All articles by aladmin – Page 125
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ArticleWith powertrain comes responsibility
When it comes to the latest progress in hybrid technology at Mercedes-Benz, Dr Thomas Weber is the man with his finger on the pulseDaimlerChrysler (as was) has been at the forefront of alternative powertrain vehicles for over a decade – the pioneers of the high-speed passenger car diesel engine have ...
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ArticleEditor's Note: Are three heads better than one?
The sale of Chrysler to Cerberus and what this will mean for the company and the future of its three brands has become the subject of much speculation. Aside from the rumours that a banking syndicate has made $60 billion available for future Cerberus investments, of which $50 billion will ...
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ArticleBig Three must adapt or die
Analysts have warned that the Big Three vehicle makers have to examine and adapt their business models, or risk losing even greater market share to non-American OEMsNew business model is necessaryGetting the best out of suppliersWhat the unions really wantNew products may help regain market shareThe Big Three still lag ...
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ArticleSafe in the knowledge
ABB has teamed up with CIP Safety to give its FlexArc welding cells a simple-to-use safety advantage without affecting production timesSimple to use safetyReconfigurable architectureGoing into its second year of sales with its new FlexArc robotic arc welding cells, ABB Robotics Division, North America Welding and Cutting Group is reporting ...
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ArticleLeaping networks at a single bound
Information standardisation means the protocol CIP Safety can easily transfer for use on EtherNet/IP. AMS reports on an open standard network solution for the factory floorProtocol friendlyCIP safety: how does it work?Plant productivity benefits?Following the success of CIP Safety’s adoption by DeviceNet users in the automotive world, the safety protocol’s ...
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Sykes takes the lead of Automotive
Auburn Hills, MI. – Automotive has named Peter Sykes as successor to George Hamilton to lead the organisation. Hamilton has been tapped to lead a new coatings business for Dow Chemical. Dow Automotive’s HQ will remain in Auburn Hills.http://automotive.dow.com
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ArticleVery rapid prototyping
Formula 1 is the pinnacle of motor sport, but does it have any real world value to the automotive companies involved?AMS talks to Julian Reed, Head of Manufacturing at the ING Renault F1 teamEntente car-dialPrudent productionMajor assembly operationOne hundred per cent inspectionInnovation in production processesThe shape of a 2007 Formula ...
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Bischoff takes over the post of Chairman of DaimlerChrysler
Stuttgart, Germany – DaimlerChrysler’s board member Manfred Bischoff has been elected to the post of Chairman, replacing Hilmar Kopper, who has held the post of Chrysler chairman for 17 years. Bishoff joins at a crucial moment of transition for the Chrysler Group as parent company DaimlerChrysler prepares to sell it ...
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Bscher resigns over a disagreement with VW boss Winterkorn
Molsheim, France – Bugatti President Thomas Bscher has resigned following a disagreement with VW boss Martin Winterkorn about the future direction of the brand. Filling Bscher’s role at Bugatti in the short term will be Bentley boss Franz-Josef Paefgen.www.bugatti.com
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Fels named as President of the Comite des Constructeurs d’Automobiles Francais (CCFA)
Paris, France – Xavier Fels, has been named as the new President of the Comite des Constructeurs d’Automobiles Francais (CCFA), succeeding Manuel Gomez. Fels joined from PSA Peugeot Citroën, where he has been Director of External Relations. Luc Bastard, in charge of environmental and external affairs at Renault, has been ...
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Nilsson leads Global Head of the Automotive Manufacturing Group (AMG)
London, UK – Per Nilsson has been named Global Head of the Automotive Manufacturing Group (AMG) practice at Arthur D. Little. Nilsson has extensive experience from value/supply chain, operations strategy and operations improvements programmes.www.adlittle.com
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Neil Shine former Publisher and Editor of The Detroit Free Press died
Detroit, MI. – Neil Shine, former Publisher and Editor of The Detroit Free Press died at the beginning of April near Detroit. He was 76. In nearly half a century at the paper, Shine worked his way up from copy boy to reporter to publisher. After helping to direct some ...
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ArticleA big cat that’s light on its feet
Aluminium has riveted Jaguar’s attention and its latest models are being made from this material to save on weight, while maintaining performanceInnovative features – the shape of things to come?Aircraft influenceUnique combination of riveting and bondingAluminium presents its own challengesStarting with the supercarImproving the hardness of aluminiumJaguar may have been ...
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ArticleCulture club delivers
With the launch of the new Freelander, Ford’s Halewood plant has come back from the brink of disaster to become one of best examples of quality manufacturing the company hasChange for the betterGateway ProcessMeeting deadlinesQuality supplyBenchmark pressingEfficient weldingPaint flowTrim and final assemblyIn 1990 it was the subject of a $1 ...
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ArticleFlanders – a cornerstone in European production
At the forefront of vehicle making for more than a century, Flanders is home to a vehicle making industry that has grown steadily on the strength of quality engineeringProduction in proximitySupplier supportEmployment – growth through automationFord in FlandersSetting the paceVolkswagen in VorstVolvoPoint clouds for precisionRapid programming Flanders, in the northern ...
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ArticleMaximum overdrive for MINI
BMW’s Plant Oxford is a benchmark for getting the most out of what you’ve got. AMS reports on a prosperous production strategy for the MINIGlobal successCustomer-driven complexityTime managementBrand buoyancyRestructuring at OxfordIn a rare example of consensus, the automotive industry seems to have decided that the global economy is a good ...
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ArticleEditor's Note: Souls over shares – the way forward is through the workers
As the automotive manufacturing world has seen contraction of demand and subsequent over-production issues come to influence carmakers’ strategies, so the influence of the labour force has returned to the fore.In Eastern Europe, Skoda’s workers have threatened to strike. The driving issue for this is wage negotiations – the workforce ...
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ArticleLabour pains in Germany
Germany has always been an attractive region for car manufacturers because of its central location in the heart of Europe, and access to a pool of skilled labour. But competition from low-cost regions has led to a rethink in strategyGradual growthCompetitive cost structuresChallenges facing the German car industryBMW keeps on ...
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Goeschel joins the board of directors at Maxwell
San Diego, CA. – Professor Burkhard Goeschel, who retired in November 2006 as a member of the six-person Management Board of BMW Group, with overall responsibility for research, development and purchasing, has been appointed to the ultracapacitor maker Maxwell Technology’s board of directors.www.maxwell.com
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Nissan North America reduces large number of its workforce
Nashville, TN. – Nissan North America is offering buyouts to 6,200 workers at two manufacturing plants in Tennessee.In a press release it said that higher demand for passenger cars and lower demand for trucks and SUVs has resulted in a manufacturing mix that is less labour-intensive to build and thus ...