Automation – Page 246
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ArticleMitsubishi Okazaki hits 5m milestone
Japan – An Outlander PHEV was the 5 millionth vehicle produced since 1977 at the facility near Nagoya. The milestone unit was presented to Yasuhiro Uchida, mayor of Okazaki City, for use as a four-wheel-drive emergency vehicle during natural disasters.Located next to Mitsubishi’s global R&D centre, the 425,000 sq.m Okazaki ...
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ArticleMaruti: Inspired by Japan
By strengthening its focus on quality, the OEM aims to keep its 44% market share despite more competitionWith sales of over 1.15m vehicles during 2013-2014 – encompassing hatchbacks, sedans, vans and SUVs – Maruti Suzuki is by any standards a major carmaker. As its name indicates, Maruti Suzuki is a ...
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ArticleIndia: Two wheels still good
Unharmed by the economic downturn, manufacturers of motorcycles and scooters are now pressing ahead with plans to increase production – building new plants and expanding existing facilitiesThe biggest motorcycle and scooter market in the world is back at full throttle after surviving India’s economic slump of the last couple of ...
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ArticleBelt conveyor preheating oven
Grieve Corporation has introduced No. 827, a 400°F electric belt conveyor oven, currently in use for preheating automotive fabric panels at a customer’s facility.Workloads travel on top of a 30” wide, mesh Teflon-coated fiberglass conveyor belt with 1/4 HP motor drive, variable speed from 0.5 to 10 feet per ...
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ArticleRotary table workstation for laser marking
FOBA says it has introduced two laser marking workstations with 2-position rotary tables for the processing of geometrically complex work pieces of varying sizes and small and large batches of parts. The automated laser class 1 rotary table workstations M2000-R and M3000-R come with a programmable Z-axis and a 2-position ...
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ArticleFaurecia inaugurates seating plant at Wentzville
US – The $13m facility in Missouri, which started production in September, will support the component supplier’s GM business by making seats for the Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon truck lines.In establishing its new, 81,844 sq.ft manufacturing site, Faurecia partnered with the Department of Economic Development and local institutions to ...
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ArticleWelding trainer for robot programmers
Virtual Welding Robotics from Fronius is now available to instructors to assist the training of robot programmers. The system shows the user whether they have programmed the robot correctly or if the welding torch was handled in the right way, says the company. A virtual instructor provides specific instructions as ...
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Article2-D barcode reading
Cognex has introduced its PowerGrid technology, a texture-based location algorithm that, the company says, takes an inside-out approach to reading 2-D matrix and Direct Part Mark (DPM) codes. While conventional feature-based algorithms start by locating the finder pattern, PowerGrid technology looks for a pattern of alternating light and dark modules ...
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ArticleExtended fieldbus options for drives
New fieldbus options provide drives’ users with fast, accurate control of processes as well as access to large amounts of data on how the process is behaving, say ABB. Its latest variable-speed drives offer two option slots for fieldbus modules. These modules can be of different types, allowing, for example, ...
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ArticleMulti-tasking machining centre
Yamazaki Mazak’s new INTEGREX i-100S multi-tasking machine, features a large machining area with compact ergonomic design. The company claims it is capable of machining both round and square workpieces from raw material with just one set up, one machine and one operator. It is also equipped with a BARTAC S ...
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ArticleEditor's note: Power to the people
For many outside the automotive industry, vehicle manufacturing is viewed as a wholly automated process – and they can be forgiven for thinking this, because the vast majority of images depict lines of robots building cars. Indeed, I receive so much information on automation and control systems that it’s easy ...
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ArticleInterview: Richard Else, JLR Halewood
The plant director has his hands full managing a factory that is running at maximum capacity thanks to demand for the Range Rover Evoque. While its new Chinese sister plant is providing additional capacity, an upcoming model and £200m of recent investment mean Else will soon be busier than ever ...
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ArticleDriving UK automotive growth
Sustained investment by global vehicle and component manufacturers, the local authorities and the government, has helped Sunderland to become a key carmaking hub in the UKLeading the UK’s new, sustainable, export-led car industry is Nissan at Sunderland. Long hailed as the most productive car manufacturing Facility in the UK, the ...
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ArticlePortable, fast & accurate measurement
Michael Lettau, product manager laser trackers at Hexagon Metrology, explains how ultra-portable high-speed laser tracker technology has developed to produce the multipurpose inspection tools that are driving better productivity in the automotive industryWith global demand continuing to rise, automotive manufacturers face a continuous challenge to enhance their productivity. The need ...
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ArticleMaking more with less
As the drive for energy efficiency increases, auto manufacturers are scrutinising every shopfloor processThe automotive manufacturing industry is a massive user of energy. The US industry alone consumes 800 trillion Btus per year, according to estimates by the US Department of Energy (DOE). In its ‘Energy Use Benchmarking in the ...
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ArticleCleaning baskets & workpiece holders
Metallform says it designs cleaning baskets with the latest CAD technology, which allows for the optimal positioning of the parts in the workpiece holder. This allows for the selective treatment of bore holes and undercuts without affecting any sensitive areas.The minimised contact area between the part and basket reduces the ...
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ArticleSingle robot coating cell concept
The new J-Hive coating cell enables the complete painting of a car body by a single robot, claims Geico. The octagonal spray booth allows the car body to rotate enabling the painting of the interior and exterior surfaces; with the movement of the body on the conveyor system controlled by ...
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ArticleMachining centre for automotive production
DMG MORI has introduced an ultra-compact, horizontal-spindle machining centre for multiple-shift, mass production of vehicle components such as cylinder blocks and heads. Designated i 50, the machine comes without an automatic pallet changer and occupies 6.6m2 of factory area. The company says the machine width has been minimised to 1,680 ...
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ArticleLightweight leaf spring
A fibre-reinforced composite leaf spring based on the polyurethane matrix resin Loctite MAX 2 from Henkel is being used in the chassis of the new Volvo XC90. In its alliance with Benteler-SGL to develop large-scale production of a composite leaf spring for Volvo Cars, Henkel has contributed its process know-how ...
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ArticlePre-harnessed energy chain system
igus says its readychain speed pre-harnessed energy chain system is ready to fit directly onto a machine without the need for specialist tools. This system is a single unit and as such can be exchanged quickly, reducing machinery downtime, claims the company. It can accommodate different connections for fibre optic, ...