Europe – Page 31
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ArticleFord Saarlouis
Ford has recently invested in its Saarlouis plant to produce the latest generation of its popular Focus model. Key additions include the introduction of two hot forming press lines and eight related laser cutting stations for the high-strength steel sections.
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ArticleA two-tone finish
Bi-colour coats and enhanced quality assurance are high on the agenda in the paintshop at SEAT’s Martorell factory. Michael Nash gets an inside look
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ArticleMercedes starts building battery plant
Germany - Mercedes-Benz has started the construction of its battery production facility in the Brühl sub-plant at Untertürkheim, Germany. This is part of the €1bn (US$1.13bn) investment that the OEM has set aside for its global battery production network, which currently comprises of nine battery factories at seven locations on ...
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ArticleMuscovite 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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ArticleAllies 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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ArticleHonda 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 ...
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ArticleCorolla confidence
Upgrade and investments at Burnaston see Toyota start production of the new Corolla in the UK, despite all the turmoil of Brexit The UK secretary of state for business, Greg Clark, and the straight-taking Japanese ambassador to the UK, Koji Tsuruoka, joined local dignitaries, business leaders and Toyota executives in ...
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ArticleIs Korea set to become a low-cost country?
In what may be a portentous move for the industry, Hyundai has chosen to try to revive its domestic fortunes by opening the first new car factory to be built in Korea for over 20 years; what is intriguing about this move is that the workers in this plant will ...
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ArticlePSA juggles engines and motors
Engine manufacturing facilities around the world are changing. Pressure from governments and changes to legislation are pushing carmakers to develop new internal combustion engines (ICEs), the production of which often requires new assembly lines and equipment. More of these facilities are also starting to ...
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ArticleFord and VW confirm their alliance; and raise questions …
Ford CEO Jim Hackett, VW COE Herbert Diess After months of rumours and speculation, Ford and Volkswagen have announced an alliance which would begin with the co-development and production of vans and pick-ups; it offers the prospect of wider forms of co-operation, in other segments, electric technology ...
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ArticleMagna to make new Toyota Supra
Austria - Magna has announced that it will build the new Toyota Supra at its facility in Graz, Austria. The car was first revealed at the 2019 North American International Auto Show (NAIAS), and is expected to enter production in early 2019.As well as assembling the Supra, Magna will also ...
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ArticlePeugeot 2008 hits production milestone
France - The one-millionth Peugeot 2008 rolled off production lines at the company's Mulhouse plant in eastern France. Launched back in 2013, the SUV is now one of the most popular vehicles in Peugeot's portfolio.The Mulhouse plant was the first to start making the 2008. Around 780 units of the ...
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ArticleDashboard meeting
Switching from gantry line to a fleet of AGVs, an IAC facility near Liverpool has brought swift and smart adaptability to its instrument panel assembly process Specialists in interior components, IAC operates in all automotive manufacturing markets around the globe. But it was its production lines at Halewood ...
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ArticleVW appoints new CV board member
Germany - Volkswagen has appointed Alexander Hitzinger as the new member of the board of management for technical development at Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles. He will take charge of establishing and managing VW's Centre for autonomous driving and Mobility-as-a-Service (MaaS)."In Alexander Hitzinger we have recruited a renowned expert as Member of ...
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ArticleAccess to accuracy
When it comes to measurement in manufacturing, accuracy is critical. Rick Van Valkenburg, responsible for global sales and marketing at Perceptron, discusses the importance of accuracy when developing robot-based measurement systems for the automotive industryHow has the request for accuracy in automotive measurement evolved during your time at Perceptron?I have ...
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ArticleA high-performance build
The Audi R8 series of sports cars is described as being closer to motor racing than any other on-the-road vehicles. Mike Farish takes a closer look at the manufacturing operation The latest versions of both the Coupe and Spyder convertible variants of the R8 are made at Audi Sport’s Böllinger ...
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ArticleNew chapter, different story?
International expansion continues but, as Ian Henry reports, Audi’s long-term role within the VW Group is now under scrutiny Audi is expanding globally, notably in China, as it seeks to escape from its recent controversial past. Having been complicit in the diesel scandal affecting Volkswagen Group, it has been hit ...
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ArticleNew year, new arrangements
As 2018 draws to a close, the pace of change in vehicle manufacturing is accelerating. The move to EVs is gaining speed while the companies themselves continue to realign and optimise their manufacturing footprints. The future of the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi alliance has been thrown into doubt with the arrest of Carlos ...
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ArticleTesting times
With the automotive industry in Europe implementing WLTP, new controls that replace NEDC rules on vehicle emission limits, AMS spoke to powertrain component specialist Cosworth to assess the likely impact of the incoming regime Since September 2017 the automotive industry in Europe has been getting to grips with the implications ...
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ArticleNext-level corrosion protection
A new version of BASF’s CathoGuard 800 e-coat is making the application process more efficient While the cathodic electrocoat (e-coat) is not visible on a coated vehicle, it is indispensable for any stable paint system: after the pre-treatment of the body-in-white, the e-coat forms the first layer in the ...