Automation – Page 191
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ArticleCutting it fine
There can be no let up in machine tool investment among companies which are keen to beat the competitionMachine tools are in a constant state of evolution as controls get smarter and spindle speeds and traverse rates get faster. In the automotive supply chain, this demands regular investment in the ...
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ArticleHonda reinvents assembly line
Thailand – The company has developed a mass-production vehicle assembly line which incorporates a 'flowing cell' system. Honda has named this the ARC (Assembly Revolution Cell) Line and introduced it to the new Prachinburi plant.Contrasting with conventional production in which one worker is responsible for a single installation task as ...
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ArticleHonda extends production stoppage
Japan – The company has said it will extend the halt of production operations at its Kumamoto factory (from its previously announced date of April 22) until April 28, in view of the extent of facility damage resulting from the Kumamoto earthquake.Operations at this plant will be reviewed after April ...
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UK’s largest automotive cluster
UK – The first 12 months of the North East Automotive Alliance (NEAA) has seen it grow to become the UK’s largest automotive cluster group and it’s claimed one of the biggest in Europe. The industry-led cluster group it now has more than 130 members ranging from Nissan and Komatsu ...
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Arrefecendo, limpando
Além de selecionar o fluido de arrefecimento correto ou fluido de corte para o material a ser maquinado, assegurando que o fluido é mantido limpo por tanto tempo quanto possível, é tão importante para a qualidade quanto para a poupança de custos. Machine shops using water-based metalworking fluids are ...
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AGVs encontram o seu caminho
Veículos teleguiados estão levando as linhas de montagem para um futuro flexível. AGV systems help to limit heavy goods handling by operators and ensure a safer environmentHistoricamente, a indústria automotiva dependia fortemente do uso de tecnologias de robóticas para operações de fabricação puras tais como montagem, soldagem ...
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Grupo Antolin opens a new factory in China
China – The new plant, part of a joint venture with Dongfeng Visteon, will manufacture headliners and door panels for Renault, PSA, Nissan, Infiniti and Honda. The JV has invested more than €11m in the project that will expand employment to around 125 people by the end of the year.Currently ...
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ArticleCould Brexit mean business as usual?
As the UK's competing EU referendum campaigns gather speed, it is fascinating to ponder the impact a vote to leave would have on the automotive industry. About a year ago, I would have said that the so-called 'Brexit' would be unremittingly bad news for the UK's automotive manufacturing sector. Now, ...
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EU referendum
As the UK‘s EU referendum campaigns gather speed, I am frequently asked for my views on the impact of a vote to leave on the industry. A year or so ago, I would have said that leaving the EU would be unremittingly bad news for the UK auto industry. Now, ...
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ArticleOerlikon Balzers expands at Bengaluru
India – The company has made a major investment in its new Automotive Solutions building, tripling the size of the existing service centre in Bengaluru. Oerlikon says the expansion will allow it to provide faster and better service, plus a wider portfolio, to customers for precision parts in a range ...
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Limpieza de los fluidos
Además de la selección del liquido refrigerante o fluido de corte adecuado para el mecanizado del material, garantizar que el fluido se mantenga limpio durante el mayor tiempo posible es igual de importante, tanto por la calidad como por el ahorro de los costesSe está instando a los talleres de ...
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Los vehículos automatizados se abren paso
Los vehículos de guiado automático están llevando a las cadenas de montaje a un futuro flexibleHistóricamente, la industria del automóvil se ha basado en gran medida en el uso de tecnologías robóticas para operaciones de fabricación como el ensamblado, la soldadura y la estampación - pero en los últimos años ...
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AGVs find their way
Automated guided vehicles are carrying the assembly lines to a flexible futureHistorically, the automotive industry has relied heavily on the use of robotics technologies for pure manufacturing operations like assembly, welding and stamping – but in recent years other robotics applications such as automated guided vehicles (AGVs) have become more ...
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Cool down, clean up
Beside selecting the right coolant or cutting fluid for the material being machined, ensuring the fluid is kept clean for as long as possible is just as important, both for quality and cost savingMachine shops using water-based metalworking fluids are being urged to initiate a regular system cleaning regime, amid ...
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ArticleAGVs find their way
Automated guided vehicles are carrying assembly lines toward a more flexible futureHistorically, the automotive industry has relied heavily on the use of robotic technologies for pure manufacturing operations like assembly, welding and stamping, but in recent years other applications such as automated guided vehicles (AGVs) have become more popular in ...
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Article
自动引导车的未来
自动导引车正将装配线推向更加灵活的未来。 过去，汽车工业非常依赖机器人进行纯粹的制造操作，比如装配、焊接和冲压 — 但是近年来，像自动导引车（AGV）等其他机器人应用在工厂中悄然兴起。AGV一般是铲车大小，带轮推车，利用软件导航，在制造厂和装配厂周围移动 — 通常需要瓷片或激光的辅助。因此，AGV能用于汽车制造的什么方面呢？这种方法的优点和难点是什么？AGV应用于汽车制造之后，今后还会什么样的重要革新和发展趋势呢？ AGV systems help to limit heavy goods handling by operators and ensure a safer environment在线给料AGV运输系统需要很少的操作员，经常用于运输大型货物和托运货物，在中短距离上运输力处于中低。在形式和功能生的差别很大 — 有些制造商还生产自动导引推车（AGC），及视频引导车（VGV）— 但是他们更愿意把精力放在按照预定线路或动态线路自动运输货物。AGV系统逐步普及应用于制造厂和零部件分销中心等地方，不仅减少了操作员手动运输重型货物的几率，还提供了更加安全的工作环境。AGV系统的一个用户是DHL，公司将AGV系统应用于汽车装配厂，更好地管理在线给料工作，比如从工厂库存到装配厂的准时化顺序（JIT）运输零部件。DHL客户方案与革新部门经理Fathi Tlatli说，在制造过程中使用AGV的目的看中线旁JIT材料补充。据Tlatli称，DHL已经与多个汽车原始设备制造商合作，实行开发AGV方案。尽管他相信这能带来“性能改进”，但是他说这种高性能表现主要体现在一些特殊的领域 — 尤其是那些需要远距离定期进行重复的材料移动的部门，以及重点需要追踪材料的部门，因为准时送递非常关键，否则会导致效率低下。Tlatili说，“DHL目前与许多业务合作商都有试点项目。这些项目的目的就是开发新技术的优点，比如微处理器、低成本传感器、大数据分析器，都用于开发新的机器人应用软件。”线路导航另一个大力发展AGV应用技术的公司是美国的Seegrid公司，他们已经开发出一种面基础设施视觉导引车（VGV）— 不需要向电线、激光、磁铁或胶带这样的设施 — 有助于提高安全性、减少劳动成本、改进生产力。Seegrid VGV可以在厂内进行培训，只要将设备沿着所需路径走一圈就可以，这个过程中就会用照相机对工厂和建筑拍照，绘制3D图像，用于导航。培训一旦完成，VGV就能用于运输托盘、推车、火车和行李车。据Seegrid首席技术官Mitchell Weiss称，公司的VGV被很多汽车制造商所采用。比如戴姆勒公司，他们利用Seegrid VGV优化了零部件到生产线的操作应用，降低了22%的等待时间，零部件到生产线的运输时间也降低了50%。尽管没有透露准确的细节，但Weiss还是谈了美国汽车业客户在车队中使用VGV的情况，他们从冲压车间运输汽车外板到1,000米以外的仓库。在这里，VGV将货架运输到不同的存储地点，在建筑物、门廊之间穿梭，与卡车操作员一同前行，将空的货架准备好运到冲压线上。Weiss说，“最大的好处就是能优化高昂的冲压线，保证出口清洁，不会阻碍换班。”底盘接合在美国密歇根的Jervis-Webb公司是Daifuku North America旗下分公司 — 是与Henry Ford公司与1919年合作建立的汽车装配线 — 制造一种自动导引推车（AGC）生产线，用于灵活的磁带导航。Jervis-Webb公司高级销售工程师David ...
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ArticleSoftware to create fixturing set-ups
Renishaw is launching FixtureBuilder a 3D-modelling software package designed to allow the off-line creation and documentation of fixturing set-ups. The software can be used with a CAD model of the part to be inspected, which is imported into FixtureBuilder, so that the fixture can be built around it, claims the ...
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ArticleUltrasonic welding for automotive applications
Telsonic says its latest suite of ultrasonic welding systems have been used to produce a series of exterior and interior components, including sensor housings and switch bezels, for a number of current JLR models.The company claims ultrasonic welding offers precise and repeatable control of the joining process, ensuring that the ...
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WebinarArcelorMittal Webinar: ArcelorMittal’s S-in motion® Mid-size Sedan and SUV platform solutions
Since initial rollout, ArcelorMittal’s S-in motion® lightweight steel solutions have assisted OEMs achieve significant body-structure weight reductions in production vehicles. Building upon its existing C-segment Sedan and Pickup Truck solutions, the S-in motion® range is now being extended to Mid-size Sedans and SUVs for the first time in a ...
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ArticleNexteer announces European expansion
Poland – The motion control specialist will spend over $16m on building a third plant and on opening a technical centre in Tychy later this year. The company will add 100 engineers to its workforce and has already started the recruitment process.The new factory will boost Nexteer’s capacity to produce ...