All Aluminium articles – Page 5
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ArticleMaking metal add up
Additively manufactured metal parts present a challenge for high-volume production but at the other end of the scale, engineers are successfully developing the process for specialist, low volume parts. Mike Farish reportsAll over the automotive industry companies are exploring the potential of additive techniques to make parts in polymers and ...
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ArticleWaste not…
Karen McCandless reports on vehicle-maker recycling projects ranging from plastic bottles to electric vehicle batteries As vehicle production numbers continue to increase, up from 11.9m in 2013 to 17m in 2017, so do the automotive industry’s waste management efforts continue to improve. The waste generated per unit produced in the ...
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ArticleTwo-wheel e-mobility
BMW’s e-mobility ambitions have not been limited to four wheels; Nick Holt visits the company’s Berlin plant to see how its sophisticated C evolution maxi scooter is built
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ArticleDaimler to print aluminium components
Germany - The OEM has been working with Premium Aerotec and EOS to develop an additive manufacturing production cell that can make parts out of aluminium. The cell is fully automated, and is located at the Premium Aerotec facility in Varel, northern Germany.A EOS M 400-4 four-laser 3D printing system ...
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ArticleLaser methods to support e-mobility
Frank Gäbler and Dr Jürgen Uebbing of Coherent Rofin discuss the various use for lasers when building electric vehicles Compared to gasoline- and diesel-powered vehicles, electrified vehicles are in their relative infancy, with metals and metal components being deployed in novel ways in order to increase range and improve ...
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E-mobility and the role of steel
With electrification shaping ideas in future vehicle structure design, ArcelorMittal explains why advanced steel grades remain the materials of choice While sales of battery electric vehicles (BEV) are still far behind conventional internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles, BEV technology and sales continue to improve at a rapid pace. Globally, BEV ...
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ArticleAdvancing automotive with AHSS
SSAB explains how advanced high-strength steels address fundamental issues in a dynamic North American market, often at significant cost savings The North American car and truck market is undergoing change at a pace not seen since General Motors declared bankruptcy in 2009. In spite of rising transaction prices and higher ...
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Article
Guiding lights for a smarter paintshop
System experts at Dürr have developed a digital maintenance assistant designed to keep automotive paintshops in full effect With its digital@Dürr concept, Dürr is delivering an important smart factory module. In future, the company will be supporting customers in maintaining painting and sealing robots using a digital maintenance assistant. With ...
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ArticleWelcome to Naperville
With the increasing use of schwartz’s roller hearth furnaces for press-hardening in North America, a relocation helps the US subsidiary to meet demand The globally active schwartz Group, the world market leader* in heat-treatment equipment for press-hardening, has evolved into a key supplier to the automotive industry. In order to ...
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Article
Oxsilan expectations
Engineers from GM’s Orion plant in Michigan describe a successful conversion to a thin-film pretreatment from Chemetall The Surface Treatment global business unit of the Coatings division of BASF, operating under the Chemetall brand, sets out the story of the highly successful conversion and launch to full production of Oxsilan ...
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ArticleForging the deals
Ian Henry examines the key trends in the North American automotive supplier sector where technological progress and feisty trade policies continue to present a range of business challengesWith rapid technology change across the sector as the automotive market accelerates into the era of electrification, the uncertainty over the future of ...
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ArticleStamp of approval
Nissan’s Smyrna facility in Tennessee is home to the largest stamping plant in the Japanese OEM’s global network. Gareth Price reportsAny visitors to the Nissan plant at Smyrna, Tennessee, can’t fail to notice the proclamation above the door, The highest volume plant in North America. There’s a strong case. Plant ...
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ArticleRouge alert
It’s been part of Ford real estate for more than a century but, as Gareth Price discovers, the historic Rouge Center houses a truck plant shaped for modern times
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ArticleCentre of operations
Investment in new plants and expansion of existing facilities shows central Europe to be at the heart of vehicle manufacturers’ regional strategiesAt first glance, vehicle production in central Europe – essentially the former communist bloc countries west of the Russian border – appears to centre on Volkswagen with its Skoda ...
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ArticleTravel blog: The American dream
Everything in the US has a reputation for being big. The cities, the cars, even the food - it's all supersized in comparison to anything we have in Europe. So when obtaining content for our upcoming North American supplement, I decided to follow suit and go big by organising a ...
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ArticleMotoring on
Mike Farish reports on the development and manufacture of an innovative electric motorThe rise of electric vehicles and the need for new, efficient powertrain technologies has provided smaller companies with the opportunity to establish themselves as major players – particularly as component or sub-system suppliers – if they can offer ...
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ArticleSteel makes a strong case
With the push for powertrain electrification gaining strength producers of high-strength steel are preparing themselves to capitalise reports James Bakewell In 2017, global sales of battery electric vehicles (BEVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) reached 1.3m units, according to Frédéric Painchault, head of Global Automotive Marketing at steelmaker ...
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ArticleUniversal tap
The Garant MasterTap is a new universal tap from Hoffman. The company says this tool is suitable for use with a wide range of materials including steel, stainless steel, aluminium, brass and cast iron.The company claims the tap features a new geometry as well as optimised flutes, which it’s said ...
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ArticleSelf-piercing earth stud
The new KSB earthing stud from Profil is self-piercing, removing the need for additional processes involved in either welding studs into place or having to drill holes and then bolt them on, claims the company. Also, with material thicknesses being reduced to save weight, the company says the use of ...
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ArticleCollective thinking
Closer collaboration between product development and production teams could lead to significant improvements in vehicle manufacturing processes. Ford Otosan holds a unique position. Michael Nash reports The scenery in Turkey is full of surprises. A quick car journey can lead to towering mountains, pristine beaches and lush forests, while historical ...