All articles by aladmin – Page 10
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ArticleBMW modernises production areas
Germany – The OEM is cutting “ergonomically unfavourable and strenuous tasks” and enabling personnel to “apply their unique cognitive skills to the best effect”. By the end of 2017, it will use 60 lightweight robots, 230 smart gloves and 64 exoskeletons.“The digitalisation allows the BMW Group to tap a growing ...
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ArticleGestamp acquires plant at Pitești
Romania – The Spanish company has bought a majority stake in the operation through its Turkish subsidiary, Beyçelik Gestamp. It plans to increase turnover by manufacturing more added-value components for vehicle-makers.The plant on the edge of Pitești, an automotive production hub, has a 200-strong workforce and currently makes small and ...
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ArticlePPG sets up new coatings line at Wuhu
China – The $19m installation will make waterborne and high-solids coatings for automotive customers in the country. PPG said demand for coatings with low volatile organic compounds is rising in China due to tighter environmental regulations.“PPG’s high-performance waterborne and high-solids automotive coatings enable our customers in China to meet environmental ...
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ArticleToyota makes American appointments
US – The changes, effective from April 1, are intended to “strengthen regional integration in North America”, according to Jim Lentz, Toyota’s CEO for the area. The company announced in April 2014 that it was establishing new headquarters at Plano, Texas, for its North American manufacturing, sales and marketing and ...
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ArticleBoytsov to lead Nissan St Petersburg
Russia – From March 1, Igor Boytsov will take over from Dmitry Mikhailov, who is leaving his position as vice-president, Nissan Motor Manufacturing Russia (NMGR) to become vice-president for Quality and Customer Satisfaction at AvtoVAZ. Boytsov joins the company from Alliance partner Renault, where he was plant director.Prior to Renault, ...
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Honda to establish new R&D centre
Japan – The vehicle-maker announced that it would set up R&D Center X to take a “non-traditional approach” toward “new value” areas including robotics, mobility systems and energy management. The facility will officially be launched in April this year.R&D Center X will initially focus on researching autonomously operated machines and ...
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ArticleHonda celebrates 1m units at Karawang
Indonesia – Production began at the site in February 2003 with the Honda Stream. The original 512,500 sq.m factory had a capacity of 80,000 units; total volume was raised to 200,000 in January 2014 by the launch of a second plant covering 145,760 sq.m. Honda reports that its sales in ...
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ArticleNew press starts at Nissan Sunderland
UK – Installation has been completed slightly over 18 months since groundbreaking and at a cost of £37m ($45.6m). At full capacity, the extra-large press will be able to produce 2.5m panels per year for the vehicles built at the plant: the Qashqai, Juke, Leaf, Q30 and QX30.“The new press ...
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ArticleVW Wolfsburg hits 44m-unit milestone
Germany – The record vehicle, a Golf GTE, rolled off the assembly line 72 years after production began at the OEM’s main plant. The highest-volume models in its history are the Golf, at 18m units, and the Beetle, with 12m produced up to 1975.Plant manager Stefan Loth described the milestone ...
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ArticleTHACO to produce two SUVs for PSA
Vietnam – The vehicles will be assembled at the Truong Haï Auto Corporation plant at Chulai, Quang Nam Province, according to the deal signed by the two companies. Operations will begin in October this year, with the aim of producing 27,000 units to meet domestic demand up to 2020.“The strengthening ...
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ArticleHonda makes changes to American teams
US – The appointments are taking place at American Honda Motor (AHM), Honda of America Manufacturing (HAM) and other Honda companies. They will be effective from April 1, 2017.AHM’s Jeff Conrad, senior vice-president and general manager of the Honda Automobile Division, will additionally take on responsibility for Acura and Core ...
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ArticleFCA US to open new training facility
US – The OEM will unveil its fourth World Class Manufacturing Academy (WCMA) site at Tipton, Indiana, this March. The $2.1m centre, funded by FCA US and Unite Automobile Workers (UAW), will serve personnel from the Tipton Transmission Plant (TTP) and the UAW National Training Center (NTC) Kokomo.“FCA US and ...
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ArticlePSA modernises Sochaux with €200m
France – The vehicle-maker said that its ‘Sochaux 2022’ project, worth $210.7m, has been underway for the past 36 months at the plant in the east of the country. A multidisciplinary team is attempting to bring the 100-year-old site up to the level of other factories in the PSA Group; ...
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ArticleFormaplex adds coating lines, Voyager Park
UK – The company announced in February that it has spent £1.5m ($1.94m) on installing two semi-automated paint lines for components made at its production site in Portsmouth, Hampshire. The investment has increased capacity and expanded Formaplex’s finishing capabilities, providing greater flexibility for bespoke and short-run special projects.The new operation ...
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ArticleToyota gives Thomas group VP role
US – As group vice-president (VP), chief compliance officer for Toyota Motor North America (TMNA), Jacqueline Thomas will lead multiple departments: internal audit; compliance and ethics; regulatory compliance; customs/trade compliance; and assurance. Thomas will continue to report to Jim Lentz, CEO of TMNA.Thomas joined Toyota in 1999 as a financial ...
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ArticleMcLaren to open composites facility
UK – The Composites Technology Centre in Sheffield will develop and manufacture the Monocell and Moncage carbon-fibre chassis in future McLaren cars. Construction work will begin in early 2017 and full production is scheduled for 2020. Meanwhile, pre-production chassis will be completed using trial processes at the nearby Advanced Manufacturing ...
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ArticleKuhnt to lead BMW North America
US – In his new role as CEO, Bernhard Kuhnt will be responsible for the US market. His duties at BMW already included looking after Group importer markets, overseeing sales in more than 80 countries.As CEO, Kuhnt will need to appoint a successor to Petter Witt, executive vice-president Operations, who ...
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ArticleLectra machines feed Kolon growth
South Korea/Vietnam – The company is supplying three FocusQuantum laser cutting solutions for airbag production; two will be used for one-piece woven fabric at a factory in Gyeongsang Province, South Korea, while another will be installed for cut-and-sew work at a new facility in Bình Duong Province, Vietnam.“We aim to ...
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ArticleGohl moves to new post at IAC
US – As chief operating officer (COO) for cockpit and overhead systems, Terrence Gohl will be responsible for overseeing all aspects of this division, with the aim of driving operational efficiencies and world-class quality. He will report to Brian Pour, global COO of IAC Group.Gohl has more than 30 years ...
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ArticleGestamp’s new hot-stamping plant, Pune
India – The dedicated facility, which cost €36m ($38.5m), is the supplier’s first of this type in the country and will serve Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA), Ford and Tata. The plant has started to manufacture previous series and will enter full production in May this year.“The installation of a technology ...