Automation – Page 274
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ArticleNissan opens plant in Purwakarta
Indonesia – The 60,000 sq.m facility has been established at a cost of 33 billion yen ($324m) and is the OEM’s second production site in the country. The facility includes body assembly, paint, trim and chassis operations and will boost Nissan’s annual capacity in Indonesia from 100,000 to 250,000 units ...
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ArticleEnergy consumption monitoring
NK Technologies says its APT series power transducers measure three phases of current and voltage and produces an industry standard analog signal proportional to the watts used. The monitor uses current transformers to measure the amperes, and the line voltage connects directly to the transducer, up to 600 VAC.The power ...
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ArticleNew CAD/CAM programming & nesting software
This latest version of ESAB’s Columbus® III version 1.2 CAD/CAM programming and nesting software, offers new features and updates to make programming easier, improve material utilisation, productivity and streamline workflow, claims the company.The new software enables parts to be imported from an existing assembly without the need for customized import ...
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ArticleHigh-pressure water activation of the cylinder bore surfaces
The EcoCBooster, integrated into Dürr Ecoclean's PulseBoreCenter, generates a pulsating water jet of much higher kinetic energy. The company claims this permits the use of no more than 600 bar pressure when using water jetting to activate the cylinder bore surfaces of engine blocks prior to thermal coating. Also the ...
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ArticleJackson and Bonnefont to lead PSA brands
France – The current managing director of Citroen in the UK and Ireland, Linda Jackson, will replace Frédéric Banzet as CEO; Banzet is taking up a senior role at FFP. Jackson has over 35 years of automotive industry experience, having occupied a variety of financial and commercial roles.Yves Bonnefont has ...
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ArticleMBUSI: Adding to Alabama
The German carmaker is introducing new models, including the C-Class sedan, to its Alabama plantIf you visit the Tuscaloosa County, Alabama, tourist board site, amongst the half-a-dozen local attractions listed is the Mercedes Benz Factory Tour at the German automaker’s Vance facility. When it was first opened in 1997 the ...
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Article奔驰美国国际公司：阿拉巴马州新动向
这家德国汽车制造商，正在向阿拉巴马州的工厂里引进新的车型，包括C级轿车如果你去阿拉巴马州的塔斯卡卢萨观光，在当地景点项目中就有梅赛德斯奔驰工厂万斯生产线的观光。在1997年开厂的时候，这个价值3亿美元的基地，为全球市场每年生产65,000台M-级越野车。但是需求，尤其是美国，远大于预期。就在开厂两年之后，又投资0.8亿美元，是生产力达到80,000台。 但是R-级跨界运动旅行车和GL-级越野车，是定于2000年开始生产。另外6亿美元的注资，使其规模、生产力和人力都翻番。去年，利用柔性生产技术生产大约180,000辆汽车（M-R-GL级）。第一家工厂占地大约120万平方英尺 — 目前拥有两家工厂，总面积超过370万平方英尺（350,700平方米）。 2011年，梅赛德斯公司宣布要在阿拉巴马州投产C-级轿车，另有第五个车型即将宣布。 C-级车型对这个工厂来说是个全新的挑战。奔驰美国国际公司总裁Jason Hoff说，“C-级轿车和工厂之前生产的三个车型完全不同，它使用的材料和内部组装都不一样，是对我们生产理念的挑战和颠覆。材料和焊接技术是我们眼前面临的难题。” 投资培训为了准备启动C-级轿车，车身制造、维修和工程的试验团队成员们花费几个月的时间，在布莱梅、德芬根（德国）和东伦敦（南非）的梅赛德斯-奔驰工厂接受生产技术培训。Hoff解释说，“培训一直是制造C-级轿车准备阶段重要部分，包括制造所必需的新技术、复杂技术。”“制造C-级轿车需要新的材料，比如金属钢板、高强度钢(HSS)、金属铝板、压铸铝和挤制铝材。这些材料要通过点焊、粘合剂、激光接缝、激光焊、惰性气体保护焊、铆钉、冲击螺栓、流钻螺丝和铆钉接头的结合完成。大部分接合技术对奔驰美国国际公司都是新技术，对戴姆勒公司来说有许多也是新技术。”事实上，在布莱梅工厂生产C-级轿车一段时间本身就是优势。“这两个基地如出一辙，因为两个工厂的生产工序是同时制定的计划。 The C-Class will bring new materials and joining methods to the Mercedes-Benz plant in Tuscaloosa“我们自从于2009年12月获得批准，就在德国开始计划招募同僚。我们有一批团队，他们在这个项目的每个环节都工作了两三年，甚至更长。还有部分团队成员已经在德国与各地之间来回数年。” 据Hoff所说，一些团队成员在德国数周，观察和学习如何制造C-级轿车，以便把知识带回去培训其他人。一共有超过每周2,000人次在德国学习生产C-级轿车所需专业技能。 “这些年来，我们与德国同事们一同实现了我们的目标。今天，奔驰美国国际公司 — 他们中的许多人是土生阿拉巴马人 — 在进行自身业务操作过程中，支持和引领其他工厂进行培训。我们与德国同僚和C-级生产网络深深交织在一起。我们从全局流程中大受裨益，包括质量、生产和投资计划、采购和全球框架。同时，我们工厂还有责任实施我们的生产计划，管理地方供应商，以及雇佣和培训1,000团队成员加入制造C-级轿车和其他产品的组织当中。”“培训一直是制造C-级轿车准备阶段的重要部分，包括制造所必需的新技术、复杂技术。”— 奔驰美国国际公司总裁兼首席执行官Jason Hoff“我们正处于生产试作时期，计划在2014年春季末制造第一台面向顾客的汽车。奔驰美国国际公司指挥生产试作，验证我们制造汽车的加工能力 — 我们制造测试车来确保我们的员工、我们的方法和标准都已成型，使每一次的生产都是同样标准。”生产经营万斯的所有操作都在同一个地方进行。有一个汽车车体修理厂，内部分成多块。M-级汽车和GL-级在一个区域制造；R-级在另个区域制造；而C-级又独占一处。工厂里只有一个喷漆车间，为所有的汽车喷漆。而到了组装部分，则分成两部分。第一组装车间里，组装C-级轿车；第二组装车间组装越野车。Hoff说，“我们在大约一年半之前关掉了第一组装车间，进行彻底返修。因为C-级轿车是一个完全不同的平台，而我们目前只制造运动型多功能车，所以第一组装车间需要脱胎换骨了。 “我们在车身和喷漆车间实行两班制运行，但是第二组装车间实行三班制模式。当C-级轿车开始投产，我们将实施两班制模式。今年年末，喷漆会从两班制变成三班制。这些举动都是有助于优化我们的生产力。” 尽管M-级和R-级轿车属不同平台，但是它们都是单片式汽车车身设计。第一站在发动机室里贴上条形码标签，这个标签里涵括有关汽车VIN码等所有生产信息。然后，车身部件会来到合装系统，‘PLUS’电脑系统会读出条形码并命令机器人，这些都包括写在后地板上的VIN码里面。每个生产出来的汽车都有独一无二的序列。一旦机器人把各部件放入框架站，通过精密的焊接把车体部件组装在一起。Hoff说，“由于今天我们的产品技术日益升级，以及新产品越发复杂，工厂越来越多地使用自动化。我们工厂们目前拥有大约1,300个机器人，其中大约1,150个应用于汽车车体修理厂，而之前只有60个。现在可以保证重复性和一致性。” 在横穿喷漆车间之后，车身以固定顺序被安放。安放车身的顺序与准时化顺序(JIS) 生产相一致。控制部分会向分离库发信号，把一部车发到组装车间。非常独特的是，同时会向供货部门发出即时信号，提供汽车零部件。这些零部件与车身同时到达组装线。从分离库到组装车间，需要135分钟。组装车间拥有六个裁切线、四个最终装配线、门套线、发动机和底架线、离线质量测试，以及一个修理区域。生产线在东面和西面运行，大多数时间汽车都面向同一个方向。 很显然，这些操作都是耗能的。生产全程所需能源约为4,200万瓦特（大致是8,400个标准家庭用量）。在万斯，这由位于两个工厂中间的能源中心提供。中心实行三班制倒班，保证制造过程中所需用电、天然气、压缩空气和各种水源。 The Tuscaloosa facility now covers more than 4m sq.ft邻里物流即时供货方法包括新的物流中心，为组装车间提供运转两小时的存货，汽车车身修理车间是三个小时，而对生产线是随时供货。当需要额外存货，自动化系统会下达补给命令，马上送递。阿拉巴马的改变还包括物流计划。一月份，塔斯卡卢萨工厂正式启动耗资7000万美元的物流中心，使奔驰美国国际公司的物流运作实现一体化，每天生产近290万台汽车。正式取名为梅赛德斯-奔驰物流中心，占地915,000平方英尺，与第二组装车间规模一样大。这个额外占地使塔斯卡卢萨工厂超过400万平方英尺。 Hoff补充说，“物流中心有近600名员工，包括了奔驰美国国际公司的一些成员、承包商和服务供应商。奔驰美国国际公司预计每天有240个厂内货车，运送近20,000个箱子，更好地便利了货车运输出入工厂。“从中心运出的部件要经过连接现有工厂的隧道。随着数量的提高，我们还探索出许多物流理念，比如无人驾驶运输车辆。物流中心拥有11英里的货架，能有效利用高层空间，可提供378个员工停车位，和400个货车位。” 巨大的一步塔斯卡卢萨工厂的建立，已不是原来日产65,000台车辆的水平所能想象的了。Hoff说，“我们对已经取得的成就感到非常骄傲，我们宣布要在北美建立梅赛德斯-奔驰以来，已经历了20年的时光。我们还处在全力发展中 ...
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ArticleHyundai rewards BASF for South American service
Brazil – The chemical company received the ‘Supplier of the Year 2013 – Excellence in General Purchasing’ award for providing its waterborne coatings for use on Hyundai’s HB20 model that is manufactured in Piracicaba.The award involves an assessment of criteria such as cost management, quality and delivery. In fact, BASF ...
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ArticleVolkswagen presents 2013 sustainability report
Germany – Claiming that it is making “significant progress” on its way to becoming “the world’s most environmentally compatible automaker”, the OEM released a 152-page report on its economic, environmental and social sustainability performance last year.In particular, the report shows that energy consumption per vehicle produced was 12.5% lower than ...
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ArticleLear opens wiring plant in Kenitra
Morocco – The company says its new 300,000 sq.ft facility is supplying “major European automakers”. The workforce already totals 1,000 personnel but will rise to 1,700 by the end of 2014, bringing Lear’s overall employment in the country to 7,200. While the new plant will make wire harnesses, Lear has ...
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ArticleNissan starts e-NV200 production
Spain – The Barcelona plant will be the global production site for the model, which is the OEM’s second all-electric vehicle after the LEAF. The e-NV200 will be available as a passenger vehicle, light commercial vehicle (LCV) and taxi. Exports to 20 international markets including Japan will begin in June, ...
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ArticleRolls-Royce celebrates 110th birthday
UK – The luxury carmaker commemorated the first meeting between founders Charles Rolls and Henry Royce on May 4, with celebrations taking place at the Goodwood Motor Circuit in West Sussex and at a hotel in Manchester.At Goodwood near the company’s head office and manufacturing facility, three contemporary models were ...
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ArticleChrysler to consolidate SRT with Dodge
US – The move will take place in conjunction with plans outlined for the recently formed Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA), under the leadership of Tim Kuniskis in his role as president and CEO of Dodge and head of Fleet Operations.In addition, Ralph Gilles will continue as senior vice-president of Product ...
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ArticleSkoda reaches 3m 1.2 HTP engines
Czech Republic – The three-cylinder engine of the EA 111 series, used in Skoda, Seat and VW vehicles, has been made at the OEM’s main plant in Mladá Boleslav since 2001; the 3m milestone was reached at the same time as the 500,000th MQ/SQ 100 gearbox.In addition to the 1.2 ...
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ArticleGales to lead Lotus
Malaysia – Parent company PROTON said that the appointment of Jean-Marc Gales as CEO was effective from May 1. Gales joins the company after leading the European Association of Automotive Suppliers (CLEPA) since 2012. Prior to CLEPA, Gales was president of Automobiles Citroen and Automobiles Peugeot between 2009 and 2012. ...
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ArticleGM spends $50m on Cruze at Lordstown
US – The investment will result in a new flexible trim shop and upgrades to the press shop for the next generation of the compact sedan. Construction work has already begun, although a launch date for the new Cruze has yet to be announced.Bob Parcell, Lordstown plant manager, commented: “This ...
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ArticleFields is new Ford leader
US – When Alan Mulally retires on July 1, chief operating officer Mark Fields will step into the role of president and CEO and join the board of directors.Fields joined Ford in 1989, and prior to his existing role as COO he served as executive vice-president and president, The Americas; ...
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ArticleKansas starts making 2015 Transit
US – Following a $1 billion investment and the recuitment of 2,000 employees, the first unit of the new model has now rolled off the line at the Kansas City Assembly Plant.Ford’s investment has involved retooling and the addition of a 437,000 sq.ft stamping facility and a 78,000 sq.ft paintshop. ...
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ArticleBarton adds SEMS thread rolling machine
UK – The maker of critical fastenings and special cold forgings has spent £250,000 on the new equipment, which will enable the company to offer additional SEMS products as well as supporting its existing thread rolling capabilities.The new machine will be built to Barton’s specifications and delivered in five months’ ...
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ArticleMagna to expand in Ramos Arizpe
Mexico – The company’s Powertrain operating unit (MPT) has now broken ground at the site in the state of Coahuila, where it will build a 16,000 sq.m facility by 2016. The total investment will be $75m.“MPT Ramos has become a global centre of excellence for Magna Powertrain's AWD and 4WD ...