt

Automotive leaders discuss strategies to bring electric vehicles within reach of the masses through cost-cutting, advanced technologies, and new approaches in North American manufacturing

At the AMS Evolution North America Conference, Ford and Gestamp leaders outlined strategies to slash production costs, tackle supply chain hurdles, and enhance manufacturing efficiency, laying out the groundwork for affordable EVs that meet consumer demand

Ilkhan Ozsevim

Toyota’s Jaime Moore on engineering transformation: Agile teams, early collaboration, and the impact of digital tools

At the AMS Automotive Evolution NA 2024 event, Jaime Moore, Senior Principal Engineer at Toyota North America, highlighted the evolving role of engineers in manufacturing. She discussed the expanded skill set required, the need for cross-functional collaboration, and the potential of digital twins and AI in streamlining the automotive production process.

Christopher Ludwig

Ford’s Rajeev Kalamdani on smart factory transformation challenges: Legacy systems, workforce, and data integration

Speaking at the AMS Automotive Evolution NA 2024 conference in Detroit, Rajeev Kalamdani from Ford shared his perspective on the complexities of digital transformation in smart factory settings. From integrating legacy equipment to fostering a tech-savvy workforce, Rajeev outlined key challenges and solutions for successful digitalisation in the automotive industry.

Nick Holt

Watch now: How to maximise efficiency in battery tray manufacturing and integration

This webinar showcased innovative, cost-efficient quality processes to assure 100% quality in battery manufacturing. New quality solutions from Hexagon enable automakers to detect defects efficiently and ensure a perfect fit into the underbody of the car.

AMS Evo 2024 blog: Focusing on North America’s flexible, digital and lean production future

Join us for real-time updates from Automotive Evolution North America 2024 at The Henry Hotel in Dearborn on 30-31st October, where industry leaders from Volkswagen, GM, Toyota, Stellantis, Ford and many more will hold key sessions and panels on topics including smart manufacturing, sustainability, EV plants, and digital tools.

GM Ventures invests $10m in Forge Nano to improve EV battery performance and reduce costs

General Motors drops the Ulitum brand and shifts from single chemistry approach. The OEM has also entered into a strategic partnership agreement with Forge Nano to collaborate on atomic layer deposition applications for GM’s electric vehicle batteries.

Nick Holt

Dürr builds an energy-efficient paintshop for Stellantis’ Kenitra plant

Stellantis’ new paintshop to double capacity at Kenitra plant and reuse paint robots from other facilities.

Nick Holt

How cobots can support automotive production

Cobots enrich the industry with their ability to complete tasks in close cooperation with humans and are becoming increasingly intelligent thanks to modern technologies. This article takes a look at the different types of robots, and their benefits to the industry.

Ronja Schmiedchen

Werner Beutnagel

HORSE powertrain continues to expand supply in range extender market

HORSE will supply Brazilian EV start-up manufacturer Lecar with its HR10 range extender engine, to be fitted to the Lecar 459 hybrid.

Nick Holt

Watch Now: Next-Gen Gapfillers: Henkel’s Blueprint for Automotive Electronics

This webinar explored Henkel’s latest innovations in thermal gap fillers, designed specifically for automotive electronics.

VW in cooperation to develop sustainable materials for vehicle interiors

Volkswagen will work with Revoltech to develop sustainable bio-based leather alternative made from industrial hemp.

Nick Holt

EV battery testing – new software supports testing rapidly changing battery technologies

New battery technology is being developed, and testing companies are focused on the same old parameters. But change could be on the horizon with new software.

Michael Nash

Denso expands electrification-focused inverter line and sustainable digital production

Denso is bolstering its position in the electrification market with the launch of inverter production at Denso Fukushima. Simultaneously, the company has unveiled plans for a next-generation, fully automated plant at Zenmyo, set to modernise ECU production with 24-hour unmanned operation and sustainable energy use.

Ilkhan Ozsevim

Canada – Mixed fortunes for production operations

Canadian vehicle and component production operations are feeling the impact of slow EV sales. However, the country has many assets making it attractive to investment, especially in battery production.

Ian Henry

GM and Samsung SDI seal $3.5B deal for Indiana Electric Vehicle battery plant

General Motors and Samsung SDI have cemented a $3.5 billion agreement to establish an advanced EV battery manufacturing plant in Indiana. This facility will enhance GM’s EV production capabilities by delivering up to 36 GWh of prismatic battery cells annually.

Ilkhan Ozsevim

Agenda Announced for the 3rd US Automotive Wire Harness & EDS Conference

The automotive industry is on the brink of a transformation, with wire harness and electrical distribution systems (EDS) playing a crucial role in this evolution. Following the success of the last two conferences held in 2022 and 2023, the Automotive Wire Harness & EDS Conference (AWH Detroit) is gearing up for its third instalment. Scheduled for October 28-29, 2024, in Dearborn, Michigan, this conference promises to build on over 12 years of collaboration in the European automotive wire harness community while expanding its reach in North America.

AMS

Antolin, Gestamp and Fersa using AI to improve production operations

Autoparts from Spain, a collaborative digital project among automotive suppliers that provides intelligence on the automotive equipment and components industry, reports that the radical transformation of the industry supported by artificial intelligence (AI), is providing opportunities for tier suppliers, with benefits already registered by members Antolin, Fersa Bearings and Gestamp.

Marcus Williams

Korea’s LG, SK On and Samsung lead Prismatic battery revival impacting Electric Vehicles and Automotive Production

The prismatic battery is making a comeback, with Korean battery giants leading the charge. Offering advantages in safety and cost, this technology could have lasting implications for the Electric Vehicle, battery, and automotive production landscape.

Ilkhan Ozsevim

UK car production drops 8% in first half of 2024

Car production in the first six months of 2024 has dropped by 7.6%, according to new figures released today by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT).

Megan Kelly

EV battery supply – potential materials shortages

S&P’s Global Mobility division offers some insights into battery raw material supply chains and the impact of market changes.

Nick Holt

European battery production needs greater speed and agility

Exhibitors at this year’s Battery Show in Stuttgart shared insights into EV and battery production challenges and how the industry needs to adapt with greater speed.

Nick Holt

Mahindra & Mahindra to pioneer ABB’s Inkjet paint technology in Indian EV market

Mahindra & Mahindra partners with ABB Robotics to implement PixelPaint technology in its new EV line. The innovative system ensures precise paint application with minimal waste; a key step in automotive personalisation and efficiency for the Indian market.

Ilkhan Ozsevim

Designing manufacturing systems for flexibility and scalability

Comau discusses assembling e-drives, developing battery manufacturing solutions, and collaborations with universities for next-generation cells.

AMS

Virtual production networks are able to solve multi-level complexities across automotive manufacturing

Virtual production networks provide automotive manufacturing with myriad solutions like advanced time- and cost-saving simulations, global collaboration capabilities, and innovative tools like digital twins to harness untapped production flexibility.

Ilkhan Ozsevim

Is ABB Robotics’ new inkjet paint tech the future of automotive paintshop?

Automotive production paintshop is energy-intensive and costly. Could a new ‘inkjet’-type paintshop technology solve several production issues at once? With major implications for sustainability and customisation, ABB’s PixelPaint sees an explosion in demand.

Ilkhan Ozsevim

HORSE announces next-generation Range Extender powertrains

HORSE has introduced innovative Range Extender powertrains for passenger and light commercial vehicles. Offering a 200km electric range plus an additional 600km from an onboard engine, this technology reduces battery size by over 50%, cutting costs and weight.

Ilkhan Ozsevim

Comau’s Innovations and Solutions in Battery Manufacturing

PARTNER CONTENTThis content was produced by Automotive Manufacturing Solutions in partnership with ComauComau offers complete battery manufacturing solutions, from assembly and testing of battery packs to integration into vehicles.

AMS

Sames solves for BMW & Mercedes: Adhesive tech in bodyshop & glazing

Sames’ innovations support high-quality adhesive bonding in automotive manufacturing, optimising efficiency and standardisation across bodyshop and glazing processes.

SAMES

GKN Automotive reduces direct CO2e emissions in 2023

GKN Automotive has published its second sustainability report, revealing a 10.5% reduction in CO2e emissions in 2023.

Nick Holt

The Sustainable Steel Automotive Manufacturing Survey 2024 Webinar looks at issues of definition, recycling and cost

Thomas Hörnfeldt, VP of Sustainable Business at SSAB spoke to Nick Holt and Daniel Harrison of AMS on the survey findings. Do terminological issues serve as barriers to sustainable steel?

Ilkhan Ozsevim

Ignacio Martin Gonzalez, Gestamp: “Steel is still a high-performance product”

For e-mobility, suppliers like Gestamp must be willing not only to produce components, but also to contribute their expertise in terms of design. Ignacio Martin explains how the supplier is preparing for an uncertain future.

Götz Fuchslocher

PPG to build new paint and coatings manufacturing facility in the US

PPG plans to build a new paint and coatings manufacturing facility in Tennessee as part of $300m investment in advanced manufacturing in North America.

Nick Holt

Exclusive: BMW Group improves efficiency with additive manufacturing gripper

BMW Group has improved the speed, versatility and sustainability of its manufacturing and cut costs by using 3D-printed bionic robot grippers. Automotive Manufacturing Solutions reports on the latest innovations from the BMW Group Additive Manufacturing Campus and manufacturing plant in Munich.

Megan Kelly

Q&A with Patrice Haettel: CEO of powertrain technology company HORSE

Renault’s powertrain tech company, HORSE, has begun mass-producing the Power Electronics Box (PEB); crucial for HEVs and PHEVs. The redesigned PEB boosts performance by managing Emotors more efficiently. Here’s CEO, Patrice Haettel on electrification and more.

Ilkhan Ozsevim

Design4Production 2024: Capturing the future of automotive innovation

Design4Production 2024 brought together industry leaders to explore the integration of design, engineering, and production in the automotive industry. This gallery showcases the event’s key moments, from insightful talks to innovative collaborations.

Quality control: 3D vision inspection systems

LMI Technologies offers insights into current trends in automotive quality control requirements and the technology solutions available.

AMS

BMW builds gigafactory for Neue Klasse in Mexico

BMW Group is taking its ‘local for local’ approach to manufacturing and supply chain to Mexico, and has started construction on an 80,000 sq.m battery manufacturing facility next to its assembly plant in San Luis Potosi. The plant is due to start making the Neue Klasse electric sports activity vehicle there from 2027.

Marcus Williams

Electric promise in the Middle East: Why Statevolt is building a gigafactory in the UAE instead of Europe

Despite regional challenges and skepticism, serial gigafactory founder Lars Carlstrom sees untapped potential and strategic advantages in the UAE and Middle East, and worries that Europe is missing a huge opportunity to reindustrialise. With Lucid’s foray into EV production in Saudi Arabia and Ceer’s imminent market entry, is the Middle East primed to embrace electrification?

Ilkhan Ozsevim

Honda grows its North American EV footprint

Honda is investing heavily in growing its electric vehicle production operations in North America but is also leveraging expertise and capacity for hybrid powertrain production

Nick Holt

Cost effectiveness key barrier to sustainable steel adoption in automotive production

AMS and SSAB’s industry survey reveals a growing prioritisation of sustainability in automotive manufacturing, highlighting challenges in sustainable steel adoption such as cost-effectiveness and gaps in awareness, while underlining the need for innovative solutions and collaboration to drive meaningful change…

AMS

AI + I = Enhanced Automotive Surface Inspection

AI and automation are becoming key technologies for surface inspection in the paintshop, but human workers are still providing the finishing touches. Report by Michael Nash.

Michael Nash

VW Chattanooga votes union: A turning point for southern autoworkers?

Nearly three-quarters (73%) of the VW Chattanooga workers voted in favour of joining the union, making VW’s Chattanooga’s plant the first unionised foreign car factory in the southern US since the 1940s. It’s a major win for the UAW, which has struggled to expand its influence beyond its Detroit base in recent years.

Anushka Dixit

Lighter, Stronger, Greener: ArcelorMittal’s Steel Revolutionises EV Chassis

PARTNER CONTENTThis content was paid for by ArcelorMittal and produced in partnership with AMSArcelorMittal’s latest S-in motion study has identified a range of designs for the Lower Arm Control of front chassis for Electric Vehicles (EVs), and the solution can be adapted for different powertrains, including Battery Electric Vehicles (BEVs) and Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEVs).

AMS

ArcelorMittal

ZF unveils automotive tech facility in Monterrey, Mexico, focused on fusing engineering, design and product development

ZF’s $200m investment will establish one of the most advanced automotive complexes in Mexico and will focusing on driving automotive developments through collaboration

Ilkhan Ozsevim

Shifting gears – Electrifying the driveline

GKN Automotive has a long history as a driveline component and system developer, and manufacturer. Like many of the leading tier suppliers in this segment, the company has now added a range of products for electric powertrains to its range. Jorge Beja, VP of Operations Systems shares some insights into production at the company’s centre for excellence for eDrive systems, at Bruneck, Italy.

Nick Holt

Artificial intelligence – New developments in surface inspection

AI and automation are becoming key technologies for surface inspection in the paintshop, but human workers are still providing the finishing touches.

Michael Nash

Additive manufacturing: Supporting sustainable production

3D printing is advancing, and while new materials and processes could make it more eco-friendly, experts think that component elimination may be the way forward.

Michael Nash

DESIGN4PRODUCTION brings together leaders in automotive production, design, and engineering

Explore the future of automotive design and manufacturing at Design4Production in Munich on 15 May and join leading designers, engineers and production leaders on Automotive design and manufacturing experts as they discuss how to accelerate innovation, efficiency and sustainability.

AMS

The United Auto Workers Union and Ford seem to offset strike action after reaching tentative deal awaiting ratification

The deal comes at a time where tensions between OEMs and workers run high following a flurry of strike action in Autumn of last year, and with the Kentucky Truck Plant being one of Ford’s most productive, strike aversion brings a sigh of relief, for now…

Ilkhan Ozsevim

Magna has landed a major eDrive system contract for a niche, high-end vehicle Original Equipment Manufacturer in North America

Magna has landed a crucial contract to provide a specialised eDrive system for a well-known North America-based OEM, marking a pivotal step in the automotive industry’s shift towards electric mobility

Ilkhan Ozsevim

Powertrain – Reducing waste in machining fluids

Sustainability projects at plant and team levels are vital to reducing the operational carbon footprint in manufacturing operations. These range from simple energy management protocols to more involved process improvement related projects. JLR offers a very interesting case study on the latter at its Electric Propulsion Manufacturing Centre.

Nick Holt

GKN Automotive – Embedding sustainability in the business

GKN Automotive’s director of sustainability, Tom Salisbury discusses the importance of Science Based Targets, managing supply chains and the need to embed sustainability throughout the organisation.

Nick Holt

Green Revolution: How renewable energy is fuelling sustainable automotive manufacturing

Adopting renewable energy in automotive production requires a comprehensive strategy, integrating solar, wind, biogas and electric solutions to drive sustainability and mitigate environmental impact effectively. OEMs, strategies and technologies are converging on different approaches to achieve sustainability goals across regions. Here are some notweworthy projects to keep an eye on…

Ilkhan Ozsevim

How Farasis will bridge the EV battery gap in Europe

The Chinese battery manufacturer’s new European general manager, Marcel Brömlage, will lead an evolving strategy in the region including increasing engineering and acquisition capabilities, and targeting automotive as well as non-automotive customers to support the growth strategy for the Siro joint venture and Farasis group.

Christopher Ludwig

Antolin expands its production footprint in Asia with a new plant in India

The new plant will produce lighting, HMI systems and electronics for leading automotive manufacturers in the Indian market.

Nick Holt