Automation – Page 196
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Mazda announces recruitment plan
Japan – The vehicle-maker will offer 205 engineering, 260 manufacturing and 40 administrative positions in its home country in the fiscal year ending (FYE) March 2018. Mazda also released estimated recruitment figures for FYE March 2017.Recruits for FYE March 2017 will total 475, broken down into 185 engineering, 260 manufacturing ...
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ArticleThailand to be rivalled by Indonesia as auto hub
Indonesia – The production gap between the two countries was around 810,000 units in 2015 but is set to narrow to 465,000 by 2020, according to the ‘Indonesia Outlook 2020’ report by Ipsos Business Consulting. This change will have implications for vehicle-makers, suppliers and policy planners, says the organisation.“The evidence ...
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ArticleBenecke-Kaliko unveils Changzhou plant
China – The factory, which took a year to build, is the company’s second in the country and is now manufacturing the interior materials Acella Eco and Acella Eco green. Series production began at the end of 2015.The Continental subsidiary invested €40m ($45.2m) in the first phase of the project ...
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ArticleThai Honda celebrates 50th anniversary
Thailand – The company this month held a special event at Ladkrabang plant to acknowledge the milestone. Thai Honda Manufacturing was actually established in 1965 and began motorcycle production in 1967. Thai Honda now employs 8,200 workers in total and has the capacity to make 1.7m motorcycles per year.Thai Honda ...
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ArticleNissan Iwaki makes new Infiniti V6
Japan – The 3.0-litre, twin-turbo engine is billed as “the lightest, most powerful, cleanest and most fuel-efficient” V6 that Infiniti has yet offered. It will initially power the 2016 Infiniti Q50 sports saloon, and later the new Q60 sports coupe.The V6 engine, part of the VR series, will be available ...
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ArticleHorn breaks away from VW
US – Volkswagen Group of America announced that its president and CEO is leaving “to pursue other opportunities effective immediately”. He will be replaced on an interim basis by Hinrich Woebcken, who was recently named as head of the North American Region and chairman of Volkswagen Group of America.Herbert Diess, ...
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Honda celebrates 20 years in Vietnam
Vietnam – The maker of cars and motorcycles marked its two decades in the country, where it is a ‘corporate citizen’ with a series of social responsibility commitments. The company currently employs 10,00 people in Vietnam and has the capacity to produce 10,000 cars and 2.5m motorcycles per year.Honda Vietnam ...
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ArticleNissan announces management changes
Japan – The appointments, effective from April 1, are at the level of executive vice-president (EVP), senior vice-president (SVP) and corporate vice-president (CVP). Nissan said there will also be a “reinforced” Total Customer Satisfaction Division active across the business, from R&D and manufacturing to sales and showroom service.“Fiscal year 2016 ...
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PSA de volta na corrida
Com nova gerência, nova estratégia e novos acionistas, a PSA está passando por uma mudança de sorteNão foi há muito tempo que o futuro da PSA foi posto em questão. Com as dificuldades financeiras, empreendimento conjunto e arranjo de participação cruzada com a General Motors em colapso e a necessidade ...
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Desafio da Renault China
Abrindo sua primeira fábrica na China, a Renault está disposta a seguir os passos liderados por seu parceiro de aliança Nissan The Wuhan engine plant is Renault’s first outside Europe to make both the block and the headAntes tarde do que nunca. Essa foi a mensagem da Renault com ...
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PSA vuelve a la carrera
PSA está experimentando un cambio de suerte, gracias a la nueva dirección, la nueva estrategia empleada y los nuevos accionistasHasta no hace mucho tiempo el futuro de PSA era incierto. Por culpa de la crisis financiera, la asociación en Joint Venture y el intercambio de acciones con GM estaba a ...
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ArticleSubaru Global Platform unveiled
Japan – Currently under development, the architecture will be used for all of Subaru’s next-generation vehicles, together with horizontally opposed engines, symmetrical all-wheel drive and EyeSight driver-assist technology. It is part of the company’s mid-term plan, ‘Prominence 2020’, which was announced in 2014.According to Subaru, the platform will improve performance, ...
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ArticleFormaplex boosts CNC capability
UK – An investment of £300,000 ($426,330) has enabled the purchase of three new, three-axis computer numerical control (CNC) machines from Haas Automation plus a trunnion table for five-axis milling. Formaplex says the equipment will help its Specialist Engineering Division “to meet the growing demand for high-speed machining of a ...
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El reto de Renault en China
Renault, con la apertura de su primera planta en China, está dispuesto a llegar hasta donde ha llegado su aliado Nissan.Mejor tarde que nunca. Este fue el mensaje que envió un directivo de Renault en la ceremonia de inauguración de la primera planta del fabricante francés en China. El jefe ...
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ArticleValmet acquires robots for GLC
Finland – Production of the Mercedes SUV is due to begin in early 2017, once the 250 ABB robots have been installed in the bodyshop, where automation will exceed 90%. Valmet says the deal is the largest in Finnish history and will boost the number of robots at its Uusikaupunki ...
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ArticleHeavy load solvent-based cleaning system
Dürr Ecoclean says its large-chamber EcoCDuty solvent-based cleaning system is designed for loads measuring up to 1250 x 840 x 970mm and weighing up to 1 tonne. Operating with hydrocarbons or modified alcohols and under full vacuum, it can be configured as a steam degreaser in its standard version.The system ...
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ArticleVertical workholding vice
Kurt Manufacturing says its SideWinder vise provides vertical workholding without interfering with an existing host vise or the spindle. The company claims the SideWinder is easy to set up and can be left attached to the host vise and won’t interfere with other machining. The vise offers easy removal and ...
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ArticleRenault and Nissan strengthen convergence
France – The Alliance partners will progress their collaboration in four key areas: Engineering; Manufacturing Engineering and Supply Chain Management; Purchasing; and Human Resources. New convergence projects will also be launched, starting with Quality and Costing.The four key functions were converged in 2014 and are now managed by Alliance executives. ...
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ArticleRenault's China challenge
Opening its first factory in the country, Renault is keen to follow where Alliance partner Nissan has ledBetter late than never. That was the message from Renault's top-brass at the inauguration of its first-ever factory in China. Renault-Nissan Alliance boss Carlos Ghosn told journalists at a ceremony in Wuhan, central ...
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雷诺在中国
雷诺在中国开设了第一家工厂，追随着日产的足迹缓步走来晚做总比不做好。这是雷诺在中国第一家工厂开幕式上，公司高管所发出的信号。雷诺-日产联盟的老板Carlos Ghosn在中国武汉举行仪式的时候，对记者们说，公司的宏伟目标就是占有3.5%的市场份额，相当于700,000多辆汽车，而去年的销量为23,000辆。他并没有拿出时间表，但是雷诺的销量如日中天，而恰逢中国10%增长率一去不复返 — 2015年的销量增长了4.7%，达到2,110万辆，需求开始处于平稳。然而，这并不是雷诺采取的投机性措施。从一开始，这个品牌仍然借助姐妹品牌 — 日产在当地的成功经验，从汽车平台到合作商（东风），如法炮制。雷诺的第一炮响在了武汉，武汉被称为“中国的底特律”，工厂完全复制了当地的日产工厂，尤其是中国东南部的广州工厂。事实上，武汉工厂里的喷漆厂被认为是广州工厂的“副本”。同样，发动机压铸厂也是复制了河南郑州日产-东风工厂。Ghosn在开幕式上说，“所有人都意识到协同增效对成功的重要性。我们期望合资公司会大获成功。”与广州日产工厂的联系最为紧密，因为雷诺刚开始制造的汽车 — Kadjar紧凑型SUV与Nissan Qashiqai车型和大型X-Trail Suv的平台时相同的。雷诺将于今年晚些时候推出第二款X-Trail SUV。根据销量，公司希望工厂的产量能够达到150,000。因为雷诺与日产共享的东西太多，雷诺的管理层宣称，Kadjar的本地化水平已经超过80%，这对一个在新的国度白手起家的品牌来说令人瞠目。能够得到本地供应是因为雷诺将在当地生产2.0升发动机，使武汉成为雷诺旗下4个发动机压铸厂之一。然而，本地化水平会在第二年有所下滑，因为会从法国进口1.2升涡轮发动机。 The Wuhan engine plant is Renault’s first outside Europe to make both the block and the head雷诺非常肯定的说，已经在快速发展的中国SUV市场还有发展的空间。理由非常充分。雷诺公司称，去年SUV增长了53%，达到690万辆，占整个市场的28%。去年，中国市场增长率为4.7%。这个增长率主要是因为当地制造商制造的车型比外国品牌的售价要低，但是令雷诺安心的是Nissan X-Trail是去年中国销量前20当中排位第一的外国SUV.人力资源雷诺工厂目前拥有2,000名员工，到今年年底将会达到3,000人。他们很年轻。雷诺公司称，员工中95%的年龄低于35岁，平均年龄是25。其中的16%是女人。雷诺公司称，这与中国汽车业的平均数值相符。三个宿舍区分布在厂区入口附近的供应商园区，里面住着800名员工。东风雷诺公司称，2,000名员工中的500人去年在东风日产4个工厂中受到培训。公司承认，培训总时数为435,000小时，比一般新厂都要高。中法合资公司共有10个主要部门（全面管理、项目与规划、产品规划、研发、工业化、财务、采购、人力资源、市场营销和IT），每个部门两个部长，一个来自雷诺，一个来自东风。这种体系是两个公司的混合物。汽车设计与开发来自雷诺公司，但是制造与物流来自东风日产公司。人力资源、市场营销来自中国。如果中国人同意，那就扩建雷诺公司称，工厂的产量可以翻番，达到300,000辆，如果需要还可以达到360,000辆。但是比两个SUV车型更为紧迫的是，雷诺还没有获得政府批准生产SUV以外车型的许可。雷诺公司首席竞争官Thierry Bollore在开幕式上对记者们说，“他们想要看到我们第一步的成功才会给我们新的许可。这也是我们的想法。SUV获得成功，那么市场也就向我们打开了。”雷诺公司称，大约需要2-3年，这个目标才能实现。公司对这个目标非常有信心。我们在墙上安装了3D简介，对95公顷的场地进行介绍。纵观厂地，工厂原来是菜园，可以清晰地看到公司建设新楼的计划。下一步他们会制造什么？轿车可能是一个答案。工厂有能力在两个平台上生产4个车型，因此两个轿车在尺寸上不会相差太多。还有可能是生产Talisman D-段轿车。这款车刚刚在欧洲推出，替代Fluence车型。冲压和汽车车体修理厂冲压车间是一个高速自动化冲压生产线，总压力达到5,400吨。我们不知道谁来做，只知道是一个地方供应商，而且广州日产工厂也有一个。总吨数可以分成3×1000吨和一个2,400吨的冲压机，进行钢板塑性。面板通过人力放到推车里，如果是Kadjar SUV，那么就被漆成粉色。占地12,270平方米的工厂里拥有40名员工，人数可以按照计划扩充，因为还要增加两个冲压生产线。雷诺工厂还有一个塑料冲压车间，拥有一个3300吨位“双螺杆”塑料注塑成型机。公司称，这是中国唯一，世界第三。汽车车体修理厂里有139个机器人，自动化率达到49%，对一个新工厂来说有些低。上海通用在武汉的汽车车体修理厂达到97%的自动化率，而东风日产大连工厂则达到83%。汽车车体修理厂里能有221名工人完成手工点焊加工，对雷诺公司来说并不是常规，这可能是因为SUV的销量并没有预想的那么高。我们还了解到第二部扩建计划，主要是要拓建23,635平方米的工厂，而且提高汽车车体修理厂的自动化水平。喷漆厂、装配与动力总成喷漆厂占地19,500平方米，拥有90名员工，每小时最高有30个工作。工厂接收的总投资77.6亿元（约合8.7亿欧元）中的5.2亿元投到了喷漆厂。这个车间是复制了广州日产的喷漆厂，拥有4个生产线：预处理、密封胶（有10个机器人）、面漆（12个机器人）和检测线。装配车间里有136个站点，间隔时间为2分钟。据雷诺公司称，共有360人在这里工作。公司计划每天制造207辆Kadjar汽车。9月份引进新款D-SUV并进入全规模生产之后，每天就会生产400辆。届时，会增加1班生产。发动机厂的员工数量有250人，分别负责铸造、加工和装配。这里制造气缸体和气缸盖。这样的生产只在雷诺在法国的Cleon工厂和Le Mans工厂，以及罗马尼亚的Pitesi工厂才做。低投资电动汽车中国政府要求，所有汽车制造公司对每个外国汽车铭牌都配备中国品牌，包括“新能源”电动车。雷诺将使用一个东风注册，但未使用的品牌，然后冠到Renault Fluence EV车上，这个车型将在武汉生产。然而，雷诺对武汉的投资很低，符合低销量预计，大约每年“几千辆”。该车装配所使用的配件是从雷诺三星釜山（韩国）工厂制造的，然后进口到武汉。这款汽车还是会遵循SUV装配生产线，但是会在独立的工厂内进行装配。 In building the Kadjar at Wuhan, Renault is confident that the fast-growing Chinese SUV market ...