Automation – Page 144
-
Article3D, fast and precise
Dürr is using laser scanning and virtual paintshops to plan and perfect its real-world modernisation and expansion projectsLaser scanning is the most modern measurement method for buildings. When the scan data is combined with the plant plans in 3D, virtual models reveal potential issues to address and solutions to apply. ...
-
ArticleSensor intelligence
Humans and robots are collaborating on process, quality and cost-efficiency – but it is sensor technology that enables the interactionAutomotive production in the future will see us working with assistants that are modular, versatile and, above all else, mobile. Some fully automated, autonomous solutions are already being used in production ...
-
ArticleA game changer
Correlation-free measurements are set to fundamentally and permanently alter in-line measuring technology and ultimately the world of manufacturingThis global innovation not only enables automotive manufacturers to make measuring and production more efficient, but also brings them significantly closer to the smart factory of tomorrow. “Correlation-free measurements will provide an entirely ...
-
ArticleSmart welding
Gerhard Posch of Fronius describes future developments and innovations necessary for welding operations to keep pace with the digitalisation of automotive productionThe vision that Internet of Things and Industry 4.0 stand for is clear: The ongoing digitalisation can provide valuable data but its benefit is restricted and very limited. If ...
-
ArticleEyes of the factory
As Industry 4.0 continues to reshape production processes and our working environments, experts in measuring and imaging technology can offer solid supportIndustry 4.0, cyber-physical systems or the Internet of Things: the paradigm shift in the production economy is cheerfully progressing under various names. What they all refer to is the ...
-
ArticleCapturing detail
New interfaces for simple and robust communication between production plant and measuring system are the key to the advance of Industry 4.0The most important measure for optimising manufacturing processes is quality control involving measurement, analysis, and correction processes. In recent years, the three-dimensional digitising of the actual states of finished ...
-
ArticleIn all the right places
Automation is making a difference at BMW Dingolfing but humans are still at the heart of productionOn any given working day, ideas around information and automation present themselves to Reinhard Weindl. In his role as quality manager for technical planning at BMW Dingolfing he has witnessed an ever-growing range of ...
-
ArticleDigital vision
The Fraunhofer Institute for Production Technology has been one of the leading lights in developing the Industry 4.0 concept. Nick Holt discussed institute’s perspective on this with Dr. Thomas Bobek, coordinator of the Fraunhofer High Performance Center Networked Adaptive Production, and how he saw its future implementation in automotive manufacturingWhat ...
-
ArticleSmall steps – big gains
Mike Farish looks at how a leading tier supplier has implemented an IoT strategy to its manufacturing operationsWhat is the best way to implement an Industry 4.0 or Internet of Things (IoT) strategy – a single, intense company-wide campaign or a gradualist approach in which a series of small projects ...
-
ArticleBehaviour study
Big data technology has enabled Gestamp to tackle energy consumption at several of its plants and, crucially, closely observe just how equipment behaves in operationBack in 2014, Gestamp resolved to address a noted upturn in its energy consumption. The Spain-based company specialises in designing, developing, and manufacturing metallic assemblies and ...
-
ArticleCube route
Data-led analysis and audit are helping Porsche to maintain and enhance its production quality values
-
ArticleZero Downtime
GM has ambitious plans to implement a zero down time approach using cloud based computing to connect all of its production robots worldwideRobots are now not just commonplace items of equipment on automotive factory floors they are absolutely vital to the implementation of automated manufacturing strategies that successfully combine the ...
-
ArticlePlug and produce
Dennis Kolberg, head of research at the department of innovative factory systems at the German Research Centre for Artificial Intelligence (DFKI), discusses developing and creating the Smart Factory and how Industry 4.0 will result in a paradigm shift in production operations How will I4.0 change the automotive manufacturing industry?Dennis Kolberg ...
-
ArticleReal-time reliability
Mike Farish looks at how the Industry 4.0 concept has become a reality at a leading US transmission manufacturerThe concept of Industry 4.0 (I4.0) does not necessarily lend itself to a precise definition. Indeed the fact that more or less the same set of ideas is also known variously as ...
-
ArticleNissan Sunderland makes new Qashqai
UK – The improvements to the model cover four areas: exterior design, interior quality, driving performance and the addition of intelligent mobility technologies. The new Qashqai will also be available with ProPILOT autonomous driving capability.The manufacture of the refreshed model, an upgrade on the second generation which was launched in ...
-
ArticleSimulation tools for hot-forming aluminium
Using advanced simulation tools, AP&T and ESI say they have implemented several virtual models that reflect the process for hot forming of high-strength aluminium (AA6xxx and AA7xxx). The simulations have been compared to the results of real tests performed at AP&T’s R&D facilities in Ulricehamn, Sweden, and the outcome shows ...
-
ArticleWelding processes for manufacturing battery packs
Amada Miyachi Europe says it offers a range of resistance and laser welding capabilities for manufacturing battery packs for hybrid and electric vehicles. These include six laser welding technologies, four resistance welding technologies and micro-arc welding (also known as pulse-arc). The company says its application experts can recommend the right ...
-
ArticleVolvo pledges electric motors for all models
Sweden – The vehicle-maker declared “the historic end of cars that only have an internal combustion engine (ICE)” with the decision to fit an electric motor to every model launched from 2019 onwards, which will include full electric vehicles (EVs), plug-in hybrids and “mild” hybrids. The OEM said it was ...
-
ArticleBBAC to build EV battery plant
China – An investment running into “three-digit million” euros will enable battery production by the joint venture between Daimler and BAIC Motor, Beijing Benz Automotive (BBAC), representing the German OEM’s first battery manufacture outside its home country. The two partners plan to jointly invest five billion yuan ($758m) in the ...
-
ArticleSmarter and safer
As production facilities grow in complexity through the interconnection of cyber, physical and human capabilities, automotive manufacturers are encountering additional safety risks alongside new possibilitiesAutomotive manufacturing is entering what Christian Dunckern, head of BMW Group Production System, Planning, Toolmaking and Plant Engineering, calls “the time of smart devices and digitalisation”, ...