Automation – Page 194
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ArticleGM wins fifth EPA Energy Star award
US – The company was recognised by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for its leadership in improving energy efficiency. Last year, GM reduced its energy consumption per vehicle by 5.6% at its US factories.“GM reinvested $7.4 billion to develop safer and more fuel-efficient vehicles with reduced emissions last year,” said ...
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ArticleNissan releases February production data
Japan – The OEM’s global output rose by 8.3% year-on-year to 414,239 units, the first increase in two months. This was driven by production outside Japan, which increased for the tenth consecutive month, this time by 11.2%, to 330,404 units.Production in Japan declined by 1.6% year-on-year to 83,835, the third ...
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ArticleTravel blog: The young ones
One of the most striking things about Bajaj Auto’s Chakan plant was how young most of the workers were. According to my guide around the factory, deputy general manager Sunil Deshpande, the average age of the workforce there is 24. Now, there is a suggestion that seeing everyone else as ...
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ArticleNissan shakes up North America management
US – The vehicle-maker announced a series of appointments across the US, Mexico and Canada as it enters the final year of its ‘Power 88’ mid-term business plan. The new postings are effective from April 1.“Today, we're announcing changes to our North American leadership team that will ensure our region's ...
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ArticleJaguar to hand-build XKSS supercars
UK – The OEM’s Classic division will use the knowledge gained during the Lightweight E-type project to make nine of the cars at its new Experimental Shop in Warwick. The vehicles will match the 1957 specification and replace those lost in the historic fire at the Browns Lane factory.The original ...
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ArticleFrançaise de Mécanique makes 300,000th PureTech
France – The PSA subsidiary in Douvrin assembled the milestone turbo PureTech three-cylinder petrol engine on March 19. The facility started making the engine type in March 2014 and now completes 6,450 per week.“Our PureTech petrol engine is a key factor in the success of the models it is fitted ...
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ArticleMercedes-Benz opens Iracemápolis plant
Brazil – Established at a cost of €600m ($683.2m), the new factory has a launch capacity of 20,000 units per year. The first car to roll off the line, 19 months after construction work began, was a C-Class saloon; from summer 2016, the plant will also make the GLA compact ...
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ArticleNissan to boost Qashqai capacity
UK – The OEM will modify Line 2 at its Sunderland plant, at a cost of £22m ($31.2m). The unspecified extra volume will be added by the end of the year, ahead of the next phase in Qashqai development in 2017, when the model will become the first Nissan in ...
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Article
Acerto de contas russo
Dos vários candidatos para o mais resistente mercado de automóveis do mundo em 2016 a Rússia certamente leva o prêmio. O rublo afundando, as sanções ocidentais e queda dos preços do petróleo, conspiraram para atingir o poder de compra dos consumidores e a confiança na Rússia ao longo do último ...
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Article
Análise CT
Conforme os fornecedores visam a atender metas de qualidade e confiabilidade, a AMS fala para uma empresa de fundição que respeita à tomografia computadorizada como um divisor de águas. Já passou o tempo no qual os fornecedores automotivos - certamente Tier 1 nível - não faziam nada além de fornecimento ...
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ArticleFord EcoSport allocated to Craiova
Romania – The vehicle-maker is investing up to €200m ($223.4m) to make its small SUV at the plant from autumn 2017. The output will be shipped to all European markets except Russia.“EcoSport sales are up nearly 30% this year, and given the continued outlook for sales growth in the small ...
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ArticleTVR to establish plant in south Wales
UK – The factory in the Ebbw Vale Enterprise Zone is being supported by investment from the Welsh authorities and represents a capital expenditure of about £30m ($42.3m) over the next five years. The vehicle-maker is currently selecting the exact location for its plant, which will be unveiled in the ...
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Article
Qué está pasando en Rusia
De entre los mercados más complicados del mundo en 2016, Rusia se alza con seguridad en el primer puestoEl año pasado, la devaluación del rublo, las sanciones occidentales y el desplome de los precios del petróleo conspiraron para golpear el poder adquisitivo del consumidor y su confianza en Rusia. Las ...
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Article
El escrutinio de la tomografía computarizada
Mientras los proveedores tratan de cumplir con los criterios de calidad y fiabilidad, AMS habla con una empresa de fundición que considera que la tomografía computarizada cambiará las reglas del juegoHace tiempo que los proveedores automovilísticos (sobre todo los de primer nivel) no se dedican exclusivamente a suministrar piezas ...
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ArticleRussian bear reawakens
News from the Russian automotive industry has been unremittingly bleak in recent times: plants shuttered, shifts cut, production volumes reduced and supply chain problems unresolved. Suddenly, however, there are signs that the Russian automotive bear might just be emerging from its hibernation.Toyota has confirmed a production start date of August ...
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ArticleElectro-galvanised martensitic steel
SSAB claims its new Docol 1500 MZE grade steel is suitable for a range of applications requiring corrosion protection, energy absorption and low weight.The company says this steel is suited for roll forming and offers a minimum tensile strength of 1500N/mm². Its high strength is achieved in the manufacturing process, ...
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ArticleFord uses Repreve fibre in new F-150
US – According to the OEM, using the recycled material will divert more than 5m plastic bottles from landfill this year. The new pick-up truck has joined four other Ford vehicles worldwide to feature Repreve fibre.“By using Repreve in the all-new Ford F-150, we are reconfirming our commitment to using ...
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ArticleMacPherson catapulted into WMG role
UK – Joining Warwick Manufacturing Group (WMG) after 25 years in various manufacturing industry roles, Archie MacPherson will become CEO of the WMG centre High Value Manufacturing (HVM) Catapult. He will also represent WMG on the Catapult management board.MacPherson has previously worked for IBM, ICL, Lucas Industries and Mettis Group, ...
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Article
- 俄罗斯汽车业近况
在2016全球汽车市场最艰难排行榜中，拔得头筹的当属俄罗斯。去年，卢布贬值，西方制裁，加上油价下跌等综合因素，将消费者的购买力和信心打入了地狱，汽车销量骤降36%。回顾2012年，销量一度达到290万辆，制造商们纷纷在该国投资加大生产，市场发展貌似会亟不可待地将要赶超德国，成为欧洲第一。到2014年晚些时候，Boston Consulting Group的分析员预计，到2016年销量将达到300万辆，而到了2020年将达到440万辆。而实际却与期望背道而驰，去年该国的汽车销量仅有160万辆。Nissan欧洲公司老板Paul Willcox认为，该国市场2016年的销量会下降到140万辆，这甚至比2009年的150万销量都低。雷诺-日产联盟首席执行官Carlos Ghosn在3月份的日内瓦汽车展上说，“俄罗斯汽车制造商已经无利可图了。”Willcox甚至认为，“消费者的信心已经被完全消灭。在过去的14个月里，汽车价格上涨了22%。形式已经处于漩涡当中，直冲底部。”大多数汽车制造商仍然在坚持。通用汽车面临崩溃，因而与2015年3月把Opel和大多数Chevrolet车型都撤了出来。公司在圣彼得堡工厂制造Opel Astra和Chevrolet Cruze车型，并且把小型Chevrolet Aveo的生产转让给俄罗斯商用车合约制造商GAZ。但是有媒体报道称，欧洲的Karl-Thomas Neumann不愿意继续投资来实现166法案的要求。该法案为实现俄罗斯地方化生产的公司提供税额优惠。Opel在圣彼得堡的工厂现在已经停产。市场不景气导致各方面瘫痪，彻底改变了其他制造商的计划。3月份Automotive News Europe引用了德国媒体的报道，称梅赛德斯正在重新考虑在俄罗斯建设工厂的计划，可能会考虑在波兰建厂。梅赛德斯无疑是德国高端汽车制造商在俄罗斯的老大，在过去3年里的销量受到的影响并不太大。然而报道称，母公司戴姆勒认为俄罗斯经济复苏之路并不明朗。外界的供应商也对投资小心谨慎。制造商们称，实现地方化是拯救货币动荡的关键，但是如果供应商们不投入，就会变得很困难。有一个英国动力传动专家GKN的例子，公司延缓了在俄罗斯建厂为AvtoVAZ在Togliatti工厂（在Samara地区，位于墨西哥东南500英里处）供应的生产计划。该厂过去供应传动轴，本来应该于2015年初就完成。 Renault on the B0 line TogliattiTogliatti大战俄罗斯汽车业又有悲痛的消息了。3月份，AvtoVAZ主要股东雷诺-日产解雇了俄罗斯首位外籍总裁，瑞典籍的Bo Andersson。Andersson于2013年底上任，通过与前苏联汽车制造商GAZ合作，挽回了Lada品牌。两家公司的问题相同 — 员工过多，消费者信誉度不高，腐败严重，老厂利用率很低。2009 年，Andersson来到GAZ公司，将这个负债1,250亿美元的公司扭亏为盈，因而受到雷诺-日产联盟总裁Carlos Ghosn的关注。他在去年Automotive Manufacturing Solution采访时说，“我对Ghosn先生说过，我在GAZ怎么做，就会在AvtoVAZ怎么做。”然而，这位前瑞典军官发现，Togliatti的情况完全不同。他在一次采访中称，“这里困难10多倍”。他解雇了20,000名员工，他们在Togliatti这样的工厂玩忽职守。他在GAZ获得战役的胜利，但在Togliatti却遇到困难。他说，“供应基地完全不同，这些国营供应商已经习惯得到特殊优惠。”他们开始反击，不顾Andersson的要求两次关掉Togliatti的生产。他说，“我要求5件事：我要求高质量零部件，我要求送递，我要求服务，我要求有竞争力的价格，我要求付款条件”。可是他们反过来到普京总统那里抱怨成15件。当时，Andersson胜出，但是战争并没有结束。Andersson抱怨说，供应商们把零部件直接卖给经销商，比如AvtoVAZ和Lada经销商，然后把利润吞掉。他说，“通常来说，公司在备用配件方面的利润占到10%。因此我们的总利润是50亿欧元，那么备用配件将是5亿，而现在的利润只有1.5亿。”Andersson改进了俄罗斯最大汽车厂的生产力。他从去年6月开始在Renault-Nissan B0平台上，为日产和雷诺制造汽车，整个工厂的使用率达到70%（之前开始时只有50%）。他说，“对联盟重要的是要从安装了设备中获得利润”。工厂除了生产Lada车型，为联盟生产8中汽车，即Renault Sandero, Nissan Sentra, Nissan Tiida, Nissan Almera, Datsun On-do和Datsun Mi-do。2013年，当时还只有一个。他把AvtoVAZ称作合约制造公司，而且“很喜欢这种方式”。但是尽管Andersson对AvtoVAZ进行成本节约，但是亏损却更加严重。2015年，公司亏损与前年738.6亿卢布（约合10亿美元）相比增加两倍。据欧洲行业协会公布，去年Lada的销量下降了31%，只有269,096辆。今年的前两个月里，Lada车型销量从榜首退下，而Granta已经被Hundai Solaris打败。2月份，公司被Kia Rio打败。韩国进一步加强其地位，成为俄罗斯市场中外国品牌之首。Andersson的强硬手段可能对敏感的当地来说太过了，现在他已经被Renault Dacia在罗马尼亚的总裁Nicolas Maure所代替。他将继续在AvtoVAZ完成利润的战斗。投资地方化就像每个在坚持的汽车制造商都会说的那样，在俄罗斯生存之道就是实现零部件供应地方化。AvtoVAZ前任首席执行官Bo Andersson去年说过，“如果你在俄罗斯卢布节约结构性销售，那么你的胜算就很大。如果卢布成本是15%，那么欧元和美元就完蛋了”。他承认，在俄罗斯生产Lada车型地方化的成本为81%，而日产和雷诺大约是50%。去年6月，AvtoVAZ计划要在当地制造1.6升汽油发动机，为联盟供应。联盟合作商Nissan认为，这么做的优势非常明显，因为这实现了地方化。Nissan欧洲公司总裁Paul Willcox对AMS说，“因为我们投入很大，我想要保持现在的投资”。除了在Togliatti Nissan生产低成本车型之外，还在圣彼得堡工厂制造高价位汽车。去年，工厂还新增Nissan Qashaqai SUV的生产。该汽车制造商去年还从市场撤出Nissan Juke小型SUV。据雷诺-日产联盟负责制造工厂与供应链管理的部长Jerome Olive说，Nissan零部件总的地方化已经达到70%，“这很困难，但对我们的竞争对手来说更加困难。”他还想在俄罗斯实现二级供应商和三级供应商的本地化，并推进与AvtoVAZ的合作联系。其他制造商也在努力巩固自身的地位。Ford在2015年度过了飞铲艰难的一年，销量下降41%，最后只出售了38,607辆。但是公司还还分离推出新的车型 — 2015年推出5款 — 并实现零部件生产本地化。去年9月，公司投资2.75亿美元，在Elabuga建立新的发动机生产厂，制造1.6升汽车发动机，本地化“水平极高”。工厂的生产力为每年105,000部发动机，如果需要能达到200,000部，但是市场要扩大很多才能消化这些。但至少Ford销量还有希望 ...
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ArticleRussian reckoning
Of the several contenders for world’s toughest car market in 2016, Russia surely takes the prizeThe sinking rouble, western sanctions and collapsing oil prices conspired to pummel consumer purchasing power and confidence in Russia over the last year. Sales have declined by a massive 36%. Back in 2012, when sales ...