Automation – Page 155
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ArticleNew cylinder pressure sensors
The Type 6124A uncooled cylinder pressure sensor has a measuring range of 0 to 300 bar at up to 350°C, and is suitable for both laboratory and on-road applications claims Kistler. Featuring the company’s PiezoStar, it’s claimed the sensor offers good thermal sensitivity and linearity characteristics (thermal sensitivity shift ≤±1 ...
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ArticleIt's time to get personal
The advent of 3D printing has set the industry’s imagination racing with regard to how far this innovative technology could actually push technological boundaries, particularly concerning personalisation. We all love choosing the colour scheme, upholstery, wheels and trims for our new cars, so how great would it be if your ...
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Article
Mazda boosts engineering team
Japan – The OEM released its graduate recruitment plan for fiscal year ending (FYE) March 2019, showing that it will offer 220 engineering positions on home territory, plus 45 administrative roles. This is an increase on the number of new employees estimated for FYE March 2019 (205 and 40 respectively).“We ...
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Article
- 宏观人体工学
福特公司通过虚拟仿真、人体工学来评估装配厂任务，极大降低了工人受伤率“行业健将”，这是福特公司对其装配线工人们最亲切的称呼。这个称呼中可以获悉，汽车生产线上的工作对体力的要求。但同时，OEM还知道其中还充斥着疲劳、压力、受伤等诸多不可避免的风险。在过去的数年里，人体工学技术、起重辅助设备、工作站重新设计和数据驱动工艺变化，是福特公司降低受伤率；从2003年到2015年间，公司美国工厂的56,000名“行业健将”受伤率下降了70%。此外，公司报告称，已经减少了90%的人体工学相关不健康操作，比如过度拉抻运动、抑制手清洁，以及高难度零部件安装等。 Full-body motion capture collects data on the actions an individual worker goes through when completing a task福特公司人体工学工程师Marty Smets说，“大体上，其他公司对人体工学采取追溯方法。”标准做法就是在他们实际着手工作的时候，才去解决人体工学，这影响了实际操作员。通常来讲，一名工厂人体工程学者被叫来，只是在接到特定情况的抱怨之后，才进行评估。Smets说，“在反应人体工学发展时期，人们没过多久就意识到，很多体格方面的早期问题都是和三个箱子有关；要么安装零部件的位置太高太远，要么手动清洁的地方太紧。”在福特公司，人体工学产生影响的最初点是在第一个实物建造时期：这正是从数字规划阶段转化成原型汽车的时期。然而Smets说，理想的情况是通过在规划的时候就制定更加高效的时间表，以要避免受伤：“这被称为前沿人体工学，这个过程推动了3D汽车数据和数字人模的发展，安全地按照设计制造汽车。”虽然这种方法需要Smets和他的同事们走在最前面，但是可以在零部件和工具改变造成高昂成本之前，人体工学就可以进行评估和起作用。虚拟制造数字人摸技术发展飞速。类似的技术用在运动科学领域，来监督和检查专业运动员的行为，帮助他们提高成绩，重要的是可以避开受伤。因此，如果这适用于奥林匹克运动员，也能对福特公司的健将们起作用。福特公司专注两个关键领域 — 设计可行性和装配厂工人们的安全。在启动汽车之前3年中的2年里，福特公司的人体工学创造了一个虚拟模式工序，同时采用人类和虚拟测试主题，测量流程所需要的体力劳动。为了减少和避免对工人产生不利影响，搜集来的数据在实施生产之前用于指导工程方案。Smets说，“我们不仅要避免受伤，而且还要保证高质量。这是我们优化操作能力的结果。”福特公司人体工学利用三个核心技术，在新车启动之前，完成900多个虚拟装配任务评估 — 这三个核心技术是全身动作捕捉、仿真虚拟现实和3D打印。每个部门提供数据，团队就嫩该评估装配过程的全部安全性，同时不影响生产质量要求。全身动作捕捉是搜集装配线工人在完成任务的时候的工作。搜集的数据包括手臂、后背、腿和躯干的52个工作。人体工学家们搜集5,000多个数据点，评估肌肉优点和缺点、关节张力和身体平衡。 Testing hand clearance is one example where 3D-printed models are more effective than virtual simulation仿真虚拟现实采用23摄像机动作捕捉系统和头盔式显示器，把一名员工放置在虚拟工作站之内。有了这个，福特公司就能开发优质工作环境。3D打印的出现，使人体工学者们重新创造虚拟仿真有些低效的环境。手的清晰度就是一个很好的例子，但是3D打印模型能够辨识各种尺寸的手型，而不受到特定组件操作的影响。人体工作方法专家人体工程学者们都是拥有生物机械专业或人体工程学专业的硕士学位，是人体工作方面的专家。福特公司团队是公司内部团队，但是在最后编程阶段需要一些人体工程中介帮助。这就解放了福特公司自己的团队，可以专注于下一个项目。大多数情况下，一名人体工程学者都安排一个汽车项目。这个团队是全球的，因此除了北美，福特公司在欧洲、南美和亚太地区也有人体工程学者。Smets说，“他们目睹项目从启动初期到实际实施的全过程。几乎全球所有的福特汽车制造厂都能从中受益。我们在北美的制造厂拥有56,000多名工人。”积极影响通过与更多的工程团队合作，福特的人体工程学者们能够影响大规模生产线的改变，尤其是在推出主要车型的时候。Smets将此视作推进生产线人体工学优化的机会。"我们不仅要避免受伤，而且还要保证高质量。这是我们优化操作能力的结果。" - Marty Smets, Ford“一旦一个主要商品推出来，所有工具典范到位，我们就会更加限制发生改变。这就是为什么从一开始就此用最好的技术这么重要的原因。”人体工学者关注每一个福特新推出的零部件和程序，保证装配的安全性。除了新的零部件，有些工作会在特殊的工厂里进行，保证任何有问题的操作能够及时解决。这保证了福特公司“关闭回路”，将得到的反馈映射到未来产品的装配设计上。Smets说，“虚拟过程中就做足工作的最大好处就是有机会设计适合人工作的装配环境，而不是被动适应。”各种形式福特公司UAW人口的人体测量学应用非常广泛。也就是说，行业健将以各种形式存在 — 但是所有人都适用。Smets即是说，“几年前，我们有一个项目是与Penn State的研究者们合作进行，最后开发出福特专用数字人模。我们有对外开放的数据集，具有人类维度特点，但是他们由不同类型的人组成，而不仅仅是在我们装配厂工作的人。” Ford aims to design an ...
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ArticleMacro ergonomics
By assessing hundreds of assembly tasks through virtual simulation, ergonomists at Ford have helped to drastically reduce worker-injury ratesIndustrial athletes, that’s how Ford affectionately regards its assembly line employees. The phrase is an acknowledgement of the physicality required to work on an automotive production line. However, the OEM also recognises ...
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Mazda Hofu to make new CX-5
Japan – The plant in Yamaguchi prefecture will start producing the vehicle in November, joining the Ujina factory in Hiroshima where it is already manufactured. Mazda says the production launch is in response to growing worldwide demand for SUVs.“As with the CX-3, starting production of the CX-5 at Hofu Plant ...
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ArticleVW and Tata initiate strategic alliance
Germany/India – The two companies have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) which will form the basis of long-term cooperation in specific areas, with the overall objective of jointly developing components and potentially also vehicle concepts. The project will be led by the VW Group’s Skoda brand.“Our aim with the ...
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ArticleVojvodich joins Ford board
US – Taking up the role on April 1, Lynn Vojvodich will sit on the Nominating and Governance, Sustainability and Innovation and Audit Committees. Last month, Vojvodich completed her tenure with software company Salesforce, where she had served as executive vice-president and chief marketing officer since 2013.“Lynn is a proven ...
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ArticleDetroit Electric enters Far East JV
UK – The deal with Far East Smarter Energy Group of China has helped to secure investment of $1.8 billion for the development and manufacture of electric vehicles (EVs) over three years. Detroit Electric’s European operations will receive $370m during the next four years, enabling it to complete the homologation ...
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Uma ordem para o progresso
Após as quedas na demanda dos últimos anos, os fabricantes de automóveis no Brasil e Argentina antecipam um aumento nas fortunas do mercado e um aumento na produção de veículosFabricantes de veículos em apuros que operam no Brasil estão prevendo um retorno ao crescimento em 2017, após o mercado ter ...
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Terminando em alta
Retificação, acabamento e usinagem de descarga elétrica passaram de processo de nicho para fabricação tradicionalEra uma vez, processos de usinagem, tais como retificação e usinagem de descarga elétrica (EDM) que eram vistos como tecnologias "obscuras". Hoje, no entanto, estes métodos de máquina avançadas entraram no mainstream, com a indústria automotiva ...
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ArticleUnder contract
Valmet Automotive is experiencing rapid growth with a new Daimler contract to build its GLC SUV, partnership with a leading Chinese battery supplier and engineering acquisitions in EuropeIt might have been a chilly -12°C outside the Uusikaupunki plant on the day of our visit, but things are certainly heating up ...
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ArticleGM and Honda pick Fuel Cell team
US – Suheb Haq of GM will become the first president of the newly created Fuel Cell System Manufacturing (FCSM) while Tomomi Kosaka of Honda will serve as its vice-president. The board of directors will comprise three executives from each company and will include a rotating chairperson.Together, Haq and Kosaka ...
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ArticleFord trials large-scale 3D printing
US – The OEM is exploring how substantial, one-piece components such as spoilers could be printed for the prototyping and future production of vehicles, with resultant decreases in weight and fuel consumption. Ford is using a Stratasys Infinite Build 3D printer at its research centre in Dearborn, Michigan.“With Infinite Build ...
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ArticleBuscando la recuperación
Tras las caídas en la demanda de los últimos años, los fabricantes de automóviles de Brasil y Argentina anticipan una recuperación en el mercado y un aumento en la producción de vehículosLos fabricantes de vehículos que operan en Brasil pronostican un retorno al crecimiento en 2017, después de que el ...
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ArticleProcesos de acabado
El rectificado, el tratamiento superficial y la electroerosión han dejado de ser procesos de fabricación específicos y se han generalizadoHace algún tiempo, los procesos de mecanizado tales como el rectificado y el mecanizado por descarga eléctrica (EDM) o electroerosión eran vistos como tecnologías marginales. Sin embargo, hoy en día estos ...
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ArticlePSA acquires Opel/Vauxhall
France – In a €2.2 billion ($2.3 billion) deal, the French vehicle-maker will take control of GM’s two European brands plus its regional financial division. The transaction will make PSA the second-largest automotive company in Europe after the Volkswagen Group, with a market share of 17%.“We are proud to join ...
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ArticleHonda’s $150m for ten-speed transmissions
US – The investment will be spread across two plants in Georgia and Ohio, enabling Honda to produce the automatic transmissions for front-wheel-drive vehicles. Production started today at Honda Precision Parts of Georgia (HPPG) in Tallapoosa.At HPPG, the OEM is spending $100m for a new assembly line and production modifications, ...
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ArticleHonda to double UK apprentices
UK – The vehicle-maker said it would expand its apprenticeship training for this year after receiving the highest number of applications since the scheme launched in 1999. Honda Swindon, which has become the production hub for the new Civic, is midway through recruiting September’s intake of apprentices.At present, the successful ...
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ArticleHarnessed dress-packs for welding robots
igus says it now offers fully assembled dress-packs for rapid replacement of energy chain systems on welding robots. The company explains that these can be custom designed, drop-in replacements, that can be connected quickly and minimise downtime.These packs consist of a multi-axis triflex R energy chain, filled with chainflex cables ...