Automation – Page 390
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ArticleNo glass ceiling
Stiff competitionProduct flowGlass makerResurgent marketCars are made of four basic materials: metal, rubber, plastic and glass. While the first three of these undergo exhaustive analysis in order to improve the respective material in order to build a better product, glass can be considered the poor relation at the party. In ...
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ArticleTechnology for the digital age
Carmakers are using digital technology to overcome increasingly complex and challenging production requirements.Line of dutyInside informationScanning for advantagesOne such company is Bentley. At the company’s plant in Crewe, UK, the luxury carmaker is using Dassault Systèmes’ PLM solutions, including CATIA, ENOVIA, DELMIA and 3DVIA, to exploit 3D visualisation and simulation ...
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ArticleRe-condition and re-use
As markets in traditional regions of automotive manufacturing contract, new plants being built in low-cost countries are looking to benefit from installing used equipmentConveyors - a feast of flexibilityRelocation, relocation, relocationPaintshop Nano-techCamping out down at NissanCOMAUKUKA RoboterSABBRobot tradingAIDAWhile a lot of smaller manufacturing equipment is too specific in terms of ...
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ArticleRolling automation
As tyre production shifts location in response to changing global vehicle demand, so manufacturers are bringing in more automationMachines march eastwardsRolling out rubberExtrusion and tyre buildingAutomation and the man-machine interfaceCuringFinal finishCompany perspectiveTyres are seen by many in the automotive industry as a commodity, a component that cannot significantly contribute to ...
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ArticleMultiple-layer heat management foils from Zircotec
Coatings specialists Zircotec has added two- and three-layer versions of its Zircofl ex thermal barrier foils. These are offered with and without selfadhesive backing and in a range of sizes, starting from A4. A simple and cost-effective heat management system, ZircoFlex is also both very light and very thin, weighing ...
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ArticleWenzel launches new blue laser scanning technology
The latest version of the Mobilscan3D system features ’Blue-Scan’ blue laser scanning technology. Blue laser technology has shown to be an improvement over red lasers on small volume, high-accuracy applications, as the shorter wavelength can produce a consistantly finer laser line thickness (50 microns) through the measurement area. This delivers ...
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ArticleModular fixturing unit from Witte for measuring interior car parts
Plastic parts require special treatment during positioning for measurement, as materials are often relatively soft and unstable. In order to avoid deformation, the parts should not be clamped, but gently fixed without exerting any pressure on the part. Temporary deformation would lead to falsifi cation of measuring results. Alufix fixtures ...
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ArticleSavings by design
Tata Motors at Sanand is behind the Nano and its challenge of producing and marketing the car at the given price pointColour considerationsThe Tata Nano still holds the title of the world’s most inexpensive new car. But the question remains, how do they do it? How does Tata manage to ...
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ArticleGuard Lock safety door switch from Omron STI
Omron Scientific Technologies has launched the D4SL compact six-contact Guard Lock safety door switch. The D4SL features a durable metal-head designed to deliver long life in demanding industrial environments. Users also benefi t from easily selectable wiring, a wide variety of mounting methods and available operating keys, plus a generous ...
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Article
Danielson leads Volvo's manufacturing operations in China
Gothenburg, Sweden – Lars Danielson has been appointed manager of Volvo’s manufacturing operations in China. Danielson was previously manager at Volvo Cars Torslanda.He will report to Freeman Shen, recently appointed as Senior Vice President, China Operations, and Magnus Hellsten, Volvo Cars’s Senior Vice President, Manufacturing.Danielson, 61, joined Volvo in June ...
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Article
Green leads Land Rover UK
Gaydon, UK – Land Rover has appointed Colin Green as managing director of Land Rover UK. He replaces John Edwards, who is now global brand director.Green, who had been global marketing director for the past six years, has been with the company since 1979.www.landrover.com
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Article
Burela will lead the Changan Ford Mazda Automobile
Shanghai, China – Ford has released details covering personnel changes at its Asia Pacific and Africa operations.Jeffrey Shen, President of Changan Ford Mazda Automobile, has announced he will retire. He will be replaced by Marin Burela, who will continue the joint-venture’s expansion in China, which includes construction of its third ...
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Article
Altavilla takes control over of Fiat’s Iveco truck unit
Turin, Italy – lfredo Altavilla has been selected to take control of Fiat’s Iveco truck unit. Altavilla, previously head of the carmaker’s powertrain division, will replace Paolo Monferino.Iveco and agricultural equipment maker CNH Global are being released by Fiat so the carmaker can focus on its interests involving Chrysler Group.Altavilla, ...
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ArticleDriving metallurgy
Advances in the processing techniques for powder metals are helping Federal-Mogul to deliver high-temperature components that are critical to the next generation of downsized enginesNew material compositionsPistons feel the heatSealing the dealTurbocharging, direct injection, variable valve timing and new combustion strategies are just some of the technologies credited with enabling ...
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ArticleBack from the brink
For a relatively small market, Canada punches way above its weight. The country’s annual vehicle sales may total only around one tenth of those of its southern neighbour, but the province of Ontario is home to many car and light truck plants, each of which has an enviable export programme.Detroit ...
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ArticleThe cost of downsizing
How the remediation of former manufacturing facilities belonging to GM, Ford and Chrysler is – and is not – being carried out, where the money comes from, and who is ultimately responsible for doing the workGM and Motors Liquid CorporationMichigan state of mindFord outlines site cleanup criteriaMore trouble for KenoshaThe ...
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ArticleLight steel in motion
As crash legislation tightens and the drive for lower-mass body structures continues to grow, so steel producers are rising to the challenge Coating for successTailored solutions for better crashabilitySpringback and part geometryUsibor highlightsThe business aspectMarket mattersArcelorMittal’s S-in motion project was first rolled out to customers in November 2010, an ‘intensive’ ...
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ArticleRapid prototyping in the fast lane
Pushing the envelopeMaterial worldPast mattersFor the purposes of engineering-based manufacture, rapid prototyping (RP) is essentially the automatic construction of physical objects using additive manufacturing technology. Put plain and simple, additive manufacturing is now viewed as the first major challenger to the three traditional ways of making things that have been ...
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ArticleProbing for competitive gain at Audi Hungaria
Gearing up for successGet movingThe ‘art’ of measurement is portrayed nowhere so vividly than in automotive applications. With freeform body surfaces and complex, multi-featured engine components, the challenge for engineers is to get the best from metrology equipment to help develop and optimise manufacturing processes.Few can provide a more comprehensive ...
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ArticleLeader of the pack
The Ford C-MAX and Grand C-MAX are the first vehicles to be based on the company’s new C-platform. AMS examines the vehicles’ new features and how these changes have influenced production at the plant in Valencia, SpainSliding doorsSteel and panel pressingDealing with diversityNVHTaking the leadHybrids and application equipmentThe first-generation Ford ...