All Equipment articles – Page 6
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ArticleFact, not fiction
Mike Farish reports on a sci-fi inspired additive technique that’s gaining interest with automotive manufacturers New items of technology often get hyped as being like something from science fiction, but in the case of one of the most innovative and unusual additive techniques now on the market, continuous liquid interface ...
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ArticleLeading a winning team
Nick Holt talks to Ford Craiova’s award-winning engine plant manager, Jo Payne, about the facility’s award-winning enginesJo Payne is no stranger to accolades, having been crowned winner in the manufacturing category of this year’s Autocar Great British Women in the Car Industry awards. She also won the award back in ...
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ArticleTime for an upgrade
As Toyota shapes up its global manufacturing network to build the new vehicle platform, Nick Holt visits the OEM’s Valenciennes facility to see the progress being madeTo meet the challenge of rapidly changing markets and segment volatility, the development and adoption of common, modular vehicle platforms is now a familiar ...
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Guiding lights for a smarter paintshop
System experts at Dürr have developed a digital maintenance assistant designed to keep automotive paintshops in full effect With its digital@Dürr concept, Dürr is delivering an important smart factory module. In future, the company will be supporting customers in maintaining painting and sealing robots using a digital maintenance assistant. With ...
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Welcoming arms for Kirchhoff
Dermot Healy speaks to CMM programmer James Mitchell about working with Faro Technologies at the Kirchhoff Automotive plant in Lansing, MichiganKirchhoff Automotive is one of the leading global suppliers of body structures, sub-assemblies and stamped products to major automotive manufacturers. Working closely with manufacturers from an early design stage the ...
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ArticleWelcome to Naperville
With the increasing use of schwartz’s roller hearth furnaces for press-hardening in North America, a relocation helps the US subsidiary to meet demand The globally active schwartz Group, the world market leader* in heat-treatment equipment for press-hardening, has evolved into a key supplier to the automotive industry. In order to ...
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ArticleThe $83,330 article
To combat the dread and burden of unplanned stoppages, ABB explores the potential of machine learning, advanced analytics and connected services In an average large automotive factory, the cost of unplanned downtime can exceed $1 million an hour. This means in the five minutes it will take to read this ...
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On the plus side
Dermot Healy speaks to Daryush Arabnia, COO of Geico, about the new Ctrl + PAINT vehicle body quality scanning system, the latest element in the Smart Paintshop ConceptYou launched the new initiative Ctrl + PAINT in June 2018 at the 2018 SURCAR Conference in Detroit. Can you tell us about ...
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How to outrun the competition
Precision engineering and manufacturing technology specialist Renishaw is poised to support North American customers in tackling a new breed of production challenges Shorter product lifecycles and growing product mix require flexible machining and measurement solutions, which is why Renishaw’s technologies are increasingly being applied to support productive automotive manufacturing. Auto ...
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ArticleForging the deals
Ian Henry examines the key trends in the North American automotive supplier sector where technological progress and feisty trade policies continue to present a range of business challengesWith rapid technology change across the sector as the automotive market accelerates into the era of electrification, the uncertainty over the future of ...
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ArticleSpoilt for choice
Eight different models are made at DTNA’s Cleveland plant, and a high level of customisation means that thousands of options are available to customers. Michael Nash reports
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ArticleNissan upgrades US assembly plants
US - The OEM has announced that it is spending $170m to support production of the new Altima, which is now entering its sixth generation, at its two plants in Smyrna, Tennessee and Canton, Mississippi. The model is set to go on sale this fall."Nissan's continued investment in our manufacturing ...
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ArticleFrom prototype to production
The use of additive manufacturing technologies has now moved passed their initial application area of just ‘rapid prototyping’ While now seeing use in limited production roles, additive techniques are still being put to use in new and innovative ways as product development tools. One example is the Plastics 3D Printing ...
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ArticleLarge work area dispensing robot
RP-Series robots designed are for adhesive and other fluid-dispensing applications, as well as assembly using UV curing for mounting, tooling and fixturing, says Dispense Works.The company claims the large ground machine-bed surface provides a suitable stable foundation for fixturing and tooling and a built-in advanced jog-and-teach routine simplifies programming with ...
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ArticleBenchtop dispensing robot
The Fisnar F4500N dispensing robot offers an expanded format of 500x500mm says Intertronics. Integrated with dispensing equipment from the company’s range, the robot can dispense beads, dots, arcs and infills in three dimensions, with a claimed positioning resolution of 0.001mm/axis.The company says that by adding the appropriate dispensing setup to ...
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ArticleSkoda updates three factories
Czech Republic - The OEM has used the summer shutdown period to carry out several updates and maintenance works at three of its plants. It has also taken steps to improve infrastructure in order to relieve congestion around one of the sites.Specifically, the company fitted a new painting line and ...
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ArticleAudi starts motor production
Hungary - The German OEM has started series production of electric motors at its facility in Győr. An expansion to the existing plant was made to house motor production, covering a space of 8,500 sq.m."Audi Hungaria has been involved in writing the growth story of the Four Rings for 25 ...
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ArticleMass-spectroscopy instrument
Versaperm claims it has developed a new multi-chamber mass-spectroscopy based instrument that allows OEMs to identify and correct problems by measuring permeability for water vapour, air and hydrocarbons, and any other gas as well. The company says this system works on both complex components and assemblies as well as on ...
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ArticlePSA and Nissan exploring new ground
An interesting news report caught my eye recently; the article suggested that PSA – whose Chinese plants are operating well below capacity – will lease one of its factories in China to Nissan later this summer. The report suggested that the factory and its workforce will move to Nissan in ...
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ArticleSelf-piercing earth stud
The new KSB earthing stud from Profil is self-piercing, removing the need for additional processes involved in either welding studs into place or having to drill holes and then bolt them on, claims the company. Also, with material thicknesses being reduced to save weight, the company says the use of ...