Automation – Page 89
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Tow tractor materials handling
Designed to support manufacturing operations in transporting material to and from production lines, the new T7.0HS3 three-wheel and T8.0HS4 four-wheel rider tow tractors are capable of towing up to 7000kg or 8000kg respectively, claims Hyster. Both models feature an anti-roll back on ramps device and external inching ...
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Easy access parts cleaning container
Metallform says its MEFO-BOX system is designed with an open structure to ensure that whatever cleaning medium is used (ultrasonic waves and/or spray jet) it has good access to the parts and can take maximum effect. The company claims this can shorten cleaning process and with improved drainage, offer more ...
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Combination sensor for thickness measurement
A new sensor system that combines an eddy current sensor with a capacitive displacement sensor in a single housing has been launched by Micro-Epsilon. The company claims this sensor concept enables high precision one-sided thickness measurements of plastic film or coatings applied on metal objects, plates or sheets. Connected to ...
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Variable valve timing system
Variable valve timing that is adapted to the different engine operating conditions can be achieved with its Shifting Roller system, claims Mahle. It features an adjustable cam follower, that can be brought into contact with one of the two cam lobes, which have different profiles, says the company. Depending on ...
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Sealant dispensing system
The preeflow eco-DUO600 is a volumetric metering, mixing and dispensing unit which uses a progressive cavity pump principle to deliver precise amounts of the mixed sealant, says Intertronics. The company claims these systems provide precision control of the material output (which can be dynamically changed). This means that the FIP ...
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Assembly line automation
Nextsense says its Calipri systems can be used to monitor the process of car assembly from body-in-white to end-of-line final assembly. The company claims its fully automatic C12 cobot systems allows human workers and robots to work side by side in a continuous production line – without separation, mechanical barriers ...
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Dongfeng Maxion to build wheel plant
China - Dongfeng Motor Parts and Components Group has formed a new joint venture company with Maxion Wheels - a division of the Brazilian wheel and structural component manufacturer Iochpe Maxion. The new company is called Dongfeng Maxion Wheels, and will look to serve the global market. ...
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Working from home
Ian Henry looks at how Japan’s OEMs are faring in their native land as they intensify supply to their own domestic market The domestic manufacturing networks of the major Japanese car companies have been stable in comparison to the extensive reorganisation, expansion and product re-allocations that have taken place ...
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Muscovite foresight
Preparing assembly operations for a new SUV, Renault Moscow plant director Jean-Louis Theron tells Nick Gibbs about investments in automation and a renewed focus on quality Russia’s boom-and-bust car market makes operating a plant in the country incredibly difficult. Running one in Moscow, where staff turnover is ...
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The imitation game
Working with a local robotics start-up in Germany, Volkswagen is exploring a new programming technique that allows assembly workers to teach a cobot all the right moves Volkswagen’s Transparent Factory in the eastern German city of Dresden is arguably one of the more unusual automotive manufacturing sites in the ...
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PSA's Poissy plant to add model
France - Groupe PSA has revealed that it will start making the new Opel/Vauxhall B-SUV at its Poissy plant, which is located about an hour north west of the French capital Paris. As a result, the facility will become the first to assemble a vehicle based on the company’s common ...
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Shift of power
Emobility may be flourishing but the internal combustion engine still has a long way to run. Gareth Price speaks to leading powertrain component suppliers endeavouring to make a smooth transition
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On a twinning streak
Creating a digital twin of manufacturing operations can deliver development and efficiency benefits. Mike Farish reports
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Eaton and Cummins venture forth
To face an ever-widening array challenges, automotive manufacturing has seen numerous instances of partnerships, alliances, mergers and acquisitions entered into as a means to stay healthy Back in 2017, power management company Eaton and engine manufacturer Cummins formed a joint venture for automated transmissions for heavy-duty and medium-duty commercial vehicles. ...
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At the leading edge
Steed Webzell looks at edge computing and the hardware requirements for those looking to digitally monitor, measure or control their machining operations Certain terms surrounding digitisation have become pretty familiar over the past 5-10 years: Internet of Things, Industry 4.0 (I4.0), edge computing, big data, smart factory, artificial intelligence ...
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Augmented assistance
Visit any car manufacturing plant in the world and the majority of production equipment will be similar. The real differences between factories are the human workers and the way in which technology is used to optimise their environment
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Allies at a crossroads
While boardroom scandal and criminal allegations have tested this longstanding partnership, the ties that bind the Alliance OEMS remain firmly in place With the arrest in late 2018 of Carlos Ghosn, the man who has led the turnaround in the fortunes of both Renault and Nissan in recent ...
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Scania sets sights on Thailand
Thailand - Scania has opened a new assembly facility for truck cabs, truck chassis and bus chassis in the Bangkok Free Trade Zone, Thailand. The Swedish OEM says that the move is an important part of its plan to strengthen its presence in the region. “With this new industrial establishment ...
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Tornando a produção sob medida
James Bakewell relata o uso crescente de peças produzidas aditivamente em aplicações de personalização para veículos e produção em série da BMW.Em 2006, quando Dominik Rietzel estava terminando sua tese de diploma na universidade, seu professor perguntou se ele gostaria de fazer um doutorado em moldagem por injeção. Rietzel ficou ...
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Honda closure deals blow to UK
Honda has announced plans to close its Swindon plant at the end of the current model’s production lifecycle in 2021. The statement, which was published on the company’s website, refers to the changing nature of the global auto industry and Honda’s “commitment to electrified cars” as the main reasons behind ...