All Composites articles – Page 8
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ArticleFord makes the most of recyclate
With vehicle-makers taking a greater interest in using recycled materials, Ruari McCallion investigates the processes and challenges involvedFord Motor Company’s new F-150 trucks have been the target of some criticism for their size, weight and thirst, but according to the OEM the model will feature unprecedented levels of environmentally-friendly materials.Recycling ...
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ArticlePotential for aluminium in high volume
When, at a demonstration of the new Range Rover Sport, the presenter talked about it being in excess of 25% stiffer than its predecessor, the point was made by forcing the vehicle’s front right wheel off the ground, tilting the whole thing across its diagonal axis and banging it back ...
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ArticleComposites come of age
BMW, Ford and Renault are incorporating composites and plastics in new modelsTo demonstrate that reduced weight and increased fuel efficiency are boosting the use of composites beyond their traditional use in niche manufacturing, look no further than BMW’s use of composites in its new i-series models; Ford’s inclusion of integrated ...
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ArticleMass is the driver for composites
Though tooling costs and shorter production runs bring advantages, reduced mass is pushing developmentCompared to steel or aluminium body structures the number one advantage of composites is mass reduction. “That is really the single most important driving factor that is leading to the drive to include more composites,” says Will ...
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ArticleFibre is in fashion
Once the domain of high-performance sports cars, recent developments have increased composite use in high volume manufacturingThere are two very distinct parts of the automotive industry; those two sectors have vastly differing challenges and have approached the use of composites in differing ways. We are, of course talking about the ...
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ArticleLearn the hard way
With so many hard part machining applications in the automotive sector, keeping up with the latest manufacturing technologies is imperative.Around 55% of applications for PCBN (polycrystalline cubic boron nitride) cutting tools are in the automotive sector – gears, shafts, CV joints, injector nozzles, bearings, extrusion dies and pressure rolls, to ...
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ArticleThe heat is always on
Steed Webzell reviews the welding technologies prevalent in the automotive arena today, as well as those currently building momentumLaser welding is popular for applications such as producing tailored welded blanks, largely because it is very effective at joining together steel sheets of varying thicknesses and strengths. Another popular application area ...
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ArticleA world of welding
Steed Webzell reveals the high levels of innovation being applied to welding processes in automotive manufacturingWelding remains the dominant joining technology for the automotive manufacturing sector but developments in technology, equipment, quality control and automation are crucial to evolving more efficient processes to produce ever lighter and stronger compOnents and ...
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ArticleA Formula One finish for the road
Ron Dennis and the birth of the chrome racecarProduction paint for road supercarsClean and open paintshop designPartnering for optimum colour consistencyAdvanced booth design and low bake ovensChrome paint on road carsAkzoNobel won the contract to supply paint for McLaren road cars partly through its experience with the chrome finish on ...
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ArticleEditor's Note: Evolution not revolution
When following the fast moving developments in this industry it’s easy to get swept along on a tide of innovative technologies, expanding (and shrinking) manufacturing networks and staggering production figures (usually from China). But, taking time to stand back and view this constant flow information, you realize that change, while ...
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ArticleCrossing boundaries at Hannover
Intelligent networked systems, composites and nanotechnology will be among the many new technologies being exhibited at Hannover Messe 2013 from April 8-12The lead theme for the 2013 Hannover Show is one of ‘Integrated Industry,’ with the event structured to reflect the increasing integration of all areas of manufacturing. Central to ...
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ArticleSheets ahead
Malcolm Wheatley reports on how advanced production processes have enabled automotive glass to be augmented with added-value technologiesFor the most part, glass alone does not provide the capabilities that a driver most values in a vehicle’s glass components. Instead, from road noise reduction to heat-reflective capabilities, and from built-in antennae ...
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Article
Adhesive solution for DCPD bonding
SCIGRIP has launched an enhanced product for bonding dicyclopentadiene (DCPD) composites. The company claims that different grades of DCPD can be adhered successfully using SG600 without the need for time-consuming preparation techniques such as flame treatment.SG600 is cold curing and also features ratio-adjustable cure times and rheology compatible with robotic ...
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ArticlePlastics evolution
Lightweight and strong, plastic composites are increasingly used in automotive manufacturing but is Henry Ford’s all-plastic car concept coming any nearer to reality, asks Malcolm WheatleyLocated in a leafy suburb of the Canadian capital of Ottawa, the country’s National Research Council (NRC) is one of the world’s premier scientific and ...
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ArticleForming a bond to replace spot welding
Sticky timesBody strengthBetter applicationUsing adhesives for body manufacture – adhesives which can be formulated for aluminium, steel and composite bonding applications on unprepared surfaces – is a trend that’s on the rise with automakers,” sums up Jeff Kapp, a structural adhesives specialist within 3M’s automotive division. “Some manufacturers have been ...
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ArticleJoined-up thinking at Fronius conference
Industry expertsComplex casingsLow volume approachGlobal production processesDelta spot weldingQuality controlFronius recently held its annual international conference, and this year’s topic was 'Demands of joining technology for modern vehicle makers'. The Austrian company’s close working relationship with major OEMs was apparent from the number and quality of speakers present. All those ...
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ArticleA lighter touch with aluminium
Joined-up thinkingCommitment to the right mixGoing all the wayPainting problemsThe mark of classLightweighting is a key factor in modern vehicle construction. The latest mainstream model to get the all-aluminium treatment is the new Range Rover, from Jaguar Land Rover. The third generation of the iconic SUV is bigger and has ...
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ArticleExplosive growth of plastic parts drives new processes
Adding protection and beautyFaster finishes with fewer stepsUV technology joins a new clearcoatSolvent still a solutionAll that glitters is not chromePerfection in preparation Steam heatAs OEMs strive to develop cleaner and more efficient vehicles and increasingly turn to lightweight materials, the finishing industry is developing systems to keep the quality ...
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Hard truths for B-pillars
Performance variablesTopology optimisation The composite component……sees dreams turn to dustComposites are being promoted as the ultimate impact-resistant material, but Altair and VW found that aluminium was the better solution for B-pillars. Part of Bentley’s parent company, Volkswagen Group Research, recently undertook a project intended to study the viability of composites ...
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Editor's Note: Cutting edge
Making ‘cuts’ seems to be the automotive manufacturing solution of the moment; whether it’s cutting weight from a vehicle, perhaps most dramatically exemplified by the new Range Rover, or cutting production in the case of many of the European OEMs in the face of a lifeless market. Lightweighting vehicles (a ...