BodyShop
Novelis invests in aluminium recycling to meet automotive demand
Novelis is investing $365m to construct an advanced aluminium recycling centre for the automotive industry in North America. The new recycling facility will be built adjacent to Novelis’ existing automotive finishing plant in Guthrie, Kentucky.
Scaling battery pack production
Increasing production of battery enclosures at scale will be essential to launching EVs in line with targets. ABB’s Patrick Matthews and Zeiss’s Paulo Cruz discuss automation and quality control opportunities.
Nissan to replicate Sunderland factory model globally amid drive to boost domestic supply chains
Nissan has announced a massive £13bn fund for developing electric vehicles and plans to expand the model of its Sunderland plant globally.
BMW’s Munich plant adapted for EV manufacturing
The first series-produced BMW i4 has rolled off the line at the OEM’s Munich plant in the first step in the German carmaker’s goal to turn at least half of its output into electrified vehicles by 2023.
Watch: Shopfloor revolution – how data, software and AI are rebooting production
OEMs and suppliers are transforming vehicle production through data and connectivity as much as hardware, with new artificial intelligence opportunities emerging. Watch this AMS Livestream Hour featuring VDMA, Fraunhofer IPA and Symbio to hear about the standards, systems and applications underpinning these changes.
Aluminium applications
Electric vehicles battery enclosures are increasing overall vehicle weight, with lightweight materials for structural components, such as castings, can offset the rise. Rio Tinto’s Jerome Fourmann tells Nick Holt about new opportunities and production innovations
AMS Lightweighting 2021 – Weighing the options
This edition features insights on how manufacturing engineers and designers are taking new approaches to vehicle architectures and production to integrate lighter, more efficient materials – especially for EVs – to reduce weight and improve sustainability. Featuring Ford, Gestamp, Rio Tinto, ArcelorMittal, Dreistern and more
BMW expands plant in Mexico to build 2 Series Coupé
The 2 Series Coupé will be produced exclusively in Mexico for the global market. The plant has seen further investments of $125 million over the last 2 years, which has expanded its operations significantly.
Cost and opportunity: experts unveil the contradictions at the core of lightweighting EVs
Lightweighting has become one of the most important features when it comes to designing EVs. As calls for more sustainable production practices become louder, creators are looking at new innovative ways to lighten the load.
Watch: Vehicle lightweighting rises to the top of the agenda for designers and engineers
This livestream investigates how designers and engineers at Ford, Gestamp and key suppliers are using innovative materials and creating lightweight architectures, including for models like the Ford F-150 Lightning and Maverick compact truck.
VW and Ford invest in flexible production for an uncertain future
The speed of change in the technology of cars and rapid electrification requires new manufacturing equipment and is making expensive old machines redundant, but exactly where the industry is going next is hard to predict. More flexible manufacturing is the answer.
Cellular manufacturing adds flexibility in Mercedes-Benz bodyshop
For the production of the new C-class, Mercedes has taken the opportunity to add flexibility by way of cellular manufacturing in the body shop and with so-called ‘TecLines’ for assembly.
Thyssenkrupp restructures and carves out auto body division
Thyssenkrupp has launched Automotive Body Solutions as a separate business unit to focus on both in-house production and developing lightweight materials, as well as production equipment
All-new Rogue closes the recycling loop
The 2021 model SUV is company’s first global model built using ‘closed-loop’ recycling system for aluminium parts
AI and automation in automotive production need people and quality data to succeed
Experts from BMW, Ford, Symbio Robotics and Cosmo Tech discussed how artificial intelligence (AI) and automation in automotive production need fast ramp-up times and adoption by employees to succeed. High-quality data and use of simulation are also key.
Audi introduces closed-loop systems for aluminium, wastewater and plastic
Audi has detailed how it is introducing closed-loop systems to its plants as part of its goal to make all its five plants carbon-neutral by 2025. This includes aluminium, wastewater and a pilot project for chemical recycling of plastics.
GM invests $4 billion to prepare Spring Hill and Detroit-Hamtramck plants for EV production
General Motors is moving forward with investments to equip its factories to produce electric vehicles (EVs). The Spring Hill, Tennessee plant gets a $2 billion upgrade to produce the Cadillac Lyriq and the and Detroit-Hamtramck plant will see $2.2 billion invested to produce the recently unveiled GMC Hummer EV.
Steel makes the case as the mainstay material for vehicles
With OEMs demanding vehicle-structure materials that are low in mass, crash-protective and economic to use, steel grades stay true to form
Steelmakers keen to press home the BEV advantage
Throughout the age of the mass-produced automobile, steel has been the principal material of choice for vehicle structures. Will it maintain its dominance as carmakers pursue new mobility concepts?
Strong, light and formable, stainless steel re-enters the material mix
Helsinki-based Outokumpu says stainless steels are ideal for lightweight, safety-critical structural parts and have put it to use in the series production of EV battery enclosures
